Article

The Tipping Point?

Early efforts to apply lean principles to healthcare faltered and for many years the challenge seemed to be too great. It took time and many…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

The Lean Farm

A cold wet fall Saturday at the Talking Farm in Skokie, IL was a workshop day of learning for a group of 25 urban farmers and urban…

Article

Lean Roundup: Pull

A pull system links all production activity to actual customer demand--and creates what one lean thinker calls "an architecture for kaizen." Read more about this…

by Tom Ehrenfeld

Article

Developing Problem Solvers

We traditionally see an organisation as a collection of departments or activities, each managed separately and each separated from the rest by inventories or time…

by Dan Jones

Article

Transforming a Food Desert to Food Oasis—During a Pandemic

How a group of volunteers used lean thinking and practices to make things better in their community -- and overcome the obstacles thrown in their…

Article

Why do you lean guys always focus on shop floor processes? The lack of clarity and focus at headquarters is far worse!

Dear Gemba Coach: Why do you lean guys always focus on shop floor processes? The lack of clarity and focus at headquarters is far worse! 

by Michael Ballé

Podcast

Becoming the Change: Talking Healthcare Transformation with Kim Barnas and John Toussaint on the WLEI Podcast

In this WLEI podcast, Becoming the Change authors Kim Barnas and John Toussaint discuss the personal challenges facing healthcare leaders who are committed to the…

by Kim Barnas, Lean Leaper and John Toussaint

Video

How to Lead Physicians in Change

The Seattle Children's medical director of continuous improvement and innovation describes a successful method for standardizing — and improving — clinical processes.

by Lean Leaper

Article

Be a Better Coach; Learn to “Force” Reflection Part 2: Forcing Managers and Execs to Reflect

How to hold senior-level leaders accountable for expected behaviors and practices, such as the PDCA process' "check/reflect" phase.

by David Verble

Case Study

Book Clubs Help Agricultural Company Cultivate Lean Culture

Two continuous improvement leaders explain how they successfully use book clubs to spread and align understanding of lean management at a large company with multiple…

by Chet Marchwinski

Press Release

Lean Management Workshops Set for Cambridge

The Lean Enterprise Institute, venue for the lineup of 5 workshops, including two new ones, is within driving distance of most New England executives and…

Article

Embrace Lean for Respect, Learning, and Growth

A new book demonstrates how lean thinking and practices can help organizations manage rapid growth.

by Tom Ehrenfeld

Article

Yes, Lean is About Cost Reduction

Why focus on cost reduction? Because many of the cost-saving kaizens of are simpler and require less engineering resources, and this type of kaizen motivates…

by Mark Reich

Article

The Future of Lean in the Age of AI and Automation: Insights from Collaborative Discussions*

This article is the second in a series exploring the key insights and discussions from the recent Future of People at Work Symposium, a groundbreaking…

Article

2021's Top Posts: Insights that Will Enhance Your Lean Thinking and Practice

This year's most popular Lean Posts feature thought leadership and guidance on several issues that are challenging for even the most advanced lean practitioner.

by Lean Leaper

Article

Is There No Other Lean Exemplar Than Toyota?

"I believe that while Toyota isn’t the only lean exemplar out there," writes Michael Ballé, "it still gives us a flawless example of what lean…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Just-In-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads from Across the Web (Vol. 2)

Check out our editors' picks for great lean reads you may have missed, featuring stories from The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Harvard Business Review, and…

by Lean Leaper

Article

Don't Call It...Anything

Would lean be easier to teach and learn if it weren't called lean? If in fact it weren't labeled at all? Tracey Richaardson explains why.

by Tracey Richardson

Article

The Problems Inherent in Change – and What You Can Do about Them

Anyone who's been involved in an organizational transformation knows that its challenges go well beyond resistance. Katrina Appell sheds some light on the deeper challenges…

by Katrina Appell, PhD

Article

Which Side Are You On?

Lean is based on developing every person’s kaizen mind, writes Michael Ballé, "not asking them to thoughtlessly apply a best practice that was invented far…

by Michael Ballé