Article

We mapped a process, improved it, but six months later, performance is as bad as it was before – what are we missing?

Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve drawn the value-stream map of one of our complex production processes (17 steps), identified the key bottlenecks and improved the process.…

by Michael Ballé

Article

How Do We Sustain A3 Thinking in our Organization?

Dear Gemba Coach: My firm has been investing a lot of time and energy this year in teaching A3 thinking to our staff.  The workshops…

by Michael Ballé

Video

Lean is About Building Organizations that Learn to Learn

In April, LEI's John Shook spoke at the LeanUX NYC conference about how the lean movement has changed (and not changed) over time and what…

by Lean Leaper

Article

Building a Lean Culture at Turner Construction: A Talk with SVP Charlie Murphy

"Whether it’s safety, quality, production system, to me it just makes sense for us to contribute to the improvement of the whole industry," says Turner…

Article

Detroit Auto Show Overshadowed by Dr. Womack's Trashing of Toyota

Jim Womack's most recent e-letter titled "Beyond Toyota"†has sparked a lively and even rancorous debate. "We all, even including Toyota, need to go beyond Toyota,"…

by John Shook

Article

The Hidden Benefit to A3 Thinking

"A3 thinking helps us think, solve problems, and strategize," writes José Ferro. "But it also helps us calm down, concentrate, and think deeply. It lets…

Article

Developing Better Habits Using A3 Thinking

Think A3 thinking is only for solving organizational problems? Think again! LEI faculty Katie Anderson shares her secrets for using A3s as a tool for…

by Katie Anderson

Article

Ask Art: Does lean compromise innovation?

To some, lean and innovation seem counterproductive. But Art Byrne is not one of them. Find out why he says "lean and innovation are and…

by Art Byrne

Article

Follow-up Q&A for Jim Lancaster's Work of Management Webinar

“The Real Work of Management” webinar drew very engaged attendees who submitted hundreds of questions. We now present some of the most-frequently asked questions (plus…

by Jim Lancaster

Article

A Connecticut Yankee Machinist in Toyoda’s Castle

“Culture matters,” John Shook tells us in his post about Charles A. Francis, an American who worked for Toyota group founder Sakichi Toyoda in the…

by John Shook

Article

Looking for split seconds, it can mean a NASCAR race WIN!

Tracey and Ernie Richardson explore how NASCAR pit crews use visuals for safety and speed.

by Ernie Richardson and Tracey Richardson

Article

Performance Versus Cost

Dear Gemba Coach: I am the continuous improvement director of a large hospital. We invested two years ago in a central machine to perform all the…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Practicing What We Teach

"Do all Lean practitioners practice what they teach?" Maybe, maybe not. Tracey Richardson tries to as much as she can, and here's why.

by Tracey Richardson

Article

The Power of Ma in Creating Cognitive Space

When we lead with respect for people, we need to truly understand that people work in different ways, argues Jim Benson in this piece about…

by Jim Benson

Article

Using Cynefin to Solve Problems While Navigating Uncertainty

Kim Ballestrin, an agile coach, explains how her team at Telstra (an Australian telecommunications and IT company) uses a problem solving framework called Cynefin to…

by Kim Ballestrin

Article

I'll Follow You into the Dark...

We all know that lean transformations can happen in any industry or environment. But have you ever thought about a photography darkroom as the site…

by Leslie Barker

Article

Lean Startup: The Most Revolutionary Idea Since SMED?

"From my view, Lean Startup is quite simply the most revolutionary idea to advance the way business is practiced since the birth of Lean," writes…

Article

Standards at workstations

Dear Gemba Coach: Our corporate production system asks us to post standard work at workstations, but we feel that the paperwork clutters the stations and operators…

by Michael Ballé

Article

How Do I Tell Good Obeya Rooms From Bad?

Dear Gemba Coach: Obeyas are popping up everywhere in our organization, and I don’t know what to look for to distinguish good from bad obeyas.

by Michael Ballé

Article

Am I doing PDCA correctly?

Dear Gemba Coach: How do I know if I’m doing PDCA correctly?

by Michael Ballé