Article

A Lean Management System Starts with Senior Leaders

"From events, projects, and A3s to focusing on a lean management system, we’re discovering a new way to run and lead our healthcare organizations, or…

by Steven Leuschel

Article

Advice from the Gemba: Top Mistakes Lean Leaders Make III

Mistakes are just a part of lean, even for leaders. Luckily they're also a great opportunity for improvement. Today three lean practitioners share mistakes they…

by Lean Leaper

Article

Lean Thinking: A Look Back and a Look Forward

The meaning of lean thinking, how lean got its name, and an example of how it improved a grinding process By LEI President Jim Womack.

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

On Coaching

I'm a long-time fan of Brasilian futbol (or as some of us call it, soccer). This World Cup, I've been won over by the Mexican…

by John Shook

Article

Lean in Japan: The Benefit of an Outsider's View

"Sometimes when we know a process, culture, or organization too deeply, we struggle to view things as they actually are..." writes Katie Anderson who is…

by Katie Anderson

Article

Better Design Reviews, Better Products

"Design reviews are a common process in product and process development," writes Katrina Appell. And they're common for good reason. Read more to learn why…

by Katrina Appell, PhD

Article

How Does Pull Relate to Problem-Solving?

Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been following the exchanges on The Lean Edge with great interest, and all the lean authors seem to focus on problem…

by Michael Ballé

Article

How to Lead with Respect -- Follow-Up Q&A to the Webinar

At the end of the lean management webinar “How to Lead with Respect,” we had a couple of hundred questions left over that presenter and…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Ask Art: What Do You Look At in a "Pre-lean" Company?

Art Byrne identifies factors such as excess inventory and floor space, long turnaround times, and numerous other elements to study when considering the long-term value…

by Art Byrne

Article

Create Profitable Value Streams

Why does lean product development focus on building profitable value streams? LEI Senior Advisor John Shook explains in this month's Design Brief Contributor's Corner.

by John Shook

Case Study

Breaking the Cycle of Ineffective Strategic Planning and Execution

Bill MacPherson, managing director of Mercer Celgar, a division of Mercer International, describes why hoshin kanri is a better approach to strategy development and execution.…

by Patricia Panchak

Article

3 Go-To Ways for Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement Anywhere

To reach a state of endless continuous improvement, executives must lead the company in making a critical leap from management-driven improvements to employee-driven improvements, says…

by Kiyoshi "Nate" Furuta

Article

Ask Art: How Do Improvements to Your Balance Sheet Drive Earnings?

Converting to true lean practice yields significant improvement in financial performance -- and one place to start is by focusing and fixing your balance sheet.…

by Art Byrne

Case Study

Respect for People: Making the Job Easier for Workers

How a lean mindset and practices are reining in workplace disruptions, minimizing workers’ physical aches and pains, and improving flow at Turner Construction.

by David Drickhamer

Article

Ask Art: Why is a Lean Sensei Necessary?

Lean veteran Art Byrne explains how having a lean sensei helps leaders and organizations succeed in their lean transformation.

by Art Byrne

Article

Ask Art: How Do You Motivate Managers to Adopt Lean?

Leading an enterprise-wide lean transformation requires everyone at every level to adopt new approaches to their work. Here are some tried-and-true strategies that leaders can…

by Art Byrne

Article

Students Take the Lead in JPW Fund Internship

A hands-on, gemba-based “lean internship” gives participants broad-based lean management experience backed by professional and academic coaches.

by Patricia Panchak

Video

Jim Womack Explains the Origins — and Value — of Value-Stream Mapping

In this brief video, the LEI founder and senior advisor offers an introduction — or refresher on why value-stream mapping is vital to your continuous…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

Ask Art: How Important are Your Suppliers to Implementing Lean Production?

You won't reap the full benefits of lean production without involving your suppliers as an essential part of your value stream. Here's how.

by Art Byrne

Download

leanorsigma