Article

Problem? What Problem?

"Whether using A3s, the 5 Whys, DMAIC, Value Stream Mapping, or any other problem-solving methodology, many organizations don’t spend the effort necessary to prove all…

by Brent Wahba

Article

Ask Art: What Incentives and Bonus Programs Best Support Lean?

Bonus and incentive plans work best when they serve an underlying purpose, says Art Byrne, who advises that management design them to boost teamwork, learning,…

by Art Byrne

Article

The Sanity of Just-in-Time

Path dependence is the worst enemy of smart resolution, argue the authors, who suggest greater "frame control" with enabling tools such as just-in-time to respect…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Managing By Not Wandering Around

“We’re still very early in our journey,” says Dan McDonnell, VP of Operational Excellence at Ingersoll Rand. “But we’re following a transformation model that lets…

by Chet Marchwinski

Article

Ask Art: How Do We Prevent Backsliding?

Backsliding is inevitable. "The key is to anticipate the backslide and take early, aggressive, organized steps to prevent it from happening before it starts," writes…

by Art Byrne

Article

A Learning Partnership to Support A New Era in American Manufacturing

As policymakers and business leaders work to rebuild and reimagine a struggling U.S. economy, GE is not only at the center of the conversation about…

by Lex Schroeder

Article

Change Your “Pet” Problem Solving Method

Got problems with your problem-solving method? This interview by LEI's Chet Marchwinski with Four Types of Problems author Art Smalley shares advice on how you…

by Art Smalley

Article

Using the Logic of Lean Thinking to Combat Racism, Part 1 of 2

To create new anti-racist organizations, leaders need to fully embrace the five principles of lean: value vs. waste, value stream, flow, pull, and perfection. But…

by Christopher D. Chapman

Case Study

Landscape Forms Cultivates Lean to Fuel Growth Goals

With single-item orders 80% of the time, adopting single-piece flow and cellular production made sense to management at Landscape Forms, a low-volume, high-mix producer of…

Article

Ask Art: Will Lean Work for a Distributor?

Pairing distribution companies with Lean may seem counterintuitive to some. However author of The Lean Turnaround, Art Byrne, says this match actually makes perfect sense.

by Art Byrne

Article

Why Is It So Hard To Sustain Lean Gains?

Dear Gemba Coach: Why is it so hard to sustain lean gains?

by Michael Ballé

Article

Why We Believe A Strong Customer Focus Is Needed To Drive A Lean Strategy

Is there any principle more core to the heart of lean than relentlessly focusing on the customer? In this collection of thoughts on the topic,…

by Lean Sensei Women

Article

The Role of Strategic Design Events in Lean Healthcare: An Interview with Mindy Hangsleben

Faced with a new incoming healthcare policy, Mindy Hangsleben and her team at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services knew a transformation was needed.…

by Cameron Ford and Mindy Hangsleben

Article

Do You Own Your Lean Learning?

Mark Reich recounts a pivotal experience with Andrea, a coffee plant manager who initially sought external solutions for operational challenges. Through observation and coaching, they…

by Mark Reich

Article

Standard Work Roundup

Several terrific articles have appeared recently, emphasizing the importance and complexity of a key lean practice: standard (or standardized) work, which we’ll call SW. So…

by Tom Ehrenfeld

Article

No Excuses

There has been much drive-by observation of lean operations over the years. A drive-by will unveil a fair amount of the operational side of lean,…

by John Shook

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

Article

Small Chart, Big Impact: How a Simple Spaghetti Chart Led to Huge Wins at Thrustmaster of Texas

Sometimes the simplest lean concepts can make all the difference in ensuring a successful transformation. Marine-propulsion manufacturer Thrustmaster of Texas found this out after creating…

by Lean Leaper

Article

How to Start the A3 Problem-Solving Process

Why the best, most productive way to “start an A3” is by recognizing that the A3 problem-solving methodology is a “slow-thinking” process.

by David Verble

Article

Students “Shocked” that Lean Accounting Isn’t More Widespread

Lean accounting seemed “so logical” to her students that they asked Professor Pencak, winner of a Lean Education Advancement Foundation scholarship, “Why isn’t everybody doing…