Article
TWI Job Instruction As a Way of Sharing High Value Knowledge
"Before we try to create value, we first need to study the jobs — looking for those parts of the job that require time and…
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Article
Back to Basics
I often take advantage of relaxing holiday time to go over old things, take care of less pressing matters that I often don't have time…
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Video
Art of Lean on Situational Leadership, Part 3: D2-S2 and Coaching
Part two saw Art Smalley discussing Toyota, Taiichi Ohno, and more examples of situational leadership being exemplified in real-time. This time, he returns to provide…
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Article
5S Again and Again and Again
Dear Gemba Coach,†I've just inherited responsibility for our 5S efforts in our company. Any suggestions for how I can get the program back on track?
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Why Fundamental Shifts in Thinking Take Longer Than You Think
Think learning the fundamentals of lean thinking and practice is easy? Think again. Deep shifts in thinking will take some time.
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Article
Monozukuri Through Hitozukuri
Michael Ballé reflects on what it really means to "make people before parts" and introduces two more lean terms that just so happen to be…
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Article
Robert Cole's Observations on the Liker-Shook Dialogue regarding Toyota's Quality Crisis
I have previously introduced readers of this column to Robert Cole, Professor Emeritus at Berkeley, former long-time professor at the University of Michigan, and currently…
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When should we do an A3 or use a different problem-solving tool?
Dear Gemba Coach: I would really appreciate your perspective on the following: (1) When should we do an A3 for something vs. when would it…
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Ask Art: Aren’t You a Little “Old School” in Your Kaizen Approach To Implementing Lean Thinking?
When you say “kaizen is old school” you may be seriously off track, argues Art Byrne. Focusing on tools like A3 might be popular and…
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Article
The Dark Side of Concurrent Engineering
One of the fastest ways to reduce development lead time from concept to market is to work concurrently. But as product development coaches Katrina Appell…
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Article
You Need More Smoke Detectors: Countering Firefighting with Leader Standard Work
Excessive firefighting is a major threat to lean transformations - it may seem easier to time-strapped managers, but it does nothing to foster a culture…
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Article
Single Week Exchange of Business
You’ve no doubt heard of a single-minute exchange of dies in manufacturing, but what happens when you need to changeover your entire customer base in…
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Article
The Escalator of Issues
A daily management system with daily performance metrics gives caregivers the sense that managers are really paying attention, that problems really are being addressed, and…
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Podcast
Empowering Frontline Operators with Human-Centric Technology: a Conversation with Natan Linder
LEI chats with author and entrepreneur Natan Linder about the potential of software to enable improvement among frontline workers.
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Faculty
David Graham
David’s lean knowledge came from 17 years with the North American Parts Operations Division of Toyota, where he applied lean concepts to the launch of…
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Article
Surfer Culture Meets Standardized Work
Can surfing instructors and students really learn standardized work? Read the surprising story of how lean coach Sammy Obara worked with Pacific Surfing School to…
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Article
A Great Time for Lean Thinking
I’ve just been reading the financial news and realizing that this is a great time to be a lean thinker. In fact, it’s the best…
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Visual Management – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Visualization is a good thing. We all know that. And many of us in the Lean Community practice it, to greater or lesser degrees of…
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