Article

Should we plan according to what we can do, or the other way around?

Dear Gemba Coach: Should we plan according to what we can do, or the other way around?

by Michael Ballé

Article

What should I know about lean management that I won’t find in books?

Dear Gemba Coach: I’m new to lean and reading all I can find about it, but is there something specific I need to look out…

by Michael Ballé

Article

How can firing people be part of developing people?

Dear Gemba Coach: Can you explain how you reconcile the principles of "developing people" and "firing people," especially in light of the challenges illustrated in…

by Michael Ballé

Article

I’m not sure I understand solving problems one by one.

Dear Gemba Coach: I’m not sure I understand solving problems one by one. I thought listing problems and pushing hard to get them solved faster…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Practical Approaches for Making Innovation an Enterprise-Wide Activity

Jim Morgan tells an interviewer how to make innovation an enterprise-wide endeavor, based on his years of experience as a product development researcher, author, and…

by Chet Marchwinski

Article

It's Not All About the Data on Value-Stream Maps: An Interview with Judy Worth

Data is a critical component of value-stream mapping. But it's not the only component you should be concerned about. All too often we find mappers…

Article

Ask Art: People are Nervous about Too Much Change, Can I Lead Lean Incrementally?

Resistance to change is a classic part of lean transformation, and it's not uncommon to see efforts to skirt around that resistance. Art Byrne was…

by Art Byrne

Video

Art of Lean on Work & Waste, Part 3: Excess Inventory

Take a closer look at the various types of inventory, with an eye toward identifying waste, with your guide, Art Smalley, president, Art of Lean,…

by Art Smalley

Article

Competing with China

There are two sea changes going on in the world economy. The first is the rise of the “low cost” producers in China and the…

by Dan Jones

Article

Ask Art: How One-Piece-Flow Supports Quality

"One-piece-flow is the key to quality improvements," writes Art Byrne. "In my experience it is pretty common to get a 10x or better gain in…

by Art Byrne

Video

How to Fold a T-Shirt

Training Within Industry Job Instruction is a four-step method that teaches an individual how to do a job correctly, safely, and consistently while meeting all…

by Josh Howell

Article

No Do, No Learn

Developing new skills and capabilities at work requires regular, ongoing practice. But despite our good intentions, many of us struggle practicing new skills and behaviors.…

by Eric Ethington

Article

Testing the Lean Transformation Model in India

Dhirendra Kumar Dubey of Lean Management Institute of India (LMII) shares what he's learned about the effectiveness of the Lean Transformation Model through institute projects.

Article

Process Leadership

I first heard the term Kaikaku over ten years ago when travelling with a Toyota Sensei around Japan, while researching our Lean Thinking book. As…

by Dan Jones

Article

Show Respect, Psychological Safety, and Social Neuroscience

Mike Orzen and David Verble examine the meaning and lean relevance of showing respect, creating psychological safety, and the links between these two.

by Mike Orzen and David Verble

Article

What Finance Teams Can Learn from the Lean Practice of ‘Go See, Ask Why, Show Respect’ - Part 1

Join a "lean accounting" coach as he recounts several gemba walks with Finance and Accounting leaders and shares their "ah-ha" reaction.

Article

Rethinking Disaster Recovery on the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

As the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches on August 23rd-29th, read about how lean thinking is changing how New Orleans and the rest of…

by Chet Marchwinski

Article

Respect for People

For years I've visited companies where "respect for people" is a core element of the corporate philosophy. So I've asked managers in many companies a…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

Turn To Lean in Times of Crisis

Lean thinkers need new tools and new mindsets to face today's daunting challenges, argues Jim Womack, who shares examples of how this has sparked great…

by Lean Leaper

Article

Any advice for someone (me) in sales who fails to see how lean can help?

Dear Gemba Coach: Our company has a long history of lean in manufacturing, but I work in the sales department. We have our own sales…

by Michael Ballé