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How Purpose Shapes Culture
The author of Joy, Inc. reflects on the struggles and rewards of building a leadership culture that elevates human energy.
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The Post COVID Crisis Supply Chain: a Time to Rise (Part 1)
In a two-part call to action, LeanCor Supply Chain Group CEO Robert Martichenko says that now is the time for public and private sector leaders…
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People Don't Fail, Processes Do
Terry Smith, a lean web developer, shares two examples of real-life companies who used the "5 Whys" to drill down to the root of a…
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Rebuilding Homes and Disaster Recovery Processes
When Liz McCartney and Zack Rosenburg left their careers to help desperate victims of Hurricane Katrina rebuild, they knew nothing about construction or lean management.…
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An Overview of Visual Management at Toyota
"Implementing visual management (VM) is a cornerstone of any lean transformation," writes Andrew Quibell. "And few companies know that better than Toyota." In this first…
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Ask Art: What sets lean accounting apart from traditional accounting?
"You can’t really become a lean enterprise without making the shift from traditional standard-cost accounting to lean (i.e. plain English) accounting," writes Art Byrne. Read…
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Ask Art: Why is Takt Time So Important in a Lean Turnaround?
Takt time represents the beat of the customer, or, the rate of demand, says Art Byrne: "As the primary focus of the lean company is…
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Ask Art: Is “We are customer-driven” a good lean strategy?
Art Byrne is often asked if "customer-driven" is a good lean strategy. The answer is yes - as long as it's done right. Read more.
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Why and How to Engage Finance in a Lean Transformation. An Interview with Jean Cunningham
There's often a disconnect between an organization's lean and finance departments, especially when a lean transformation is underway. In her newest piece for the Lean…
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“You Gotta Kata,” Now What?
After executing a plan to incorporate kata into his organization's daily routines, Craig Stritar was surprised to find that nobody had followed through on their…
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How Hospitals are Leveraging Visual Management in the Battle Against Covid-19
A Lean Global Network team of lean practitioners and coaches shares a set of lean healthcare tips hospitals can use today to support their battle…
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We found your visit rather challenging ... does “real” lean have to be such a struggle?
Dear Gemba Coach: The question I’m facing internally is whether “real” lean needs to be that challenging or is there an easier way to do…
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Any step forward in a lean transformation is a good step -- right?
Dear Gemba Coach: Surely a step forward in a lean transformation is a good thing, even if it’s not completely in the right direction?
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Lean Thinking for Air Travel
Recently I got a call from an aide to Don Carty at American Airlines (their Chairman who resigned this past week.) This person wanted to…
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The Missing Link
There is a missing link between the world’s brilliant objects – now cheaper and better in many cases because of lean thinking applied to their…
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Working on the Management
Effective daily management is still hard to achieve for most organizations, says Jim Womack. But until line managers start tackling problems first hand as they…
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Stability Before Innovation
Given its foundational strengths of stable and robust product development, production, supplier development, and general management system, Toyota is well poised to deliver innovative solutions…
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More than a New Product – A New Way of Thinking
"Successful entrepreneurs, whether they are lone figures toiling in garages or supporting new work at major companies, are rightly celebrated for creating hit products," says…
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From Victim to Partner: The Evolution of a Manufacturing Development System
"Excellence in product development is not 'an engineering thing'; it is an enterprise thing," writes Jim Morgan. And it's helpful to think about manufacturing’s role…
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You Can't Manage a Secret
How did the obeya management system come to be at Toyota? How has it been refined since its beginning as a means of organizing research…
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