Article
The Crucible of Innovation
Innovation is key to a successful successful development project, we always read. But innovation is a fickle term that gets tossed around like a coin.…
View article
Article
A Thriving Community of Practice - Book Report
I am often asked why the “lean movement” has outlasted so many business improvement movements that have come and gone. Surely one sign of the…
View article
Article
Don't Gloat Too Quickly - If This Could Happen to Toyota, It Could Happen to You ...
Okay, so how do you respond to a "crisis"? My recent encouragement to Toyota President Akio Toyoda that "It isn't the crisis, it's how you respond…
View article
Article
Advice from the Gemba: Making Repetitive Tasks More Exciting
Repetitive tasks can create a drag on workers' morale and motivation as boredom sets in, and a disillusioned workforce will seriously hamper your lean efforts.…
View article
Article
PD C+ A+ In the Classroom
Looking back on her time as a teacher through a lean lens, the author suggests how the process of education might be improved by examining…
View article
Article
Not Every Problem Is a “Nail” But Companies Typically Reach for the Same Old “Hammer”
Learn how you can avoid the frustrating, ineffective, but widespread “hammer-and-nail” problem-solving pitfall by recognizing four main problem types so you apply the right problem-solving…
View article
Article
Lean Alone is Never Enough
Lean can help any organization become more efficient and effective, but there is much more to being successful than just being lean, says Brent Wahba.…
View article
Article
Make Broccoli (Or Lean) Taste Better Through Experiments
"Whether it’s eating healthy, saving for retirement, or pursuing Lean, we are all biased towards maximizing the here and now as opposed to working towards…
View article
Article
What's Your Company's Bottleneck?
"A bottleneck is the weak link in the system, the one constraint that prevents us from manufacturing that next toaster or frothing that next latte…
View article
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…
View article
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.…
View article
Article
How Working In Oncology Has Reframed Failure and Success
Doctor Carlos "Fred" Pinto and his colleagues at IOV in Brazil have learned that resilience emerges when applying lean thinking consistently to support better care…
View article
Article
Andon Cues Service Center to Respond to Customer Queue
An Ohio Mutual service center has no andon cord to stop a production line but the principal is the same as in a factory --…
View article
Video
Autonomous Car Beta Version, Anyone? A Q&A with Jim Womack on Disruptive Innovation
What may be ahead for carmakers, product developers, and the lean management movement in a disrupted world is the subject of this Q&A with management…
View video
Article
Problem Solving the Airlines
Rarely are process problems so clear as during the holidays! Have ideas for how to improve your air travel experience? Lean coach Danielle Blais does,…
View article
Article
It's All About the Mindset on Gemba Walks
Darren Walsh believes that there are few things more critical to a successful gemba walk than the right mindset. Do you have the right one…
View article
Article
"We Are Unique"
While many people see Lean as applicable only in limited industries and situations and therefore can’t work in their unique situation, Darril Wilburn argues that…
View article
Article
Keep It Simple: Value-Stream Mapping at the Gemba
A veteran lean coach shares a story showing that even simple and quick value-stream mapping can be hugely helpful when you include the people doing…
View article
Article
Want to Be a Better Leader and Coach? Listen to Yourself
Conduct this simple two-step analysis to learn whether you’re practicing the communication behavior that encourages a culture of engagement and continuous improvement.
View article
Article
5 Ways My Thinking Changed With the Help of a Lean Coach
"Coaching for development is different than being managed," writes Deborah McGee. "Lean coaching in our case was not directing an improvement swat team or teaching…
View article