Article

7 Elements of Quality on the Shop Floor

"How do you lean out a quality approach that can work on the shop floor (maybe even compatible in a healthcare environment as well)?" people…

by Andrew Quibell

Article

Is Lean Getting "Fat?"

"Yes, lean has successfully spread around the world and gone from manufacturing to nearly every other type of value stream," writes Brent Wahba. But on…

by Brent Wahba

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

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…

by Art Byrne

Article

Ask Art: Is there a formula to predict or evaluate the success of a lean implementation?

Art Byrne is often asked how to best measure the success of a lean transformation -- but does such a measurement even exist? He's been…

by Art Byrne

Article

Using Lean Thinking to Resume Work Safely during the Covid-19 Pandemic

As LEI's webinar on "safe, smart steps for restarting production" approaches this week, here's a handful of articles about companies that are tackling the tough…

by Lean Leaper

Article

Why We Believe Tough Times and Opportunity Go Hand in Hand

In this detailed set of suggestions for managing the current challenges posed by Covid-19, Rose Heathcote and the Lean Sensei Women focus on leveraging assets…

by Lean Sensei Women

Article

Five Tips on Lean Coaching

Here are some key coaching tips culled from content written by some of the top lean coaches.

by Lean Leaper

Article

Leaning Healthcare

Healthcare is the next great industry to begin the Lean journey. The existing model in which the hospital doctor acting as a skilled craftsperson effectively…

by Dan Jones

Article

Why We're Thankful For Lean

Thanksgiving is a time of year when Americans take a day to step back and appreciate everything they have to be thankful for. Here at…

by Lean Enterprise Institute and Tracey Richardson

Article

Working During an Outbreak; What We Can Learn for Later

During this pandemic, Trader Joe’s is demonstrating several hallmarks of lean thinking that help keep employees and customers safe--and creates a better shopping experience.

by Josh Howell

Article

CLean and Green: How SunPower Used Lean to Address Sustainability

After years of lean practice, solar-device manufacturer SunPower wanted something more. They wanted to continue their journey of continuous improvement and become a more sustainable…

by Lean Leaper

Article

Why (and How) We Believe Lean Can Help During COVID-19

As Lean Sensei Women, we have put together some relevant lean suggestions and ideas for your organization to use (and of course, you can apply…

by Lean Sensei Women

Article

Cost Saving is Tired--Value Creation is Hot!

Lean affects financial outcomes--dramatically so in firms that incorporate widespread lean thinking over the long term, says LEI Chair Jean Cunningham. And yet she counsels…

Article

From Troubleshooting a Leaky Toilet Flapper to Innovating the Internet, a Comprehensive Problem-Solving Framework

Arriving at his hotel after midnight, author and business consultant Art Smalley just wanted to get some sleep before his keynote presentation later that day.…

by Chet Marchwinski and Art Smalley

Video

How Lean Can Help Deliver Social Justice While Boosting Quality Health Care

In this podcast, developed from a talk at the 2018 Lean Transformation Summit learn how the Lynn Community Health Center is building successors by turning…

by Alice Lee and Kiame Mahaniah, MD

Article

Tee Up Your Continuous Improvement

Despite achieving success across all key metrics early on in their lean journey, ProMed Molded Products still experienced a lack of unity within their organization.…

Article

Apples & Oranges: Value-Stream Mapping in a Low-Volume/High-Mix Environment

Here's how one LVHM company mapped its complex value streams — and discovered the path to next-level productivity that enabled it to transform the business…

by Aaron Hunt

Article

Cutting Carbon Emissions and Product Costs Through Lean Product and Process Development

As the need to reduce carbon emissions becomes clearer, the need to understand the impact and consciously consider it during the design phase is ever…

by Katrina Appell, PhD

Article

Pi-Day, Robots, and the Joy of Making Things

To mark Engineers Week, Feb. 18-23, we’re reprising a story about celebrating Pi Day by Jim and Mary Morgan, a self-described “geek couple.” And we’re…

by James Morgan, PhD