Article
Shopping for a Sensei
We at LEI have been getting a lot of requests recently to help companies find lean expertise for harder times. Here are some simple guidelines…
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Article
Advice from the Gemba: Personal Kanbans for Lean Beginners
Kanban boards. For many of us, they were the first visual management tools we used that taught us the benefits of lean. They're simple, effective…
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Article
A Total Shift in Mindset
Lean thinking isn't easy to put into practice, particularly for beginners. Ghassan Saleh, lean engineer at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta, Maine, shares his advice…
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Article
Mega Mura Bubble Trouble
I started writing my monthly e-letter in October of 2001 to speak to the worries of the Lean Community as the world economy slid into…
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Why Traditional Farming Is Ripe for Disruption
Uber disrupted the taxi business. Netflix disrupted entertainment. Amazon disrupted retail. Is farming, that ancient industry, ripe for disruption? Indiana farmer Ben Hartman, author of…
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Video
Rising to the Challenge: The Lean Journey of Phase 2 (video)
In this video, Adam Prime, president of Phase 2 Medical Device Manufacturing shares some insider info on his organization's lean journey to reach their aggressive…
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Article
The Power of Yokoten
I’ve written a lot about yokoten in recent years – the practice of spreading good (lean) ideas horizontally between and across organizations from their point…
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How to Conduct a Virtual Kaizen Event: Some Ideas from the #LeanCommunity
Over 800 lean practitioners have joined and are sharing best practices and ideas on the LEI #LeanCommunity on Slack.
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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…
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Article
Developing People Not Robots Through Karakuri
"Karakuri demonstrates that Toyota’s working currency is brainpower, grown through rigorous problem-solving and mentors who challenge their students," writes Matt Savas, "The wallet takes a…
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Article
What is the best way to start gemba walks and keep them focused ?
Dear Gemba Coach: We are looking to implement gemba walks in our facility. This is new to everyone including myself although I have been exposed…
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Editor's Picks for Lean Posts to Help You Improve Your Work Monday Morning
Our picks for the most practical, "how-to" style posts we've published on the Post to date. These posts are chock full of good learning and…
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Video
Eric Buehrens Keynote at the 2018 Lean Transformation Summit
LEI CEO Eric Buehrens looks at ways that lean thinkers can help contribute to the future of work.
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Article
How do I start to learn "real lean" when my company practices "fake lean"?
Dear Gemba Coach: I understand now there is “real lean” and “fake lean.” I suspect my company has been practicing fake lean all these years.…
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I’ve heard you say the quality department is the worst enemy of quality. I find this offensive.
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m in the quality department of a large company and I’ve heard you say quality is the worst enemy of quality. I…
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New Book Explains How to Create “Steady Work” in Unsteady Times with Standardized Work Cadences
In Steady Work, the new book from the Lean Enterprise Institute, author and former Starbucks’ Regional Manager Karen Gaudet offers astute business guidance for turbulent…
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Article
How the A3 Process Developed to Help Build Better Managers
One of the hallmarks of a successfully executed A3 process is that it is a collaborative activity--a learning process for everyone involved: for learner and…
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Article
Problem Framing at the Fuzzy Front-End of Lean Product Design
Lean emphasizes problem solving, but many individuals and teams just have trouble coming up with an accurate problem statement. In his first piece for the…
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Podcast
32. Coachable: A Model Story, Coaching Work Improvement
An excellent study in masterful coaching on the floor where the work happens.
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Article
Lean Consumption
"Lean Consumption" is the lead article in the March 2005 issue of the Harvard Business Review. It previews the breakthrough ideas in the forthcoming book…
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