Article

Misunderstandings About Value Stream Mapping, Flow Analysis, and Takt Time

Value-stream mapping is not flow analysis, but rather a simple tool that guides you through the process of analysis to improve flows and design better…

by John Shook

Webinar

Beyond Problem-Solving: Other Facets of the A3 Process You Should Know and Practice

If you or your team think the A3 process is only a problem-solving tool, think again. “There is a lot more to the A3 management…

by David Verble

Article

Michikazu Tanaka of Daihatsu on “What I Learned from Taiichi Ohno”

This week (and in some future columns as well, no doubt) I’ll indulge my deep interest in the history of Toyota by sharing some of…

by John Shook

Article

The U.S. Versus the World Healthcare Cost Gap

Lean thinking dictates that we try to turn any "problem" (or need, however big, however vague) into an actionable problem that can be analyzed. All problems come…

by John Shook

Article

Managing to Pitch with PDCA (Pitch-Defend-Catch-Adjust)

John Shook discusses lean thinking in baseball.

by John Shook

Article

A Lean "Teachable Moment": Starbucks in The Wall Street Journal

John Shook discusses recent news about Starbucks and lean.

by John Shook

Article

Value Stream Management

As we emerge from the recession and look ahead old ways of thinking and action will not be enough to meet two big challenges ahead.…

by Dan Jones

Article

What happens after the lean coach leaves?

As a lean coach, after you move to a new management assignment, finish a training course, or run several kaizen events, can the team you…

by Dan Jones

Article

Standard Work for Lean Leaders: One of the Keys to Sustaining Performance Gains

Not every successful business follows a lean approach to management. In fact, the vast majority of Fortune 500 companies aren’t run much differently than they…

by Joe Murli

Article

Why a Plan for Every Part Is Essential to Lean Transformations

“What’s needed instead is system kaizen in which the material-handling system for an entire facility, supplying every value stream, is redesigned to create a bulletproof…

by Doug Bartholomew

Case Study

Seasoned Lean Effort Avoids "Flavor-of-the-Month" Pitfall

What comes first in a lean transformation? What comes next? Where do tools like six sigma fit? Here's an overview about how Freudenberg-NOK answered these…

by Chet Marchwinski

Case Study

Linking Lean Thinking to the Classroom

As team members sat down to discuss hiring a new production employee, the conversation gradually centered on the need to determine if operations could be…

by Chet Marchwinski

Case Study

Book Clubs Help Agricultural Company Cultivate Lean Culture

Two continuous improvement leaders explain how they successfully use book clubs to spread and align understanding of lean management at a large company with multiple…

by Chet Marchwinski

Article

Are Lean Thinking and Practice Business Strategies?

Explore the nuances of leadership and strategy with Lean Enterprise Institute Chairman Peter Ward.

by Peter Ward

Video

The 6 Guiding Principles of Lean Product and Process Development

Learn the six guiding principles of Lean Product and Process Development and how they can help your organization accelerate the development of new products, processes,…

by James Morgan, PhD

Article

Debunking the 'Time Drives Costs' Myth with Lean Financial Thinking

Learn why you must stop allocating costs based on time--and how lean financial thinking and practice gives you a more accurate way to understand and…

Article

Why Value-Stream Mapping is Essential to Product and Process Development

Learn about a proven way to help cross-functional teams clearly “see” their work and achieve their full potential.

by John Drogosz, PhD

Article

How Can Lean Affect Shareholder Value?

Lean can help challenge assumptions and surface opinions that ultimately improve shareholder value, argues Michael Balle.

by Michael Ballé

Article

Remembering Norman Bodek, the “Miraculous Life” of an Author, Teacher, and Publisher of Groundbreaking Business Books

Called “Mr. Productivity” and the “Godfather of Lean,” Norman Bodek began 41 years ago translating and publishing groundbreaking books by the Japanese managers who had…

by Chet Marchwinski

Article

Taking Time for a Year-End Reflection with the Most Popular Lean Articles, Podcasts, and Videos of 2020

This year's content featured plenty of guests, returns from lean legends, and handfuls of ways that lean has been applicable in 2020.

by Lean Leaper