Case Study

Knife Company Hones Competitiveness by Bucking the Status Quo

Family-owned Buck Knives needed to reduce costs by at least 30% to keep its U.S. operations open. In turning to lean, the company gained more than…

by Tonya Vinas

Case Study

Lean Thinking in Aircraft Repair and Maintenance Takes Wing at FedEx Express

The FedEx Express lean initiative at its repair and maintenance facility at Los Angeles International Airport just began in December 2007 but has produced some…

by Doug Bartholomew

Article

I’m struggling to understand exactly what people mean by a “lean system”?

Dear Gemba Coach: I’m struggling to understand exactly what people mean by a “lean system”?

by Michael Ballé

Article

How Do We Sustain A3 Thinking in our Organization?

Dear Gemba Coach: My firm has been investing a lot of time and energy this year in teaching A3 thinking to our staff.  The workshops…

by Michael Ballé

Case Study

Sustain Your Lean Business System with a “Golden Triangle”

When medical device maker Phase 2 fought off an overseas challenge by meeting the global price, margins took a big hit. With help from customer…

by Chet Marchwinski

Article

My CEO has asked me to take a hard look at the lean program at our hospital – where should I start?

Dear Gemba Coach: I am ops director of a large hospital. We have been doing lean for several years now, with a lean office of…

by Michael Ballé

Video

Lean concepts that help you eliminate waste and create flow in your own work

Lean Enterprise Institute faculty member Dan Markovitz, an expert on improving personal performance, explains how the lean principles of 5S and visual management make you…

by Dan Markovitz

Article

Lean Management Benefits Delayed at Airlines and Aerospace Companies by Traditional Management Practices

Lean manufacturing tools such as 5S, kaizen, and kanban are common in aerospace shops and offices, but their effect is hamstrung by the existing modern…

Article

Method vs. Tool

Dear Gemba Coach: I think that TPM, JIT, SMED, Heijunka are methods and the 5S, VSM Kaizen are tools.  Perhaps we could use the expression…

by Michael Ballé

Article

What is leader standard work?

Dear Gemba Coach: Is there such thing as a leader standard work, and, if so, what is it?

by Michael Ballé

Article

Finding a Countermeasure to the Great Resignation in Making Jobs Better

Watching an associate improve his work process prompts some ideas on how to attract and retain employees who are at risk of quitting.

by Matthew Savas

Article

Are We "Doing Lean" All Wrong?

"Somewhere in Ohio is a small healthcare management company that is the best Lean company, EVER," says Brent Wahba. Why? "Because they seemed highly unlikely…

by Brent Wahba

Article

Lean Beyond Production

Read how Lean Thinkers, using the same lean tools that worked in production, now are making improvements and benefits off the plant floor, in environments…

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

Is a lean team leader a manager?

Dear Gemba Coach: How is a team leader not a manager?

by Michael Ballé

Article

Reimagining restaurants after Covid-19

The future has never looked more uncertain for restaurants and cafes. The authors share a set of practical lean tips that can guide these organizations…

by The Lean-n-Food-Initiative

Case Study

“Pulling” Lean Through a Hospital

It's not unusual for North American hospitals to try lean for processes where patient flow most impacts costs or revenue. These efforts, if successful, often…

by George Taninecz

Article

Kaizen Means You Care

"Lean leaders, and lean consultants (like me), often talk about the organizational benefits of kaizen: lower costs, bigger profits, shorter lead times, higher quality, etc.,"…

by Dan Markovitz

Article

What's the difference between model lines and kaizen events?

Dear Gemba Coach: We used to do six sigma and are new to lean. Some consultants talk to us about model lines and others about…

by Michael Ballé

Article

I’ve just been named team leader with zero training and my team is not co-located – where should I start?

Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve just been named team leader with zero training and my team is not co-located – where should I start?

by Michael Ballé