Article

I’m a six sigma black belt and have now been ask to do lean. I’m not sure where to start with my team. Any advice?

Dear Gemba Coach,I’m a six sigma black belt and have now been ask to do lean. I’m reading the literature and there’s a lot to…

by Michael Ballé

Article

GM Veteran Lou Farinola Responds to, “Why hasn’t GM learned from NUMMI?”

John Shook discusses how GM learned from NUMMI with a former GM executive

by John Shook

Case Study

How a Hospital's Adoption of Lean Thinking Led to Standard-Setting Quality Achievements

A hospital in Argentina leveraged the power of lean thinking to enhance patient care significantly during the pandemic, earning internationally renowned accreditations.

by Dr Javier Sala Mercado

Case Study

How Organizations Can Increase Profitability While Improving the Work Environment

A restaurant’s management team discovers that enabling cooks to stay focused on value creation improves business performance and makes them more effective leaders.

by Patricia Panchak and Matthew Savas

Article

Ask Art: How Much Time Does It Take to Complete a Lean Transformation?

Though you can never be "finished" with the essential work of creating a continuous improvement culture, here are a few ways to determine whether you're…

by Art Byrne

Article

Unique Philanthropy Does Well by Doing Good

An internship program enables students to attain real-world lean management experience while helping community service organizations reach more people.

by Patricia Panchak

Article

Transforming Your Organization with Lean Thinking and Practices

This brief animation offers a guide to the five fundamental equations that help lean practitioners understand — and execute — a lean transformation.

by John Shook

Article

More Crisis Control at Boeing and the FAA – Some Lessons on Building in Quality from NUMMI

As Boeing grapples with recurring quality issues, this Design Brief article from John Shook explores how the NUMMI joint venture between Toyota and GM offers…

by John Shook

Article

How to Scale Up Positive Social Change

Far more households globally have access to a mobile phone than a toilet, notes Ann Mei Chang, a tech executive turned social innovator and author.…

by Ann Mei Chang

Article

How Do I Lead Change Without Discouraging Employee Engagement?

Dear Gemba Coach: How do you balance the sometime conflicting practices of gaining employee engagement while ensuring that everyone remains faithful to known lean tools…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Lean Management Leaders Weigh in on Climate Change, Coronavirus, Innovation, and More

Jim Womack, founding CEO of the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), and Jim Morgan, an experienced product development executive, explained how lean management practices could…

by Chet Marchwinski

Article

Lean Healthcare Lessons and Preparing for Change

Develop capabilities by asking the right questions

Article

Questions and Coaching on A3 Thinking

In this Q&A, LEI's Deborah McGee shares insights into A3 thinking and problem-solving: "The A3 Management process is really a way of thinking and a…

by Deborah McGee

Article

How Do We Help Our Plant Managers Want to Do Lean?

Dear Gemba Coach: We've just changed our divisional general manager and the new boss wants our lean approach to be less directive and more participative. That…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Doing Lean Versus Becoming Lean

"We know from experience that Lean is fundamentally driven by a change in company culture," writes Jim Luckman, "not a methodological 'application' of the Lean…

by Jim Luckman

Case Study

A Journey to Value Streams: Reorganizing Into Five Groups Drives Lean Improvements and Customer Responsiveness

While many plants have used value-stream thinking and practices such as current- and future-state mapping, Parker Hannifin Corporation's New Haven, IN, plant has created a…

Article

Ask Art: How Can I Ensure the Participation of Top Management?

Always keep in mind that to be successful with lean, senior management must drive the change, says lean veteran Art Byrne. He shares evidence of…

by Art Byrne

Workbooks

Building a Lean Fulfillment Stream

This workbook explains step-by-step a comprehensive, real-life implementation process for optimizing your entire fulfillment stream from raw materials to customers, including practical insights into two…

by Robert Martichenko and Kevin von Grabe

Workbooks

Creating Lean Dealers

Car manufacturing has been transformed by Lean over the last 20 years yet car dealerships have remained virtually untouched by Lean. Now that’s changing. Dealerships…

by David Brunt and John Kiff

eBook

Gemba Walks, 2nd Edition

A collection of engaging, entertaining, and insightful essays by Jim Womack, based on the many gemba walks he has taken around the world. The 2nd…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD