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

The Role of Lean Product and Process Development in Building the Lean Enterprise

A distinguished group of lean leaders discusses the role of Lean Product and Process Development in building the lean enterprise during a panel discussion during…

by Lean Leaper

Article

How NUMMI Changed Its Culture

I received a lot of questions on-line and off about last week’s column on the pending closing of NUMMI. One question in particular came up…

by John Shook

Article

Lean Practitioners Gather to Share Ideas that Grow the Bottom Line by Growing People’s Knowledge

We were among the nearly 2,000 lean thinkers attending the 2014 AME conference, organized around six value streams: Engaged People, Daily Improvement, Innovation, Extended Enterprise,…

Article

Ask Art: How Useful is Six Sigma and the Black Belts and Green Belts that Come with It?

Several specific examples demonstrate why lean continuous improvement practices are usually superior to six sigma for solving problems.

by Art Byrne

Article

Would you have a few tips about coaching on the gemba?

Dear Gemba Coach: Would you have a few tips about coaching on the gemba?

by Michael Ballé

Article

Isn’t lean all about culture?

Dear Gemba Coach: Isn’t lean all about culture, really?

by Michael Ballé

Case Study

To Successfully Apply Lean Thinking in Distribution, Go to Where the Action Is!

Two years after its first kaizen workshop, Plumbers Supply Company has made significant progress toward a lean business conversion. Starting with daily management walkabouts and…

by David Drickhamer

Article

Ask Art: How Do Improvements to Your Balance Sheet Drive Earnings?

Converting to true lean practice yields significant improvement in financial performance -- and one place to start is by focusing and fixing your balance sheet.…

by Art Byrne

Article

Product and Process Lean

Dear Gemba Coach: Lean product development guys tout the gospel of product focus as core to lean success. No argument from me. But … how,…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Ask Art: Why is a Lean Sensei Necessary?

Lean veteran Art Byrne explains how having a lean sensei helps leaders and organizations succeed in their lean transformation.

by Art Byrne

Article

Kaizen Power

In his latest piece for the Post, Michael Ballé explains why "humble 100x1% is better than 1x100% kaizen." This kind of kaizen impacts the bottom…

by Michael Ballé

Article

What is the hardest conversation you ever had during gemba walks?

Dear Gemba Coach: What is the hardest conversation that you have during gemba walks?

by Michael Ballé

Case Study

Creating the Course and Tools for a Lean Accounting System

A unit of Parker Hannifin used a financial kaizen and other lean accounting techniques to bridge the gaps between shop-floor improvements and traditional financial statements.

by Chet Marchwinski

Article

Deconstructing the Tower of Babel

As the years have gone by, we seem to be building a lean Tower of Babel.  I hear the term applied very vaguely and used…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

I have years of experience in operational excellence but if I were to start lean where should I start?

Dear Gemba Coach: I have years of experience in operational excellence and have always assumed that lean is just a more gemba-focused way of improving…

by Michael Ballé

Video

Exploring the Technical and Nontechnical Challenges of Being a Chief Engineer, a Candid Conversation with Two CEs (Part 2)

Chief engineers typically have strong technical skills to effectively lead and manage the work of engineers, designers, and other developers. But perhaps their greatest talent…

by Chet Marchwinski

Article

Lean Business-IT Integration, Part Five: Measurement - Finding Our True North

In the fifth article of a five-part series on Lean IT, LEI faculty member Steve Bell addresses measurement. Part One begins with the importance of…

by Steve Bell

Case Study

Lean Inroads Into Alabama Academia

Despite business’s declared need for graduates experienced with lean concepts, most colleges and universities offer only a lean module or course here and there. But…

Article

The Remarkable Chief Engineer

Last week I shared this principle quoted from an unexpected source, the U.S. Marine Leadership Manual: "An individual's responsibility for leadership is not dependent on…

by John Shook