Article

Does quality really come first?

Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been practicing lean for many years and have learned to create flow and one-piece-flow. However I still struggle with quality problems.…

by Michael Ballé

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

How to Create a Lean Management Book Club that Executives Will Actually Attend

At the start of a lean transformation, a continuous improvement leader convinced her division president that a book club would be a good way to…

by Chet Marchwinski

Article

The Hidden Value of Filling Out the Paperwork

Respect for people--and sustained continuous improvement--begins with something as simple as carefully filling out the paperwork for standardized work, says Josh Howell.

by Josh Howell

Article

6 Things You Can Do to Become a More Effective Lean Leader

This collection of articles from Lean Coach David Verble examines how the way managers and leaders talk to employees (and to each other) can contribute,…

by Lean Enterprise Institute

Article

Lean Consortia: Sharing Experiences, Learning from Others

Manufacturers, healthcare organizations, government agencies, and others gain powerful benefits through collaborative learning and networking in lean consortia. Consortium members trade improvement ideas and experiences,…

Article

Why do lean practitioners use so many Japanese terms?

Dear Gemba Coach: Why do we use so many Japanese terms? I guess experts really want employees and students to think about these concepts.  They make…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Ask Art: How Should I Re-invest the Gains from Kaizen?

Becoming lean through using kaizen activity allows you to remove a great deal of waste and deliver value to your customers, shares Art Byrne. If…

by Art Byrne

Article

Why do you keep referring to Toyota; does it still matter?

Dear Gemba Coach:  I’m very interested in lean, but fail to see why you guys keep referring to Toyota. What does a Toyota plant look like…

by Michael Ballé

Case Study

Shifting to Value-Stream Managers:a Shop-Floor Revolution Leads to a Revolution in Plant Organization

Two years into a lean transformation, the low-hanging fruit has been plucked and progress has started to slow. Read how a Thomas & Betts plant…

Article

Two Giants, Two Communities, One Lasting Thing

In this graceful elegy of the impact of two pioneers who recently passed away, John Shook says: "Ezra and Norm belonged to adjacent communities –…

Article

How Do I Address Resistance From Middle Management?

Dear Gemba Coach: Why does middle management resist lean transformations; how can they be brought on board?

by Michael Ballé

Article

Nonsense about JIT

In almost every value stream, there will be some inventory at points where the product cannot flow. This inventory will typically consist of finished goods…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

Ask Art: I Want to Convert My Company to Lean. What Are the First Steps?

The former Wiremold CEO explains the commitment you must make— and the expectations you must set—when you start your continuous-improvement journey.

by Art Byrne

Article

Ask Art: Does Lean Really Work in A Non-manufacturing Company?

All companies and organizations, whether manufacturing or not, are nothing more than a group of people and a bunch of processes trying to deliver value…

by Art Byrne

Article

Why We Believe People-Free Plants and Services Prevent Learning

We (Lean Sensei Women) are a group of women from different continents, horizons, and professions who share a commitment to the development of people. We…

by Lean Sensei Women

Article

Lean Warehousing and Distribution Benefits Your Company, Customers, and Supply Chain

Lean warehousing sounds like an oxymoron. But in this interview, lean practitioner and Toyota veteran David Graham explains how lean concepts apply to warehouse and…

by David Graham

Article

How do we mid-level managers convince the CEO and senior management that adopting lean practices is worthwhile?

Dear Gemba Coach: The recent webinar on the business case for lean was particularly useful for us because it raised many questions and provided a…

by Michael Ballé

Article

What does developing people mean?

Dear Gemba Coach,Are people tools? Should bosses use people? What does development mean? How should we think about it?

by Michael Ballé

Article

What Is Information Waste?

Excess information — in our inboxes, hard drives, shared drives, intranet sites, data warehouses, etc., — is waste. This unnecessary "inventory" causes congestion, delays, inefficiency,…

by Steve Bell and Mike Orzen