Article
Learning from Managing to Learn
It has been about four months since the release of Managing to Learn, now already in its second printing. I’ve received incredible response from many…
View article
Article
The Crucible of Innovation
Innovation is key to a successful successful development project, we always read. But innovation is a fickle term that gets tossed around like a coin.…
View article
Article
Getting Started with Lean Accounting
Before your organization gets started with lean accounting, the accounting function must first expand its thinking beyond transactions and into practices. Here's how.
View article
Article
Operations IS Your Customer
Discover how redefining operations as the primary customer of engineering can transform product development, enhance collaboration, and drive unprecedented improvements in quality and efficiency.
View article
Article
Are You Ready for the Next Crisis?
The Cleveland Clinic's lean management and operating system helped it handle the challenges arising from the pandemic. Here are several key principles they learned that…
View article
Case Study
Cultivating a Lean Problem-Solving Culture at O.C. Tanner
O.C. Tanner is in the appreciation business. It develops employee reward and recognition programs and manufactures a wide variety of emblems, rings, trophies, and other…
View case study
Article
How to Go to the Gemba: Go See, Ask Why, Show Respect
Here are some guidelines I use when doing a gemba walk as an outside advisor.
View article
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.
View article
Article
Follow-up Q & A to the Webinar "Integrating Leader Standard Work with Visual Management Tools”
This webinar was one of our most popular and highly rated. From among the hundreds of questions that we received during the webinar, we selected…
View article 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…
View article Article
Human Resources and Lean; It Really Is About People
Despite an expert’s exhortations to “do more kaizen, develop kaizen mind” this lean transformation failed. Find out why from someone who saw it happen and…
View article
Article
Lean and Financials
Dear Gemba Coach: During the webinar, you mentioned the importance of quantifying the financial impacts of lean efforts before introducing the system. This is a very…
View article Case Study
Putting Lean Principles in the Warehouse
While lean principles and practices have been widely adopted in manufacturing over the last couple of decades, their use in the warehouse and distribution center…
View case study Article
Lean Transformational Leadership Webinar - Follow-up Q & A and Reading List
During the Transformational Leadership webinar, many of you asked for the list of related books and articles that presenter Jim Luckman cited. He has provided…
View article Article
New Book Explains How to Create “Steady Work” in Unsteady Times with Standardized Work Cadences
In Steady Work, the new book from the Lean Enterprise Institute, author and former Starbucks’ Regional Manager Karen Gaudet offers astute business guidance for turbulent…
View article
Article
Why should I manage as if I had no power when power is the most effective way of getting things done?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m tired of hearing I should manage as if I had no power. Surely power is the most effective way of getting…
View article Article
How the Study Phase Helps You Create More Value for Your Customers and Less Drama for Your Development Teams
A product development team volunteered to pilot applying lean product and process development principles -- and discovered how critical "understanding before you execute" is to…
View article
Article
Visual Replenishment Delivers for Zingerman’s
How an online grocery business meets pandemic-related demand increases while maintaining a safe work environment.
View article
Article
Real Respect Feels Like Knowing You’re Being Heard
To establish or strengthen a culture of engagement and continuous improvement, leaders must understand that genuinely listening to employees is as critical as what you…
View article
Article
How Stalwart Lean Leadership and Classic Lean Practices Yield Operational and Clinical Excellence
Organizations can achieve the seemingly impossible when they have steadfast lean leadership, a sharp focus on purpose, and experience applying "classic" lean thinking and practice.…
View article