Lexicon Term
Operation Availabilty versus Operating Rate
Operational availability is the fraction of time a machine functions properly when needed. (Also called operable rate.) The operating rate is the amount of time…
Learn moreArticle
Can a pull system with zero stock make the company more fragile?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can a pull system with zero stock make the company more fragile?
View article
Article
Standardization is a Countermeasure, Never the Goal
"If you're excited about standardized work and standardization, especially if you're new to Lean, please stop and think about the problem that's being solved and…
View article
Article
Lean Leadership Lesson: First Thing, Grasp the Situation; Last Thing, Grasp the Situation
In this appendix to his eletter on lean leadership, LEI CEO Joh Shook explains how leading in a lean management company requires a radically different…
View article Article
Are Design Thinking and Lean Thinking the Same?
Dear Gemba Coach: As a practitioner and advocate of design thinking, I’ve been curious about lean, but it seems to me we’re talking about the…
View article Article
The Courage to be Lean
A meaningful purpose is not what you are doing or how you are doing it, argue Joanna McGuffey and Tom Richert. It’s why your team…
View article
Article
Make Broccoli (Or Lean) Taste Better Through Experiments
"Whether it’s eating healthy, saving for retirement, or pursuing Lean, we are all biased towards maximizing the here and now as opposed to working towards…
View article
Article
My CEO, who supported lean, has left and been replaced by a pure finance guy. It doesn't look good for the lean effort. What should I do?
Dear Gemba Coach: My CEO, who supported lean, has left and been replaced by a pure finance guy. It doesn’t look good for the lean…
View article 
Article
As a facilitator, how much do I have to know about an area targeted for improvement?
Dear Gemba Coach: As a lean "facilitator" in my organization, how important is it to gain a deep understanding of the "area" that is being…
View article Article
Boston Marathon 2013 – Reflections
In business, as in sports, we like to compete. We believe competing can benefit everyone. “Everyone” means everyone – not just the “winners.” Competing is…
View article 
Page
Operations
Fully grasp how lean thinking and practice transform operations, yielding workflows that require less human effort, less space, less capital, less material, and less time…
Learn more
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.,"…
View article