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…
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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…
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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…
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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.,"…
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Article
Look Around You, Find Your Lean Inspiration
After an awful experience with an online travel agency and way too much time spent trying to fix an error the company made, Planet Lean…
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Article
How do I keep visual management from becoming “wallpaper?" A Q&A with John Drogosz
"Many managers try to convince everyone (including themselves) that they are visually managing their projects or departments," writes John Drogosz, "but during the gemba walk…
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Article
Building Problem Solving Muscle at University of Michigan Health System
"We are beginning to realize the wisdom of Henry Ford’s adage: 'There are no big problems, there are just a lot of little problems,...'"
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Why don’t middle managers practice A3 thinking? (Part 2)
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m a lean consultant, and have been hired by a large service organization to develop an A3 problem solving training program for…
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A Total Shift in Mindset
Lean thinking isn't easy to put into practice, particularly for beginners. Ghassan Saleh, lean engineer at MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta, Maine, shares his advice…
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Coach's Corner: Designing the Entire Value Stream From Concept to Product End Life
Creating an environmentally-conscious value stream can be done with LPPD principles in mind. Just ask Katrina Appell, who explains how LPPD can help reduce both…
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Podcast
Embracing Regret for Better Living: A WLEI Podcast with author Dan Pink
LEI chats with author Dan Pink about his new book and how it relates to retrospective outlooks and continuous improvement.
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Article
The Truth Lies in the Lies of Fiction
Twenty years ago, while flying to a final vacation before the onset of children, I found myself reading Eli Goldratt's The Goal. It was a great…
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