Article

What lean concepts are most difficult to teach?

Dear Gemba Coach: In your experience of teaching lean, what do you find most difficult to teach?

by Michael Ballé

Article

Lean Writing Has a Gemba

What makes for good (lean) writing? What kind of writing are we looking for on The Lean Post? LEI senior editor Tom Ehrenfeld chimes in.

by Tom Ehrenfeld

Article

Be More Innovative with These Resources and Ideas for Exploiting World-Shaping Trends

Great products and services begin with great ideas and great ideas are informed by the big trends that are shaping the world. But how do…

by Chet Marchwinski and Andi Plantenberg

Article

Pi-Day, Robots, and the Joy of Making Things

To mark Engineers Week, Feb. 18-23, we’re reprising a story about celebrating Pi Day by Jim and Mary Morgan, a self-described “geek couple.” And we’re…

by James Morgan, PhD

Article

Lean and Agile: Finding a Role for Your Leadership in Your Transformation Model

"Lean and Agile are two of the most commonly discussed (and hotly debated) principles for managing a business, particularly when there’s a transformation underway," writes…

by Bruno Guicardi

Article

Manufacturing’s Next Chapter

Using the experience of GE Appliance and other manufacturers, LEI CEO John Shook reminds lean thinkers that much remains to be written in “manufacturing’s next…

Article

The Value of A Visual Schedule is Developing Shared Understanding

People closest to the work should understand it best, so they are in the best position to share what the work is including what they…

by Katrina Appell, PhD

Article

Follow-up Q & A to the Webinar "Big Company Disease: What is it? and Why Should I Care?”

The following questions represent the most-asked ones that we couldn't get to during the webinar “Big Company Disease” with presenter Pascal Dennis.

Lexicon Term

Toyoda, Kiichiro (1894-1952)

The son of Toyota Group founder Sakichi Toyoda, who led the effort to enter the auto industry in the 1930’s. Kiichiro, believed that he could…

Article

The Leader's Dilemma: Becoming a Learner

We build leaders up to be all-knowing, but leaders who act as 'knowers' (as opposed to learners) actually limit their ability to accomplish what is…

by Jim Luckman

Article

Three Lean Healthcare Success Stories From Across the Globe

Read a summary of 3 lean healthcare stories from the Lean Global Network, including reflections on what seems to make lean work in a healthcare…

by Lean Leaper

Article

Expanding Our Perspective on Lean Management, Part 1: A Creative Ethic

To explore the idea that there may be other angles for understanding lean management principles than purely business or analytical perspectives, a group of lean…

by Joanna McGuffey and Thomas Richert

Article

Narrowing the Scope of Kaizen Activities

Are you having trouble implementing kaizen activities? If so, the solution could be as simple as narrowing down your targets for improvement. Andy Quibell shares…

by Andrew Quibell

Article

Small Batch: Hand-Picked Articles from the Global Lean Community (Vol. 4)

Our picks for the best high-impact learning stories and columns from Planet Lean.

by Lean Leaper

Press Release

Lean Enterprise Institute Announces Training for Supply Chain, Logistics, Warehousing, and Distribution

The two hands-on workshops will take place October 8-11, 2013, at a working supply chain operations center so attendees can experience lean management principles in…

Event

Learning to See Using
Value-Stream Mapping 

Develop a blueprint of improvements that will achieve your organization’s strategic objectives.

Article

I fail to see the difference between hoshin kanri and the strategic planning we used to do. What am I missing?

Dear Gemba Cocah: My boss has hired a consultant to take us through the Hoshin Kanri process. So far, I fail to see the difference…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Back to Basics: Jim Womack on Why You Should Never Create an A3 Alone

In this eletter from 2008, Jim Womack (in honor of the then-recent publication of "Managing to Learn") shares invaluable advice for a problem that too…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

How the A3 Process Developed to Help Build Better Managers

One of the hallmarks of a successfully executed A3 process is that it is a collaborative activity--a learning process for everyone involved: for learner and…

by Isao Yoshino

Article

I Got 99 Problems and This Is How I'll Tackle Type One

After an unintentional sending a mass email with an error from LEI, Lory Moniz reflects on the source of the defect and commits to a…

by Lory Moniz