Article

Expanding Our Perspective on Lean, Part 3: Lean is a Practice in Search of a Language

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

by Joanna McGuffey and Thomas Richert

Article

A New Era of Jidoka: How ChatGPT Could Alter the Relationship between Machines, Humans, and their Minds

An exploration of how artificial intelligence will impact how people will work suggests exciting possibilities and challenges for human development.

by Matthew Savas

eBook

The Lean Sensei

The Lean Sensei provides both a conceptual and hands-on toolkit for developing lean leaders—and becoming one yourself. It will challenge you to reflect on how…

by Michael Ballé and Nicolas Chartier, et. al.

Press Release

Lean Enterprise Institute Workshops in Cambridge, MA,Teach New Lean Leadership Behaviors

The nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute will run a series of six workshops at its office in Cambriddge, MA, in the first quarter of 2010 for…

Press Release

Lean Management Workshops Set for Cambridge

The Lean Enterprise Institute, venue for the lineup of 5 workshops, including two new ones, is within driving distance of most New England executives and…

Article

In Search of Value Stream Architects

Recently I've been spending most of my gemba time walking through value-creating processes in organizations far away from manufacturing. And the further away I get…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Page

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Article

Lean Thinking and Information Flow

"Most of my career has been spent on making the production floor more efficient, i.e. the delivery of a product," writes Mary Morgan. "I remember…

by Mary Morgan

Article

Why do the characters in your books struggle a lot with lean?

Dear Gemba Coach: I’m new to lean and I’ve just finished reading “The Gold Mine” and “The Lean Manager” and enjoyed them thoroughly – thank…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Gemba-Based Leadership – Not Just for Chief Engineers

John Shook on gemba-based leadership

by John Shook

Article

Why We Are a Nonprofit (And How You Can Benefit)

Every month I get calls and emails from folks thinking the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) is a consulting business and wanting to hire a sensei.…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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

Article

Is Lean Thinking Art or Science? Yes

Calling the recent book Lean Conversations a landmark initiative on lean and the arts, John Shook observes that "If Jean Cocteau’s famous observation that 'art…

by John Shook

Article

My boss has asked me to take on the sensei role for the company. What does that mean?

Dear Gemba Coach: How do I become a sensei? My boss has asked me to act in the sensei role for the company but I’m…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Could hoshin kanri be too bureaucratic for my small tech company?

Dear Gemba Coach: I get frustrated with being the only one seriously concerned with experimenting and learning new systems, so I implemented hoshin kanri to…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Launching and Sustaining a Lean “Pop-Up”

"It’s not unusual for a lean leader or lean practitioner to feel alone, especially in a company or enterprise early in its lean journey," writes…

by Doug Bartholomew

Case Study

Thrustmaster Comes Around

The following Lean Enterprise Institute case study reveals how Thrustmaster of Texas successfully adopted lean thinking and practices to make sustainable improvements in a short…

by and David Drickhamer

Article

Coach's Corner: How to Design a Knowledge-Sharing System

Encouraging learning and knowledge reuse in your development process takes more than a system to capture it — you must create a system that people…

by Katrina Appell, PhD

Press Release

Second Healthcare Network Created to Spread Lean Principles

The Lean Enterprise Institute and the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value have formed the second Healthcare Value Leaders Network, building on the initial Network that…

Press Release

New Lean Logistics and Supply Chain Workbook Explains How to Increase Value While Reducing Costs

Building a Lean Fulfillment Stream, the latest workbook from the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute, shows how lean thinking converts “supply chains” into swift, smoothly flowing…