Zingerman’s Mail Order (ZMO), one of the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, began its lean transformation 15 years ago after deciding that its 3rd relocation in 6 years due to 25-35% year-over-year growth was its last! There had to be a better way to solve its biennial capacity problem. And of course there was with lean thinking.
Tom Root, ZMO’s Managing Director, sat down with Josh Howell for a wide-ranging conversation about several phases of ZMO’s lean transformation, including the challenge of establishing a culture of continuous improvement with full participation, and how lean thinking could impact the food industry that’s in desperate need of a better way. You can listen to the podcast here. Also download a transcipt of the conversation here.
While ZMO’s lean transformation has benefited from serendipity at times, through reflection Tom and Josh identify a few practical takeaways that can help others instigate and motivate frontline workers to incorporate improvement into their work. Have a listen to learn more!
You can also go and see ZMO’s lean transformation on the upcoming Midwest U.S. Lean Transformation Learning Tour happening October 17-21, 2022. It includes stops at Menlo Innovations and the MillerKnoll.
