Kata Puts the “Continuous” in Continuous Improvement

Drew began developing and implementing continuous improvement initiatives while working for General Electric in the 1980s. Since leaving GE in 1990, he has helped a variety of industrial and service companies with organizational development and lean implementations. Drew helped the National Institute of Standards and Technologies’ Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) develop a Lean University, providing training to roughly 1,000 MEP field engineers helping small to medium-sized manufacturers throughout the country. He has helped companies in a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, transportation, distribution, education, financial services, and manufacturing implement lean and organizational redesign.

He is co-author with Beau Keyte of The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value-Stream Mapping for Administrative and Office Processes, which received a Shingo Research Award in 2005. Drew is also the author of Value Stream Mapping for Lean Development: a How-to Guide to Streamlining Time to Market. His book Lean Office and Service Simplified: The Definitive How-To Guide was a 2010 Shingo Research Prize recipient. His latest book is The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value Stream Mapping for Office and Services.

He currently aids companies implementing lean through Change Management Associates.