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Defining LEI’s Customer: Understanding Your Real Problems & Needs
"Our customer is part of everything we do, but defining them and their needs… well, it’s like describing the air…
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Sharks & Tortoises
"A small number of firms have grown spectacularly in revenue, employees, and stock price by using [lean] to execute crisply…
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Just-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads From Across the Web (Vol. 5)
Check out our editors' picks for 5 high value lean reads you may have missed, this time from Industry Week,…
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After improving processes with help from a consultant, how do I sustain kaizen in my department? My teams are hard to motivate.
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I sustain kaizen in my department? We’ve had a consultant help us with workshops, and…
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Lean Principles Are Changing How the U.S. Recovers from Tornadoes & Floods
When the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina receded, they uncovered tens of thousands of homes in devastated areas such as…
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Experimenting with LEI’s Transformation Model
Josh Howell, senior coach at LEI, reflects on LEI's Lean Transformation Model. "We set out to better understand the model,…
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Developing Students, Improving Universities
"Today, lean thinking in higher education is uncommon," writes Theresa Coleman-Kaiser of Michigan Tech University. "As a rule, institutions that…
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We’re Ernie and Tracey Richardson: Ask Us Anything
It's our second "Ask Me Anything" post, this time with lean coaches Tracey and Ernie Richardson. With a combined 54…
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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…
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How can I estimate the savings from using visual management boards?
Dear Gemba Coach: I work on a lean team and I was asked to estimate the savings from using visual…
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Making a Football is a Contact Sport
With football on the brain after the Superbowl, Lesa Nichols reflects on the football manufacturing process. "There's a concept called…
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Hoshin at LEI: Connecting More Closely with Our Customer
Whether you’re deploying hoshin in a small nonprofit or a huge organization, the struggles are the same," writes LEI Senior…
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