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How Do We Help Our Plant Managers Want to Do Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: We've just changed our divisional general manager and the new boss wants our lean approach to be less…
Read article How to Use Red Bins
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re having an internal debate about how to involve the quality department and how to use “red…
Read article Role of the Sensei
Dear Gemba Coach: I often wonder how senseis skip to new areas--from the shop floor to the back office, or…
Read article Passing the Baton
Jim Womack and John Shook reflect on passing the baton of leadership at the Lean Enterprise Institute
Read article Mutual Assistance Teamwork
Toshiko Narusawa, co-author with John Shook of Kaizen Express, illustrates Taiichi Ohno’s comparison of workplace teamwork to passing a baton.…
Read article Do We Need a Truck Preparation Area?
Dear Gemba Coach: As logistics manager, I disagree with our lean expert who insists we should have “truck preparation areas”…
Read article How Does Pull Relate to Problem-Solving?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been following the exchanges on The Lean Edge with great interest, and all the lean authors…
Read article How Can One Be A Better Sensei?
Dear Gemba Coach,Our operations VP is disappointed with our lean program. Despite his close personal involvement with the program, it…
Read article The Joy of a Greenfield
Last spring on a trip to Central America, I encountered that wonderful sight for process improvers, a “greenfield”. And I…
Read article How Do I Clarify Lean Roles and Responsibilities?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can you provide some guidance on splitting roles and responsibilities amongst the various hands-on leaders of the lean…
Read article Standardized Work in Business Processes
Dear Gemba Coach: How about standardized work in a business process environment? For example, in a procurement process or supply chain…
Read article Standardized Work in Machine-Intensive Processes
Dear Gemba Coach,Most lean literature and case studies to date focus on assembly type manufacturing which utilizes very people-intensive operations.…
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