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Is Lean Scientific?
Dear Gemba Coach: I often hear that lean is like the scientific method. As a lean consultant, I facilitate kaizen events,…
Read article Mistake Proofing Webinar Follow-up Q & A
In a follow-up to the webinar Mistake Proofing to Reduce Medical Errors, mistake-proofing expert John Grout tackles questions from attendees that…
Read article What Role Should a Quality Department Play in a Lean Organization?
Dear Gemba Coach: How can you improve quality overall while reducing the number of people who are developing policies, supporting…
Read article How Come Toyota Veterans Don’t Use a Roadmap?
Dear Gemba Coach: Recently I spent a few months working with Toyota veterans at an automotive supplier. I was surprised…
Read article On Our Watch
A few weeks ago I walked through the Arsenale in Venice, which has been in continuous use for building and…
Read article Why does one-piece-flow matter?
Dear Gemba Coach: Recently, during a plant visit, our sensei made a big fuss because there were three parts between…
Read article Value Stream Management
As we emerge from the recession and look ahead old ways of thinking and action will not be enough to…
Read article What Does Problem-Solving Look Like? Part 2 of 2
Dear Gemba Coach: Thank you for explaining the different types of problem-solving that distinguishes lean. But how can I tell…
Read article The U.S. Versus the World Healthcare Cost Gap
Lean thinking dictates that we try to turn any "problem" (or need, however big, however vague) into an actionable problem that can…
Read article What Problems Are Lean Practices? Part 1 of 2
Dear Gemba Coach: I keep reading that lean is about solving problems. But that's exactly what I already do in my…
Read article Developing a Kaizen Consciousness with Shingo Prize winner Michael Balle
Michael Ballé, co-author of The Lean Manager, published by the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), cautioned in a podcast interview with Business…
Read article Do Managers “Get” Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: You mentioned during the webinar that plant tours reveal how well managers 'get' lean. Can you be…
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