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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…
Read article Making Everyone Whole
While observing lean value streams across three continents, I encountered common resistance to process improvements, often attributed to "bad people."…
Read article A Trip to the Dentist That You’ll Enjoy
At AME's annual conference in Covington, KY, two weeks ago, Sami Bahri used his book, Follow the Learner, to base…
Read article How can firing people be part of developing people?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can you explain how you reconcile the principles of "developing people" and "firing people," especially in light…
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Five Missing Pieces in Your Standardized Work (Part 3 of 3)
John Shook circles back to offer an outline of how standardized work serves your Purpose, Process, and People, which can…
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