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Jumping to Solutions
We are all guilty of one of the greatest sins with lean – not having the patience to really understand…
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The Missing Link
There is a missing link between the world’s brilliant objects – now cheaper and better in many cases because of…
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Cadence
What do the numbers 1/16, 4/04, 5/03, 5/30, 8/22, 10/23 and 12/20 have in common? They are the dates (day/month)…
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Respect for People
For years I've visited companies where "respect for people" is a core element of the corporate philosophy. So I've asked…
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“Pulling” Lean Through a Hospital
It's not unusual for North American hospitals to try lean for processes where patient flow most impacts costs or revenue.…
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Ten Years and Counting
What do we at LEI -- and in the whole lean movement -- need to do now? This is the…
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Kaizen or Rework?
I recently visited a contract electronics manufacturer with a striking capacity for kaizen – the steady improvement of every step…
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The Problem of Sustainability
I recently got a call from an old friend who led one of the first lean implementation efforts in healthcare…
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Dentist Drills Down to the Root Causes of Office Waste
Applying lean concepts to dentistry isn't as difficult as, well, pulling teeth. Dr. Sami Bahri, driven by a gut feeling…
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From Supply Chains to Value Streams
Fifteen years ago I first began to study lean supply chains, by observing Toyota’s inbound parts supply chain and later…
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Creating Lean Healthcare
Ten years ago this month I made a visit to the Mayo Clinic’s large medical complex in Rochester, Minnesota. I…
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Why Toyota Won and How Toyota Can Lose
Simon & Schuster has just re-issued The Machine That Changed the World, which Dan Jones, Dan Roos, and I co-authored…
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