Articles
Learn more about your selected topics.
How Can Lean Help Respond to Crises?
Although lean might seem fragile to crises, because of low inventories, it’s quite the opposite, says Michael Balle: Lean thinking…
Read article
Lean in the Time of Coronavirus
While lean offers no direct countermeasure to tackling the current coronavirus health challenge, Jim Womack points out in this podcast…
Read article
A Consciousness of Reality
There are countless cases of lean thinking being applied masterfully with the word lean (or the Toyota Production System) nowhere…
Read article
Building the Mindset and Skillset to Improve from the Board Room to the Classroom
A school district superintendent describes how lean thinking and practice transformed a failing district into a nationally recognized model of…
Read article
Delivering Quality Foods with Zingerman’s Mail Order
Listen to this podcast between Tom Root, Zingerman Mail Order's Managing Director, and Josh Howell for a wide-ranging conversation about…
Read article
On the Job with Tom Root, Managing Partner of Zingerman’s Mail Order
Spoiler alert! The food you just ate is not fresh. It was "sourced" longer ago than you'd imagine. And since…
Listen to podcast
Should I be worried that management is buying software for virtual gemba walks?
Dear Gemba Coach: A consultant is selling us “virtual gemba walks” software to schedule gemba visits with a “leader standardized…
Read article Accounting for the Right Reasons
My first job after graduating from Purdue University was as a manufacturing engineer with the Japanese company, Aisin Seiki. Aisin…
Read article
The Courage to be Lean
A meaningful purpose is not what you are doing or how you are doing it, argue Joanna McGuffey and Tom…
Read article What is the value to be created here and now?
Karen Gaudet has written Steady Work (!), a wonderful new book about her experience as a regional director of operations…
Read article
How Well Can Lean Principles Fuel New Ventures Like Tesla and Rivian?
How well do lean principles apply to the grueling challenge of launching a company—let alone launching a brand new automotive…
Read article
Standardization Can Set You Free
It is only through actually standardizing the routine work elements by applying a common method of thinking, that enables true…
Read article