LEI Chairman and CEO John Shook explains management PDCA: improving the way we align people with process to achieve purpose, connecting macro level business objectives with micro levels of value creation throughout the organization.

LeanCor CEO Robert Martichenko believes many Lean Thinkers consider the term “lean warehousing” an oxymoron.

“Let’s face it,” he tells journalist Tonya Vinas, “most lean purists believe that all transportation and warehousing functions are pure waste. Considering my entire career has been in logistics, I’ve become a little defensive at this notion.”

In an interview that includes a diagram with elements of a lean warehouse, Martichenko notes that global supply chains with extended lead times are causing many companies to view logistics – and warehousing -- as ways to gain competitive advantage and deliver more value to customers. The interview covers such issues and questions as:

• Is the term “lean warehousing” an oxymoron?
• Is warehousing a commodity?
• How do lean and warehousing come together?
• What are the main things supply-chain professionals should focus on for “strategic lean warehousing”?
• What should they focus on for “tactical lean warehousing?
• Is there a specific toolkit or approach for implementing the lean warehouse?
• What must a leader do to drive lean warehousing?

 After reading the story, consider these next steps ...

 Supply chain professionals will learn how to apply lean principles in logistics and warehouses at two special workshops being run by the Lean Enterprise Institute at LeanCor’s working operations center:

• Go and See the Lean Supply Chain, June 25-26. 2013
• Lean Warehousing and Distribution Operations, June 27-28, 2013

Dear Gemba Coach,

I’ve been interested in lean for over two years now, and can’t quite understand why after 20 years there are still so many points of view, and no apparent single message under the lean banner. What are your views on this?

The Lean Enterprise Institute's webinar "A Roadmap to Lean Healthcare Success" with John Toussaint, MD, CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, drew thousands of Lean Thinkers from North America and around the world who had more questions than we could answer in 60 minutes.

Most of the questions fell into several themes such as leadership, sustaining gains, involving people, and the A3 management process. What follows are your questions representing those themes and Dr. Toussaint’s follow-up replies.

Dr. Toussaint will go into even more details about lean healthcare at the 4th Annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit, June 5-6, 2013, in Orlando, FL.

Job shops pursuing lean transformation in a high mix/low volume or made-to-order type businesses have more complicated challenges that repetitive manufacturers implementing lean principles. The difficulty comes from the increased variation of  their products and services. That’s why, explains LEI faculty member Greg Lane, that most lean principles require some adaptation when applied to job shop production environments. He offers some examples on these slides.

Learn about more examples in the form of simulations, videos and practical exercises that are part of the curriculum for the workshop Managing High Mix/Low Volume Organizations

LEI faculty member Greg Lane offers some examples of how the application of lean concepts differs in high mix/low volume or made-to-order type businesses.

Dear Gemba Coach,  

My company has put an employee of the month program and other related efforts to reward good behavior. So why does it feel so bad?

Lean Enterprise Institute faculty member David Verble compares and contrasts different managerial styles of coaching in this video.

An exchange of emails among friends and lean thought leaders John Shook, Jeff Liker, and Michael Ballé produced this quick list of 10 tips for lean leaders. Jazz pianist Claire Ritter added the music. For more insights into solving the challenges of leading and managing in a lean culture, visit Gemba Coach and The Lean Edge. Enjoy.