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Lean Thinking at 20, Part 2: A Q&A with Jim Womack and Dan Jones

Twenty years ago Jim Womack and Dan Jones helped launch the lean movement as we know it today with their key book Lean Thinking. Now,…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD and Dan Jones

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Misunderstandings About Value Stream Mapping, Flow Analysis, and Takt Time

Value-stream mapping is not flow analysis, but rather a simple tool that guides you through the process of analysis to improve flows and design better…

by John Shook

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Lean Case Study Interview: Q&A with Chad Vander Wilt, Manager of Transportation and Logistics

Chad Vander Wilt, manager of transportation and logistics at Vermeer, participated in one of the company's first kaizen events as the Iowa manufacturer moved from…

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Beyond Toyota

Weíve won the battle of ideas on how to operate and improve processes. But creating management systems and organizations that can practice (not just preach)…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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An Innovative Framework for Designing Better Products and Services – and a Better Future

Because of the enormous “shadow” it casts over the entire enterprise for years, product development literally designs the future of companies, employees, customers, and suppliers.…

by Chet Marchwinski and Jim Morgan

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So Long 2009 - Hello 2010!

Whew, what a year! Most everyone I know is eager to escort the hard times of 2009 out the door in hopes of a more…

by John Shook

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Not Every Problem Is a “Nail” But Companies Typically Reach for the Same Old “Hammer”

Learn how you can avoid the frustrating, ineffective, but widespread “hammer-and-nail” problem-solving pitfall by recognizing four main problem types so you apply the right problem-solving…

by Art Smalley

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Thinking About Buffers and Production Systems (Birth of Lean Chapter IV – "The Evolution of Buffers at Toyota" – Kaneyoshi Kusunoki )

John Shook: "This week I continue my indulgence in exploring the Birth of Lean with a look at another chapter that some readers may tend…

by John Shook

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Leadership Q&A: Robert Chapman, chairman and CEO of Barry-Wehmiller Companies, Inc: “Guiding Principles of Leadership”

Barry-Wehmiller Companies, Inc. CEO Robert Chapman describes how the company's Guiding Principles of Leadership merge with lean thinking at this $1.1 billion global manufacturer of…

by Chet Marchwinski

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Nice Car, Long Journey

2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Model T Ford. This truly is “the machine that changed the world”, even if the…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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Join the Conversation and Stop the Rework

In the spring of 1997, as I was starting the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute, I visited a company that I hoped would be a founding…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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Developing Better Habits Using A3 Thinking

Think A3 thinking is only for solving organizational problems? Think again! LEI faculty Katie Anderson shares her secrets for using A3s as a tool for…

by Katie Anderson

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Lean Roundup: Respect for People

Respect for People is one of the most abstract and yet most concrete tenets of lean, a guiding principle that informs how people work, coach,…

by Tom Ehrenfeld

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Deliberate Innovation Through Lean Product & Process Development

Check out LEI's live blog from the Lean Product and Process Development Exchange (North America) Conference happening now in Durham, North Carolina.

by Lex Schroeder

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Real Respect Feels Like Knowing You’re Being Heard

To establish or strengthen a culture of engagement and continuous improvement, leaders must understand that genuinely listening to employees is as critical as what you…

by David Verble

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Lean Production Begins with LPPD

To create a "turbo-charged product-creating machine, start by designing clear processes with useful tools and a “people first” culture--which form a socio-technical system underpinned by…

by John Shook

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The Best of The Lean Post 2013: Top Posts

It's time to look back on the best posts of 2013 (as determined by you, Lean Post readers). Which articles did you expect to make…

by Lex Schroeder

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Lean, Agile, Joy

Rich Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations, shares his thoughts on why the lean software and lean manufacturing communities need each other.

by Richard Sheridan

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“You Gotta Kata,” Now What?

After executing a plan to incorporate kata into his organization's daily routines, Craig Stritar was surprised to find that nobody had followed through on their…

by Craig Stritar

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Toyota the Disrupter

Toyota may not be the first company you think of for disruptive product and process development, but perhaps they should be, argues Jim Morgan. The…

by Jim Morgan