2024 Lean Summit Recap
LEI's Lean Summit showcased how leaders leverage lean for innovation from AI-powered healthcare to US manufacturing's revival.
Read articleHardware Meets Software: Lean and Agile Lessons for Innovation
Our latest webinar features LEI Senior Advisor, Jim Morgan, and co-founder and CTO of software group Theodo, Fabrice Bernhard. They…
Watch webinarThe State of US Manufacturing and Its Role in Innovation: a Conversation with Ben Armstrong and Jim Morgan
Ben Armstrong and Jim Morgan explore America’s industrial past, assess its present, and discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie…
Listen to podcastNine Tips to Better Process Development
Achieve exceptional results with your next product launch. Master nine proven techniques for designing successful, waste-free processes.
Read articleWhatever Happened to Quality First: Rethinking Product Development in the Wake of Recalls and Catastrophic Failures
This Design Brief tackles the often-overlooked topic of building quality into new products. Learn how a customer-centric approach in development…
Read articleQuality Leadership at the Forefront of Innovation: A Conversation with Jeri Ford of Lucid Motors
Lucid Motors’ Vice President of Quality, Jeri Ford, shares lessons from the automotive industry on how to build a culture…
Listen to podcastFrom Concept to Perfection: Toyota’s GD3 Method Sets a New Standard in Product Quality
The innovative GD3 method can help you rethink product development to improve customer satisfaction, boost cost-effectiveness, avoid recalls, and prevent…
Read articleOperations IS Your Customer
Discover how redefining operations as the primary customer of engineering can transform product development, enhance collaboration, and drive unprecedented improvements…
Read articleDeveloping 35,000 Problem Solvers: OhioHealth’s Journey in Lean Healthcare with Alli Kulp and Emily Swaney
How one large healthcare system is developing problem-solving skills across 35,000 employees through standardized lean processes, daily huddles, and leadership…
Listen to podcastSoftware’s Quality Leap: Three Lessons from Toyota’s Dantotsu Approach to Reduce Defects at Scale at Theodo
Bridging the gap between manufacturing and software, Theodo cofounder and CTO Fabrice Bernhard, explains the company’s transformative journey of applying…
Read articleConnecting the Classroom to Industry: Experiential Lean Learning with Dennis Wade and Lisa Eshbach
In this episode of the WLEI podcast, we learn how two universities are creating hands-on lean learning experiences for students…
Listen to podcastExtending Lean Thinking Beyond the Factory at MillerKnoll: a Conversation with Jennifer Trask and Brittney Heatherington
In this episode of the WLEI podcast, we learn how MillerKnoll brings lean thinking to its dealer network to drastically…
Listen to podcastDesigning Sustainable Value Streams
Download LEI's latest ebook on how Lean Product and Process Development enables organizations to design and deliver innovative, profitable, and…
Read articleCoach’s Corner: How can Lean Product and Process Development enable the creation of environmentally sustainable products?
Following LPPD principles and practices enables teams to consider sustainability when making decisions early in and throughout the design process.
Read articleFrom Cradle-to-Gate to Cradle-to-Cradle: A Lean Approach to Sustainable Product Design
Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) plays a pivotal role in contributing to a more sustainable, less resource-intensive society.
Read articleDesigning for the Environment
Explore how Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) can lower carbon emissions and address other sustainability concerns.
Watch videoDefining Winning: Turning Around Operations Through Clarity and Ownership with Billy Taylor
In this episode of the WLEI podcast, LEI speaks with Billy Taylor, former operations executive at Goodyear Tire & Rubber…
Listen to podcastUnlocking Your Team’s Potential: Practical Methods for Developing People
People development is the foundation of the lean enterprise. The Lean Enterprise Institute explores how to lead, train, and coach…
Read articleCoaching to the Challenge
With coaching there is no black and white answer – everything depends on the criticality of the business situation, the…
Read articleThe Human Element of TWI (Training Within Industry)
"When I’ve taught the TWI courses in countries all over the world, from India to Malaysia to Mexico to Germany,…
Read articleArt of Lean on Situational Leadership, Part 1: An Introduction
Editor’s Note: This Lean Post is an updated version of an article published on January 15, 2021. It is the first of…
Read articleAre You Organized for Leadership?
LEI President Josh Howell reflect on a recent learning tour to Toyota and GE Appliances, sharing insights the group gathered…
Read articleEngaging Leadership in Lean at MassMutual
LEI talks with Mary Nell Egan and Lisa Karam on championing change at MassMutual, a leader in financial services
Listen to podcastDeveloping Products Customers Love: Discussing Lean Product and Process Development with Two Retired Honda Leaders
LEI talks with Frank Paluch and Lara Harrington about developing the Honda Passport, the role of the chief engineer, and…
Listen to podcastLaunching a Lean Transformation: An Aerospace Manufacturer’s Journey with Purpose, Process, and People
Lean transformation at Re:Build Cutting Dynamics demonstrates the effectiveness of purpose, process, people and foreshadows a revival of U.S. manufacturing.
Read articleBuilding a Problem-Solving Culture: Insights from Barton Malow’s Lean University
LEI chats with Jill Katic and Grace Eovaldi from the construction firm Barton Malow about how to methodically build a…
Listen to podcastChange Questions: Navigating Organizational Change
Our latest webinar entitled “Change Questions: Navigating Organizational Change,” featured insights from Dr. Lynn Kelley and John Shook. Grounded in…
Watch webinarRemembering Freddy Ballé
On October 31st, the Lean Movement lost one of its pioneers. In this piece, Dan Jones reflects on Freddy Ballé’s…
Read articleExploring the Intersection of Lean and Agile: Lessons from Theodo
LEI chats with Fabrice Bernhard, co-founder of Theodo Group, and author Catherine Chabiron about how Theodo employs lean thinking to…
Listen to podcastRevolutionizing Logistics: DHL eCommerce’s Journey Applying Lean Thinking to Automation
In this podcast episode, LEI chats with Mehmet Gur from DHL eCommerce on how to realize the full potential of…
Listen to podcastTransforming Corporate Culture: Bestbath’s Approach to Scaling Problem-Solving Capability
In this podcast episode, LEI chats with Jay Multanen and Jared Raggozine from Bestbath on how to build a culture…
Listen to podcastSustaining Strategy Deployment: Lessons from 16 Years of Practice at GlobalFoundries
In this podcast episode, LEI chats with Otto Funke and Jospeh Tamayo on how to build and sustain a strategic…
Listen to podcastDiscover the Lean Leadership Learning Tour: A Preview with Toyota, GE Appliances, and LEI
Dive into our recent webinar for an exclusive preview of the Lean Leadership Learning Tour. Learn how this unique collaboration…
Watch webinarPutting People First
LEI's lean product and process development coaches share the sixth of several guiding principles that will help you improve the…
Read articleNavigating Organizational Change: A Conversation with Dr. Lynn Kelley
In this podcast episode, LEI chats with Dr. Lynn Kelley to delve into organizational change: how to design it, execute…
Listen to podcastTeaming Up for Growth: Developing People and Technical Skills as They Develop Products.
The current LEI Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) Collaborative Study Team reports on the results of recent work to…
Read articleCollaborating on Improving the Product Development Process
Members of LEI's Lean Product and Process Development Learning Group share their successful strategies.
Read articleThe Future of Lean Learning: Introducing LEI’s Innovative Online Education
Dive into the Future of Lean Learning with our on-demand webinar. Enhance your capabilities and transform your organization with our…
Watch webinarThe Case for Good Jobs: Unlocking Productivity and Profits Through Employee Investment
Watch Sarah Kalloch, Executive Director at the Good Jobs Institute, as she presents the compelling business case for good jobs.…
Watch webinarTeaming Up to Develop Better Products: Maximizing the Study Phase’s Impact
The current LEI Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) Collaborative Study Team reports on the results of recent work to…
Read articleDesigning the Value Stream
LEI's lean product and process development coaches share the fifth of several guiding principles that will help you improve the…
Read articleAsk Art: Do You Prefer a Handwritten or Computerized Process for Visual Management?
You can — and should — focus on more critical operational questions than how to set up your visual management…
Read articleWhy Lean Management Requires Humble Hubris
A lean coach reflects on the mindset and related behaviors that are the standardized work of “being the change you…
Read articleHow Technology and Data Can Enhance Your Company’s Problem-Solving Capability
In this enhanced presentation, you'll hear how the leaders of Le Chef, a leading commercial bakery, combined the power of…
Read articleCharting a New Course for US Manufacturing
LEI chats with Miles Arnone and Bonnie Davis about how Re:Build Manufacturing is revitalizing American industry.
Listen to podcastWhat Matters When Giving — or Accepting — the Gift of Lean Thinking and Practice
Some “flavors” of lean are better than others. Here’s a description of one of the best — contrasted with examples…
Read articleHow Entrepreneurs Use Lean to Drive Sustainable Growth: A Conversation with Matt May and Pablo Dominguez
LEI chats with authors Matt May and Pablo Dominguez about how startups can scale using lean thinking and practice.
Listen to podcastSynchronizing Workflows
LEI's lean product and process development coaches share the fourth of several guiding principles that will help you improve the…
Read articleWhat Will Be the New Social Contract for the 21st Century?
The current volatility in tech employment portends a shift from the sector’s earlier people-centered visions — and that’s concerning.
Read articleWhy ‘Framing’ is Crucial to Leadership and Encouraging Team Unity
A personal reflection of a company’s response to challenges brought on by Covid explores the fundamental thinking that drives how…
Read articleTwo LEI Learning Group Partner Executives Honored with National Award
GE Appliances, a Haier company, Pella Corporation, and the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute celebrate colleagues’ recognition for demonstrating excellence and…
Read articleUnderstanding Lean Thinking and Practice Fundamentals
This overview helps beginner and mid-stage Lean Thinkers gain a more comprehensive understanding of lean thinking and practice — and…
Read articleUnderstanding the True Value of the TWI Job Instruction Training Method
In this reflection, the author contends the training approach delivers something vastly more significant than merely a faster, more effective…
Read articleAsk Art: Why Do I Need a Kaizen Promotion Office (KPO)?
A veteran lean leader explains why companies seeking to cultivate a lean culture should establish an internal team to oversee…
Read articleStrategies for Tackling Complex Problems: a Conversation with Paolo Savaget
LEI chats with author Paolo Savaget about how clever workarounds can aid companies solving challenging problems.
Listen to podcastAsk Art: What Is the Biggest Cultural Change Barrier to Lean?
Art Byrne tackles the biggest cultural barrier to adopting lean practices in companies: the resistance of CEOs and senior management.
Read articleTeaming Up to Overcome Common Business Challenges
By creating Collaborative Study Teams (CSTs), organizations learn together how to improve their product and process development performance.
Read articleEmpowering Frontline Operators with Human-Centric Technology: a Conversation with Natan Linder
LEI chats with author and entrepreneur Natan Linder about the potential of software to enable improvement among frontline workers.
Listen to podcastA New Era of Jidoka: How ChatGPT Could Alter the Relationship between Machines, Humans, and their Minds
An exploration of how artificial intelligence will impact how people will work suggests exciting possibilities and challenges for human development.
Read articleLearning to Solve Problems By… Wait for It… Solving Problems
A team learns what matters when it comes to problem-solving using lean thinking and practices.
Read articleTransforming Your Organization with Lean Thinking and Practices
This brief animation offers a guide to the five fundamental equations that help lean practitioners understand — and execute —…
Read articleIn Honor of Dr. Edgar Schein: A Tribute to a Giant in Organizational Theory
Edgar Schein passed away last Thursday, January 26, 2023. Ed, the godfather of organizational development, was a spry 94 years…
Read articleHow Can Lean Help Manage the Costs and Complications of Satisfying Customers During Rapid Growth?
An entrepreneur shares why and how lean management helps startups innovate and grow.
Read articleAsk Art: How Do You Align Incentives for a Lean Turnaround?
A veteran lean leader offers practical strategies for incentivizing employees during a transition to lean management.
Read articleGetting Started with Lean Thinking and Practice
This brief animation answers the novice lean thinkers’ most common question.
Watch videoHow to Go to the Gemba: Go See, Ask Why, Show Respect
Here are some guidelines I use when doing a gemba walk as an outside advisor.
Read articleWhy Lean Remains a Superior Business Model and Way of Thinking
The lean business model offers an alternative to conventional thinking that enables organizations to gain a competitive advantage by being…
Read articleLean in One Drawing
An LEI faculty member explains in a brief video why it’s vital to view lean thinking and practice as a…
Watch videoAsk Art: Why Should I Focus on My Balance Sheet to Grow Earnings?
Lean practitioners understand that focusing on this financial statement is the best way to achieve higher sales and lower costs.
Read articleHow to Improve Your Product Development Process
Members of LEI's Lean Product and Process Development Learning Group share their successful strategies.
Read articleAre You Ready for the Next Crisis?
The Cleveland Clinic's lean management and operating system helped it handle the challenges arising from the pandemic. Here are several…
Read articleServing Up Lean with a Southern-Fried Kick
Haven Hot Chicken used lean thinking and practices to launch a successful restaurant during a pandemic.
Read articleThe Healing Power of Lean Product and Process Development in Healthcare
Can Lean Product and Process Development or LPPD, which evolved in the automotive industry, work in healthcare? Paul Paliani, who…
Watch videoRespect for People: Making the Job Easier for Workers
How a lean mindset and practices are reining in workplace disruptions, minimizing workers’ physical aches and pains, and improving flow…
View case studyPutting Customers First
The cofounders of a successful startup share how lean thinking and practices helped ensure they kept their focus on the…
Read articleBuilding a Learning Organization with Kata
Baptist Memorial Hospital uses kata to build an "army of problem solvers." Here's the "meta-routine" they follow and a few…
Watch videoHow to Improve Decision-Making to Accelerate Product Development
GE Appliance’s next-generation dishwasher development team created a decision-flow mapping process to eliminate project delays.
Read articleAsk Art: What is the Best Lean Leadership Development Program?
Leaders learn and adopt lean thinking the same way everyone else does: by practicing it. Here are a few ideas…
Read articleManaging the Work from Startup to Scaleup
How one company tapped lean thinking and practice to design its business management system — and as a countermeasure to…
Read articleHow Lean Thinking and Practices Improves Disaster Recovery Efforts
This enhanced presentation explores how a disaster recovery organization uses lean thinking and practices to accelerate rebuilding efforts.
Read articleWho, or What, Is Your Company Investing In?
A frontline supervisor's stellar work resolving a significant problem prompts a question for leaders: Will you have technology work for…
Read articleBuilding A Diverse and Capable Workforce from the Bottom Up
Combining lean thinking and practices with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives builds more inclusive, engaged, and resilient businesses. Here's…
Read articleLessons from a Chief Engineer on Starting and Sustaining Lean Product and Process Development
A Caterpillar executive shares his insights on applying LPPD principles.
Watch videoCreating a System to Achieve Ambitious Goals: A WLEI Podcast
A lean veteran describes a system that can help leaders take their organizations to the next level.
Read articleInsights on Why, When, and How Value-Stream Mapping is a Vital Part of Continuous Improvement
A selection of Lean Posts offers the information leaders need to maximize the benefit of using this powerful lean practice.
Read articleAsk Art: What’s So Important About Reducing Setup Times?
An overview of the strategic and tactical benefits of eliminating waste from changeovers demonstrates why it should be a focus…
Read articleUsing Lean Thinking and Practices to Shrink the Time Between Disaster and Recovery
SBP leveraged a continuous-improvement model based on the Toyota Production System to devise and execute creative solutions to rebuild a…
Read article6 Guidelines for Moving Toward a Lean Value Stream
Once you’re ready to use value-stream mapping to continuously improve your value streams, follow this advice from the authors of…
Read articleA Postcard — with Leadership Insights — from Nashville
A look back at LEI’s Lean Transformation Summit in 2018 shares a few tips from CEO keynoters on how to…
Read articleAssessing a New Way to Develop More Lean Thinkers
The James P. Womack Scholarship & Philanthropy Fund reflects on its experiments to improve the teaching of lean thinking and…
Read articleHow Lean Thinking and Practices Helps Manage Rapid Growth
The cofounders of a successful digital startup share their experience navigating uncertainty.
Read articleWhy You Need to Map the Extended Value Stream
This case study from the LEI workbook Seeing the Whole Value Stream shows how the practice can help businesses optimize…
Read articleAsk Art: How Important are Your Suppliers to Implementing Lean Production?
You won't reap the full benefits of lean production without involving your suppliers as an essential part of your value…
Read articleWhy Value-Stream Mapping is Essential to Product and Process Development
Learn about a proven way to help cross-functional teams clearly “see” their work and achieve their full potential.
Read articleExpanding the Purpose of Catchball
Learn how catchball, the process of colleagues tossing ideas back and forth to improve them iteratively, helps get the job…
Read articleEmbrace Lean for Respect, Learning, and Growth
A new book demonstrates how lean thinking and practices can help organizations manage rapid growth.
Read articleApples & Oranges: Value-Stream Mapping in a Low-Volume/High-Mix Environment
Here's how one LVHM company mapped its complex value streams — and discovered the path to next-level productivity that enabled…
Read articleWhy Coaching is a Core Skill of a Lean Leader
If "learning by doing" at the gemba is the best way to learn lean thinking and practices (and it is),…
Read articleKeep It Simple: Value-Stream Mapping at the Gemba
A veteran lean coach shares a story showing that even simple and quick value-stream mapping can be hugely helpful when…
Read articleHow Purpose Shapes Culture
The author of Joy, Inc. reflects on the struggles and rewards of building a leadership culture that elevates human energy.
Read article10 Tips for Getting the Most Value from Value-Stream Mapping
Before you map your value stream, review and keep in mind these tips for ensuring your organization reaps the performance…
Read articleOvercoming Challenges with Lean Thinking Leads to Record-breaking Performance
Despite obstacles, a new CEO transformed a manufacturing business from plant floor production to design engineering — and created a…
Read articleUnderstanding the Fundamentals of Value-Stream Mapping
This overview explains the essential elements of this powerful lean practice.
Read articleAsk Art: Is Lean a Good Cost-Reduction Program?
A point-by-point comparison demonstrates why lean thinking and practice is a business strategy, not merely a cost-cutting strategy.
Read articleJim Womack Explains the Origins — and Value — of Value-Stream Mapping
In this brief video, the LEI founder and senior advisor offers an introduction — or refresher on why value-stream mapping…
Watch videoHow to Get the Most from Your A3 Thinking and Practice
This selection of Lean Posts provides vital information that can help lean leaders and practitioners leverage the full power of…
Read articleAll Lean Is Local
When I think about the idea of “all lean is local,” I think about the fundamental entry point questions for…
Read articleWhy You Should Share, Not Present, Your A3 Report
A veteran A3 coach explains how a seemingly minor word change can help foster more productive teamwork and learning.
Read articleHow to Test Your A3 Thinking
Are you pretty sure you've completed the A3 process correctly but want to test the logic of your thinking? Or…
Read articleStudents Take the Lead in JPW Fund Internship
A hands-on, gemba-based “lean internship” gives participants broad-based lean management experience backed by professional and academic coaches.
Read articleHow to Launch Better Products Faster
A veteran lean product and process development (LPPD) coach explains the similarities and differences between Agile and LPPD methodologies, clarifying…
Read articleBeyond Six Sigma: How Lean Delivers Deeper and More Enduring Benefits
In this enhanced presentation, former Wiremold Company CEO Art Byrne explores the differences between lean/continuous improvement and six sigma.
Read articleAsk Art: How Well Do Companies Follow Toyota’s ‘Respect for People’ Principle?
Comparing traditional command-and-control management shows why this lean management tenet benefits both employees and the organization.
Read articleWhy the A3 Process Involves More than Filling in Boxes
As she details how to problem-solve using the A3 methodology, a veteran lean coach explains why it's essential to understand…
Read articleHow to Start the A3 Problem-Solving Process
Why the best, most productive way to “start an A3” is by recognizing that the A3 problem-solving methodology is a…
Read articleDiscovering the True Value of the A3 Process
The challenge with the A3 process isn’t in learning to write an A3 report; it’s in understanding how to use…
Read articleTo Successfully Apply Lean Thinking in Distribution, Go to Where the Action Is!
Two years after its first kaizen workshop, Plumbers Supply Company has made significant progress toward a lean business conversion. Starting…
View case studyUnderstanding the Many Facets of ‘the A3’
A review of the many ways lean practitioners refer to this core lean practice reveals its versatility — and why…
Read articleHow Lean Practitioners ‘See the Work’ — and Why It Matters
In under three minutes, LEI's Instructional Designer Masia Goodman demonstrates how lean practitioners "see the work" so they can improve…
Watch videoAsk Art: How Do You Motivate Managers to Adopt Lean?
Leading an enterprise-wide lean transformation requires everyone at every level to adopt new approaches to their work. Here are some…
Read articleA Philanthropic ‘Lean Internship’ Experiment Yields Unexpected Question About Purpose
To understand what could work in a hands-on, gemba-based lean learning experience, the LEI's JPW Fund did what lean practitioners…
Read articleUnique Philanthropy Does Well by Doing Good
An internship program enables students to attain real-world lean management experience while helping community service organizations reach more people.
Read articleBuilding in Learning and Knowledge Reuse
LEI's lean product and process development coaches share the third of several guiding principles that will help you improve the…
Read articleMaking the World Better by Advancing Lean Thinking and Practice
When establishing a scholarship and philanthropy fund, the Lean Enterprise Institute practices what it preaches.
Read articleWhat’s the Problem?: Andrew Lingel Discusses Transforming a Family Business through Knowledge, Grit, and Outrage
In this What's the Problem? podcast with Matt Savas, President Andrew Lingel of United Plastic Fabricating shares how he helped…
Listen to podcastAsk Art: How Useful is Six Sigma and the Black Belts and Green Belts that Come with It?
Several specific examples demonstrate why lean continuous improvement practices are usually superior to six sigma for solving problems.
Read articleBuilding a Learning Organization: How Kata Empowers Team Members to Achieve Organizational Goals
This brief enhanced presentation explains how Improvement and Coaching Kata helps organizations foster a culture of continuous improvement through scientific…
Read articleHow Lean Thinking and Practices Can Help You Prepare for and Rebound from a Crisis
As the world emerges from the depths of the pandemic, the Lean Sensei Women share how lean can help you…
Read articleUkrainian Resilience: How Lean is Helping Companies Cope with War, Part 1
A real-time discussion with the Lean Institute Ukraine President shows how leveraging lean thinking and practices help companies adapt to…
Read articleHandling the Heat of the Kitchen: A WLEI Podcast
Hear how LEI coaches helped a flagship restaurant's kitchen staff find and eliminate waste in their work processes, which led…
Listen to podcastSaving $30,000 Worth of Clams with a $5 Cup
Learn how a manager and a fry cook tackled a food waste problem with a simple solution.
Read articleHow Organizations Can Increase Profitability While Improving the Work Environment
A restaurant’s management team discovers that enabling cooks to stay focused on value creation improves business performance and makes them…
View case studyEmbracing Regret for Better Living: A WLEI Podcast with author Dan Pink
LEI chats with author Dan Pink about his new book and how it relates to retrospective outlooks and continuous improvement.
Listen to podcastAsk Art: How Much Time Does It Take to Complete a Lean Transformation?
Though you can never be "finished" with the essential work of creating a continuous improvement culture, here are a few…
Read articleHelping Companies Thrive by Creating Good Jobs
Two case studies and a detailed discussion of The Good Jobs Strategy show how investing in creating good jobs results…
Read articleFinding a Countermeasure to the Great Resignation in Making Jobs Better
Watching an associate improve his work process prompts some ideas on how to attract and retain employees who are at…
Read articleMeeting Strategic Objectives
Turner Construction uses hoshin kanri (strategy deployment) and A3 problem-solving to create a management system that ensures it achieves its…
View case studyWhat You Need to Know About Standardized Work
LEI Senior Advisor John Shook offers a detailed diagnostic that lean practitioners can use to test whether they're benefiting as…
Read articleAsk Art: How Does Lean Apply to Every Company?
Lean veteran Art Byrne shares a back-to-basics explanation of why — and how — lean thinking and practices can improve…
Read articleUnderstanding Before Executing
LEI's lean product and process development coaches share the second of several guiding principles that will help you improve the…
Read articleHow the Toyota Way and Toyota Kata Fit Together
The author of The Toyota Way explains where Toyota Kata fits with Toyota’s broader management principles — and how each…
Read articleHow A3 Management Solves Problems and Develops Problem-Solving Capabilities
Through a detailed demonstration, Turner Construction Company VP and general manager Charlie Whitney shares an example of how the company…
Read articleA Lesson for Enabling Leaders and Systems
An executive's gemba visit reveals the value of engaging value-creating frontline workers in improving their work processes — and how…
Read articleSupport Lean Institute Ukraine
Dear Members of the Global Lean Community — Last week the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) and Lean Global Network (LGN)…
Read articleThe Lean Enterprise Institute expresses solidarity with Ukraine
Dear Members of the Global Lean Community — LEI is proud to share the mission of spreading lean thinking and…
Read articleThe Fundamentals of Improvement and Coaching Kata
Whether you're a veteran needing a refresh or a beginner requiring the basics, this round-up offers guidance that will strengthen…
Read articleAsk Art: Why is a Lean Sensei Necessary?
Lean veteran Art Byrne explains how having a lean sensei helps leaders and organizations succeed in their lean transformation.
Read articleA Video Primer on Improvement Kata as a Funnel
A veteran kata instructor uses a visual model to explain the four routines of the Improvement Kata practice.
Watch videoDeveloping Products is a Team Sport
LEI's lean product and process development coaches share the first of several guiding principles that will help you improve the…
Read article6 Things You Can Do to Become a More Effective Lean Leader
This collection of articles from Lean Coach David Verble examines how the way managers and leaders talk to employees (and…
Read articlePracticing Lean Accounting at The Wonderful Company
The company's VP of Finance and Strategy describes his team's most recent lean improvements — and how they've benefited customers,…
Read articleApplying Lean Thinking and Practices in a Digital Environment
The cofounder and CTO of Theodo, a software company, describes how lean management drives growth, increases employee engagement, and delivers…
Read articleTalking Toyota: A WLEI Podcast with Jim Womack and Josh Howell
LEI leaders Jim Womack and Josh Howell talk about the continued success of Toyota Motor and how lean helped contribute…
Listen to podcastAsk Art: Why Are the Four Lean Fundamentals So Important for Making a Conversion to Lean?
A review of the core lean elements reveals how — and why — lean management leads to higher enterprise performance.
Read articleSteady Work: A Story of Personal and Enterprise Transformation at Starbucks
A former Starbucks regional director demonstrates how lean thinking and practices improve business performance.
Read articleImproving the Value-Creating Work of Building Data Centers Around the World
Microsoft's head of data center lean construction describes how applying lean thinking and practices helps work teams complete their work…
Read articleThe Machine That’s Changing the World … Again
Lean leaders discuss how lean thinking and practices help businesses navigate an environment marked by disruption.
Read article2021’s Top Posts: Insights that Will Enhance Your Lean Thinking and Practice
This year's most popular Lean Posts feature thought leadership and guidance on several issues that are challenging for even the…
Read articleHow to Design Products and Services a Diversifying Customer Base Will Love
A leading innovation and design researcher shares practices that will help you develop products and services that meet the needs…
Watch videoAsk Art: How is Traditional Management Different from Lean Management?
Eight reasons lean leaders consistently outperform peers who rely on a conventional approach to leading and managing.
Read articleHow to Lead Physicians in Change
The Seattle Children's medical director of continuous improvement and innovation describes a successful method for standardizing — and improving —…
Watch videoAsk Art: How Do You Create a Lean Culture?
The author of the best-selling books The Lean Turnaround and The Lean Turnaround Action Guide and former CEO of The…
Read articleLean’s Role in Labor Shortages and the Supply Chain
LEI leaders talk about recent blame thrown toward Lean in the supply chain, the rising labor shortage, NFT's, and more.
Listen to podcastHow to Respond to the ‘Great Resignation’
A trip to the gemba reveals an overlooked management strategy that could be the most effective way to keep your…
Read articleHow a Hospital’s Adoption of Lean Thinking Led to Standard-Setting Quality Achievements
A hospital in Argentina leveraged the power of lean thinking to enhance patient care significantly during the pandemic, earning internationally…
View case studyIntegrating Finance into Operational Kaizen: The Operational Leader’s Perspective
Two lean practitioners explain how and why they include accounting and finance teams in all continuous improvement efforts.
Read articleDesigning the Future: A WLEI Podcast with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe and former COO Jim Morgan
LEI explores the early days and product development strategies of electrical-vehicle startup Rivian.
Listen to podcastHow to Launch Great Products Your Customers Will Love
A product director describes how her team increased its new-product adoption rate from 25% to 81% in three years.
Watch videoSeeking Radical Quality in the Tech Industry
The CTO of a website design firm explains how a recent book on radical quality improvement in manufacturing inspired him…
Read articleHow to Focus on a People Accelerated Lean Transformation
Business and operational performance improved dramatically when a car dealership's leaders embraced the lean principle of respect for people. Here's…
View case studyHow a Bakery Uses Lean Thinking to Drive Growth
A lean system that runs like clockwork and constant attention to customer service enables Barcelona-based 365.café to achieve the seemingly…
View case studyWhy You Need a Better Process Development System
Two veteran lean product and process development coaches share the benefits of improving this critical, too often overlooked part of…
Watch videoAsk Art: I Want to Convert My Company to Lean. What Are the First Steps?
The former Wiremold CEO explains the commitment you must make— and the expectations you must set—when you start your continuous-improvement…
Read articleA Video Primer on Improvement and Coaching Kata
A veteran kata instructor offers a brief explanation of two vital problem-solving and innovation-driving practices.
Watch videoAddressing the Labor Shortage by Innovating the Work
Learn how a restaurant is working to attract and retain workers by improving the work inside their commissary.
Read articleOrganizing for Successful Product and Process Development
This short video shows how one organization brought a large team together to learn what their customers value.
Watch videoLearning More About a Leader Who Helped Build Toyota’s Culture
An LEI coach tells what it was like to work with the man who helped propagate the Toyota Way.
Read articleReaching Your Organization’s Full Potential
A visit to Turner Construction's New York Business Unit reveals how its leaders use the A3 process to build their…
Read articleAs Your Customer’s Definition of Value Evolves, So Must Yours
If you don’t realize that your customer’s definition of value has expanded to include social responsibility and racial equity, you…
Read articleAsk Art: How Do Improvements to Your Balance Sheet Drive Earnings?
Converting to true lean practice yields significant improvement in financial performance -- and one place to start is by focusing…
Read article3 Go-To Ways for Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement Anywhere
To reach a state of endless continuous improvement, executives must lead the company in making a critical leap from management-driven…
Read articleBecoming – and Developing — More Effective Leaders
Bill MacPherson, managing director of Mercer Celgar, a division of Mercer International, shares how adopting hoshin kanri helps transform how…
View case studyHow Lean Thinking Improves Financial Results While Avoiding Traditional Cost Cutting
In July, Nick Katko and I presented a webinar for LEI called “How to Use Lean Accounting to Help Design…
Read article8 Steps to Radical Quality Improvement
An uncompromising quality improvement zealot shares a favorite method for radical quality advances, gleaned from decades of experience improving facilities…
Read articleContinually Improving the Strategic Planning and Execution Process
Bill MacPherson, managing director of Mercer Celgar, a division of Mercer International, describes how adopting hoshin kanri catalyzes and ensures…
Read articleCoach’s Corner: How To Put People First Using Lean Practices
A veteran lean product and process development coach explains what leaders must do to create a people-first culture.
Read articleHow Toyota Built its Culture Around the World
A new book takes a deep dive into a more effective way for senior leaders to manage talent to consistently…
Read articleBreaking the Cycle of Ineffective Strategic Planning and Execution
Bill MacPherson, managing director of Mercer Celgar, a division of Mercer International, describes why hoshin kanri is a better approach…
View case studyPeople-First Leadership: A Conversation Between Jim Morgan and Alan Mulally
Leading through challenging times means enhancing your work process and always looking to improve people's lives. Putting people first is…
Listen to podcastHow Lean Can Help You Go Green
How to use lean thinking and practices to create sustainable business practices.
Read articleWhy the Most Important Product Leaders Can Develop is Their Team
While new technology and innovative ideas may seem paramount to achieving development excellence, it's really the people within the teams…
Watch videoAsk Art: What Targets Should We Set When Launching a Lean Turnaround?
Here's why setting results-oriented targets instead of process-oriented targets will doom your lean improvement efforts, says Art Byrne.
Read articleWhat is Lean Leadership and How Do You Get it?
Jeff Liker, author of The Toyota Way, describes what organizations need to do to develop their leaders' lean leadership capabilities.
Read articleLeadership Lessons from Rivian: a Clip from WLEI
In a clip from one of our most popular podcasts, LEI President Josh Howell talks with electric car manufacturer Rivian's…
Watch videoLeading Lean in Finance at Turner Construction
A finance leader from the largest general builder in the United States explains the benefits of involving the accounting and…
Read articleHow Lean Thinking and Practice Helped Put Shots in Arms, Part 2: Wind-Down and Reflection
Four overarching operational lessons from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center's successful mass vaccination experience show how lean thinking…
Read articleAre You Doing the Work that You Really Should Be Doing?
E-mail has unquestionably changed the way that we all work. But were there missed opportunities and steps along the way?…
Listen to podcastCoach’s Corner: Designing the Entire Value Stream From Concept to Product End Life
Creating an environmentally-conscious value stream can be done with LPPD principles in mind. Just ask Katrina Appell, who explains how…
Read articleHow to Wipe Out IT’s “Technical Debt” with PDCA
Besides bonds, bank loans, and other types of corporate debt, your company also holds "technical debt," the burden of future…
Read articleHow to Use Lean Accounting to Help Design Profitable Value Streams
How establishing relevant financial metrics at the start of a new product or process development project helps create higher performance…
Watch videoCreate Profitable Value Streams
Why does lean product development focus on building profitable value streams? LEI Senior Advisor John Shook explains in this month's…
Read articleHow Lean Thinking and Practice Helped Put Shots in Arms, Part 1: Building the Process
Does lean thinking work during a crisis? An in-depth review of its contribution to the design and management of Ohio…
Read articleHow Designing Value Streams, Not Just Products, Creates Competitive Advantage
TechnipFMC and Pella Corporation leaders describe how lean development practices helped them develop better products, create profitable value streams and…
Watch videoThinking About Introducing A3 Problem-Solving? Think Twice if Leadership Isn’t Engaged
Your organization’s leadership doesn’t support introducing the A3 problem-solving process, but why not introduce it into your unit or area…
Read articleImagining A World Without Email with Cal Newport
A typical work day is already packed, but is there waste that can be removed? WLEI host Tom Ehrenfeld and…
Listen to podcastArt of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 8: Toyota Coaching Practices
Art describes some of the fundamental principles of Toyota coaching practices.
Watch videoAsk Art: Why Should I Convert to a Pull System?
Deliver more value to your customers by converting your business to a pull system and connecting demand directly to your…
Read article10 Golden Rules for Radical Quality Improvement
What you need to know and do to lead your team to make step-change improvements to quality.
Read articleWhy Creating Better Jobs and Improving Work Matters
How improving your work environment is vital to improved business outcomes.
Read articleHow Intertape Polymer Group Used Pilots and Parallel Systems to Learn and Implement Lean Accounting
IPG's director and VP of finance manufacturing share their disciplined strategy for adopting lean accounting and finance.
Read articleEnsuring Success of Hoshin Kanri – a Better Way to Plan and Execute Your Strategy
Logoplaste's global vice president of lean and strategy shares a few vital lessons, learned through experience, about a proven way…
View case studyArt of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 7: Dreyfus Model and the Stages of Learning
Art looks at another external framework in an effort to help shorten your lead times of learning, development, and problem-solving.
Watch videoCoach’s Corner: Why Your Development Plans and Obeya Practices Aren’t Working – and How to Fix Them
If your development plans and obeya practices aren't working, you're not alone. John Drogosz offers ways to get the most…
Read articleAddressing a Critical Problem in Strategic Planning and Execution
Logoplaste's global vice president of lean and strategy deployment describes the experience -- and benefits -- six months into its…
View case studyArt of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 6: Team-Building Tools and Practices
The storming phase of the Tuckman model of team formation can be tough to get out of, with Art Smalley…
Watch videoBringing Together People and Invention to Achieve Radically Great Quality
The latest book published by the Lean Global Network details the principles and practices that will help you radically improve…
Read articleContributor’s Corner: How Synchronizing Workflows Helped TechnipFMC Develop Its Latest Robot
Following the lean product and process development principles yields significant benefits. Just ask Scott Fulenwider and Hanna Schell as they…
Read articleCreating Better Jobs and Better Work: A Podcast with Sarah Kalloch and Josh Howell
Josh Howell of LEI and Sarah Kalloch of the Good Jobs Institute want to foster good work, as they discuss…
Listen to podcastHow Synchronizing Workflows Eliminates Waste in Development Processes
Two leaders share their secrets of effective value-stream mapping and synchronizing workflows.
Watch videoAsk Art: What Do You Look At in a “Pre-lean” Company?
Art Byrne identifies factors such as excess inventory and floor space, long turnaround times, and numerous other elements to study…
Read articleWhy You Need to Understand The Purpose of Purposeful Enterprise
Work with your team to articulate your purpose, as this shared statement will align the many aspects of your pragmatic…
Read articleWhy You Should Make Something Better, But Don’t Shoot For Perfection: A Clip From WLEI
Taking small, actionable steps will get you to your ideal state with great efficiency, according to Roger Martin in this…
Watch videoGetting Started with Lean Accounting
Before your organization gets started with lean accounting, the accounting function must first expand its thinking beyond transactions and into practices.…
Read articleLearning From The Sensei Way at Work
Seek perfection by cultivating a daily discipline of mindfulness, whether in lean practice or Buddhist training, writes John Shook in…
Read articleArt of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 5: Tuckman’s Model of Team Formation
Coaching teams is the topic of this fifth part of an ongoing series on coaching problem-solving by Art Smalley. He…
Watch videoAre You Making Good Products…by Making Good People?
The best way to hone your employees' technical skills and problem-solving chops is to challenge them to make the right…
Watch videoAre You Creating the Right Environment?
Turner Construction is working hard to develop the "right environment" in which productive lean inquiry is baked into the working…
Read articleHow Building in Learning and Knowledge Reuse Improves Product Development Success
Three leading practitioners share successful examples of how they built learning and knowledge reuse into their development process.
Watch videoHow to Save Time and Money in Innovation by Reusing Knowledge
Massive books of knowledge or huge lists weren’t very effective ways of getting the engineers he managed to reuse knowledge,…
Read articleCombat the Ninth Waste of Overthinking
Overthinking should be considered yet another form of waste that true lean practice can identify and eliminate, argues Dan Prock,…
Read articleExploring When More is Not Better with Roger Martin
How lean thinking could help address America's wealth and power gap.
Listen to podcastVideos from WLEI: Deep Dives on the Factory Floor with Cliff Ransom
Cliff Ransom walks through a factory with us, emphasizing how lean thinking improves the quality and efficiency of the work…
Watch videoEmbracing Standard Work in Lean Accounting: An Interview with Mark DeLuzio
How standard work catalyzes continuous improvement in lean accounting and finance -- and any other work area.
Read articleAsk Art: Why Switch from Batch to Lean?
Switching from batch production to a complete lean enterprise produces benefits far beyond immediate financial results, argues Art Byrne. Read…
Read articleLEI In the News: Leading Trade Journal Asks How Lean Principles Performed During the Pandemic
Lean management principles didn’t fail during the pandemic; some companies failed to execute them correctly, especially the practice of just-in-time…
Read articleA Spotlight on Leaders: What We Can Still Learn from Danaher and Wiremold
Watch Legendary lean pioneer Art Byrne, author of The Lean Turnaround and The Lean Turnaround Action Guide, in a lively…
Watch webinarLean Roundup: Hoshin Kanri As a Strategic Force
Hoshin kanri can support and vitalize your strategic vision as well as bolster your ongoing work, writes Tom Ehrenfeld in…
Read articleArt of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 4: Military Science and Leadership
Art takes a look at the military and their methods of teaching to see what lean can borrow, giving the…
Watch videoOnce Again, Here’s Why JIT Matters
Jeffrey Liker argues that recent media snipes fail to understand the crucial role JIT plays in a complete #lean system…
Read articleCoach’s Corner: Understanding the Value of a Concept Paper
The Concept Paper's integral role at Toyota homes in on the process, encouraging questions and deeper understandings along the way.
Read articleMultiply the Improvers in Your Organization Every Day
Be prepared to commit the time, patience and tenacity to unleash the power of improvement your organization, says Andrew Quibell.…
Read articleCan You Assess Your Way to Lean?
Using assessments to gauge process is both a flawed approach and potential trap, argues Jeff Liker. He suggests a broader…
Read articleHow Lean Thinking and Practice, Grounded in Purpose, Helped Drive Amazon’s Success
Marc Onetto shares his experiences in Amazon, underlining the importance of a customer-driven approach in times of heavy demand and…
Watch videoVisual Replenishment Delivers for Zingerman’s
How an online grocery business meets pandemic-related demand increases while maintaining a safe work environment.
Read articleFront-Load Your Design Process By Using Set-Based Design
Jeffrey Liker highlights the benefits of set-based design in this in-depth reflection of his time working in product development at…
Read articleAre You Narrowing Your Problems Down?
Rationality did not lay in higher reasoning powers, in visionary schemes, but in the ability to narrow down problems until…
Read articleCoach’s Corner: How to Design a Knowledge-Sharing System
Encouraging learning and knowledge reuse in your development process takes more than a system to capture it — you must…
Read articleContributor’s Corner: Learning With 10X Speed at US Synthetic
How rapid learning cycles helped the synthetic diamond manufacturer slash its idea-to-test turnaround time from 43 days to 4.5 days…
Read articleUnderstand Before You Execute
Leading practitioners share the benefits of understanding this principle of lean product and process development.
Watch videoUnderstanding the 4S Help Chain, Part 2: Lessons from NUMMI on How to Adapt the Model to Product Development
How do you create an andon signal for your product and process development process? Matt Zayko, a technical coach for…
Read articleWhat Problems Does The Gold Mine Challenge You to Address?
Learning begins with self-reflection, a process that can start with group reading and discussion of ideas from lean books. We…
Read articleUnderstanding the 4S Help Chain, Part 1: Lessons from NUMMI on How to Manage Work Disruptions
What are the four critical characteristics of an effective help chain? Matt Zayko, a technical coach for LEI's Lean Product…
Read articleDiving Deep to Discover the Value of Lean Companies with Cliff Ransom
The following conversation drills down into the lessons learned from looking at public companies through lean-colored glasses.
Listen to podcastWhat are the Three A’s of the A3?
John Shook explains the three A's of the A3 in this video clip from the presentation that he and Lisa…
Watch videoInsights and Advice from a Lean Accounting Leader
Why and how to get started integrating lean thinking and practice into accounting and finance at your organization.
Read articleHow Lean Start-ups Can Avoid Big Company Disease
SATPOS, a lean start-up in Norway specializing in positioning, sensing and monitoring solutions for the ocean is learning to remain…
Read articleLean Roundup: How Hoshin Kanri Creates a “Line of Sight”
Like anything that is essential to lean, one must understand how hoshin kanri works from the very detailed, elemental levels…
Read articleArt of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 3: Lessons From Martial Arts
In part three of his problem-solving series, Art takes on the techniques (kata) and ways (waza) behind martial arts, revealing…
Watch videoLean at Amazon.com: Reconciling Lean and High-Tech
Contrary to what some people think, adopting lean in a high-technology environment isn’t just possible; it’s essential. Just ask Marc…
Watch webinarHow the Study Phase Helps You Create More Value for Your Customers and Less Drama for Your Development Teams
A product development team volunteered to pilot applying lean product and process development principles -- and discovered how critical "understanding…
Read articleMeeting the 19-Billion-Dose Challenge
What does it take to meet the historic challenge of rapidly increasing the annual global vaccine capacity from 5 billion…
Read articleAsk Art: How Can I Ensure the Participation of Top Management?
Always keep in mind that to be successful with lean, senior management must drive the change, says lean veteran Art…
Read articleCreate Constancy of Purpose
Looking back on the admirable work of two lean leaders who established constancy of purpose, Jim Womack asks: what would…
Read articleLearning By Doing with Art Byrne
Art Byrne has the expertise of a lean executive and he's sharing more knowledge than ever in this clip from…
Watch videoIt’s Time to See JIT as A Hero Rather than A Villain
Lean and JIT production have never been the primary causes of materials in the world's supply chains reported over the…
Read articleCoach’s Corner: The Four Critical Elements of Collaboration
The building blocks of purpose, process, and more lead to effective collaboration, as Eric Ethington highlights these fundamental elements and…
Read article10 Principles for Lean Leadership
These ten simple yet powerful leadership principles developed by Isao Yoshino provide wise guidance for any lean practitioner seeking a…
Read articleForm A Bold Strategy for Uncertain Times
Jeff Liker shares a competing values model to help you assess your strategy and focus your operational practices on flawless…
Read articleArt of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 2: Lessons From NBA Coaches
In the second part of his series on problem-solving, Art Smalley gets a clean steal from the world of coaching…
Read articleSpring Spotlight: Creating the Purposeful Enterprise
Information and insights that explore the many facets of this fundamental lean concept. A compilation of the articles published as…
Read articleTransforming a Food Desert to Food Oasis—During a Pandemic
How a group of volunteers used lean thinking and practices to make things better in their community -- and overcome…
Read articleA Variety of Perspectives is Good For Your Products
The best product development teams attract, promote, and celebrate diversity of thought, asserts Kevin Nolan, president & CEO of GE…
Read articleHow Stalwart Lean Leadership and Classic Lean Practices Yield Operational and Clinical Excellence
Organizations can achieve the seemingly impossible when they have steadfast lean leadership, a sharp focus on purpose, and experience applying…
Read articleFight for Your Lean Team
Managers, supervisors and coaches should mindfully support the storming and norming that teams require in order to grow an existing…
Read articleDevelopment is a Team Sport
Experts and executives join Jim Morgan in explaining how collaboration is vital to new product, process, and services development. Plus,…
Watch videoWhy Hoshin Kanri is a Better Approach to Planning and Execution
Effective hoshin kanri builds on traditional strategy deployment by including key questions that conventional models fail to include, argues Pascal…
Read articleOnce More: What is Strategy Deployment, and Why Should You Care?
Strategy deployment helps keep lean practitioners focused on the prize—creating value for the customer, says Pascal Dennis in the foreword…
Read article3 Lessons Maersk Learned from Adopting Hoshin Kanri
Deploying hoshin kanri at Maersk was challenging, recounts Agne Nainyte, who shares the details of this work that helped the…
Read articleSeeking the Right Problems to Solve: Catch the WLEI Podcast with Author Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg
Learning how to frame your problem will help you solve it, suggests author Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg. He describes how in this…
Listen to podcastWhat’s Your Problem? Framing for Success with Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg on the WLEI Podcast
Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg makes a bold promise in his new book, What’s Your Problem? (Harvard Business Review Press, 2020.) He seeks…
Listen to podcastArt of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 1: Coaching Problem-Solving
Art Smalley is back and ready to teach all about problem-solving, this time with an emphasis on coaching. He starts…
Watch videoHow Wiremold Reinvented Itself Through Kaizen
Art Byrne shares a seminal 25-year-old article recounting how Wiremold tapped Kaizen to support a complete lean turnaround that continues…
Read articleReach for Your Mind Before Your Wallet
Josh Howell shares how the lean principle of reaching for your mind before your wallet can mitigate risk through careful…
Read articleReal Respect Feels Like Knowing You’ve Been Heard
Showing respect by actively listening to others--being present in mind and body, consciously attending to what is said, connecting with…
Read articleLean ‘n Food: Rethinking the Retail Food Industry
In this clip from a recent LEI Webinar, Haven Hot Chicken co-founder Etkin Tekin explains the process of working through…
Read articlePi Day: Exploring the Intersection of Science and Dessert
In recognition of Pi Day, think about how you might inspire future generations to pursue careers in science and technology…
Read articleBoost the Power of PDCA By Tackling the Challenge of Self-Awareness
While PDCA is the engine of lean discovery, argues Mike Orzen, building self-awareness into this scientific method truly unlocks the…
Read articleAchieve Your Deeper Goals Through Daily Work With Hoshin Kanri
Hoshin kanri is a living process of planning, testing ideas, adapting, and learning, says Jeff Liker, in which people work…
Read articleWhy We Believe Questions Accelerate Learning
The key to achieving better outcomes over time is to develop the vital skill of asking questions designed to spur…
Read articleHow To Fold a T-Shirt: TWI Job Instruction
In this updated video from the 2013 LEI archive, Josh Howell demonstrates and explains the Training Within Industry Job Instruction…
Watch videoAdopt a 5S Mindset to Sustain Your Lean Work
Focusing everyone on “housekeeping” is one of the most powerful mechanisms for empowering team members and driving sustainment of any…
Read articleHow to Breakdown a Complex Challenge for A3 Problem-solving
At some point, every lean practitioner struggles with a problem that seems too complex to put the problem statement, analysis,…
Read articleBad People or A Bad Process?
Standing in a nightmare of a line at the airport prompted Jim Womack to reflect on this problem, and conclude…
Read articleWhy Lean Thinkers Should Ground Their Work in Sustainability
There's a solid case for implementing green thinking just as there's one for implementing lean thinking. The challenge, but more…
Read articleSteady Work Shares Practical Ways to Create Quality Enterprise For All
Karen Gaudet's Steady Work is the story of a leader helping teams develop steady work to help them get through…
Read articleHow Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Teaching Embodies Lean Thinking
What can we learn about lean thinking from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Christopher D. Chapman explains.
Read articleExploring the Continued Relevance of Lean with Womack, Jones, Gaudet, and Others in a Best-of Podcast
The global pandemic coupled with profound structural economic shifts are two daunting challenges reinforcing the need for a powerful method…
Listen to podcastExploring the Continued Relevance of Lean, A Best of Podcast
Lean offers a powerful and productive approach to today's problems, both large and small. This "best-of" podcast featuring talks with…
Listen to podcastJidoka Supports Leaders Who Welcome Problems with John Shook
In this clip from last year's Virtual Learning Experience, LEI Senior Advisor John Shook explains the socio-technical system of Jidoka,…
Watch videoA Spotlight on Leaders: Re-Thinking the Retail Food Industry
Watch a discussion about the approaches used to design and develop Connecticut’s hottest new restaurant concept: Haven Hot Chicken. Their “minds before…
Watch webinarUnderstanding Customer Value: How Accounting Applies this Foundational Lean Concept to its Work
Putting the entire customer experience first in thinking, not just the transaction, is the Lean Accountant's goal, asserts Nick Katko…
Read articleAsk Art: What is the Walk of Shame, and Why Is It Effective?
Take your team on a walk of shame, urges lean veteran Art Byrne. He suggests that you have some fun…
Watch videoWhat’s Your Lean Origin Story? And Why Does It Matter?
I’m wondering, as a leader and a coach, how can I help others develop similar routines, propagating, for example, the…
Read articleCOACH’S CORNER: The 4 Critical Elements of Collaboration
Confronting a confounding but not uncommon problem when you're trying to collaborate.
Read articleHow Ford Built an Aligned Team Using ‘Matched Pairs’
Inside a winning strategy for Ford Motor Company's new product development process.
Read articleSelling Water by the River
The most important challenge facing the lean community is that of sustaining both tangible and intangible improvements, says Dan Prock,…
Read articleArt of Lean on Situational Leadership, Part 5: Being an Expert and the D4-S4 Quadrant
To wrap up, Art Smalley gives some lasting impressions and key takeaways from his segmented takes on Situational Leadership. From…
Watch videoWhy A3 Thinking is the Ideal Problem-Solving Method
How A3 Thinking helps you overcome the most challenging yet vital part of problem-solving, according to Lean Coach David Verble.
Read articleCooking Up Perfection With a Master Chef
Master chefs often practice elements of lean without any formal recognition of this, says Orry Fiume, citing the words and…
Read articleSix Lessons from the Hyper-Fast Design and Finished Construction of the Sherman Alternate Care Facility
The authors, an architect, and a regional lean manager, share the lean principles that enabled the delivery of both the…
Read articleArt of Lean on Situational Leadership, Part 4: Supportive Style, from Basketball to Toyota
Part four continues the series' trajectory of further contextualizing situational leadership and lean thinking. By picking personal examples from his…
Watch videoShow Respect by Exploring Problems With Your Workers
I trust that all of us want to show respect for people, writes Jim Womack, adding: The challenge for those…
Read articleUse Jidoka to Avoid Death by 1000 Cuts
I’ve learned from experience the need for tech teams to adopt jidoka as a basic design consideration: getting it 100%…
Read articleTwo Giants, Two Communities, One Lasting Thing
In this graceful elegy of the impact of two pioneers who recently passed away, John Shook says: "Ezra and Norm…
Read articleArt of Lean on Situational Leadership, Part 3: D2-S2 and Coaching
Part two saw Art Smalley discussing Toyota, Taiichi Ohno, and more examples of situational leadership being exemplified in real-time. This…
Watch videoLead With Respect Shares Tangible Practices That Develop Others, Says Author Michael Balle
Michael and Freddy Balle's book Lead With Respect portrays on-the-job behaviors of lean leaders which can be learned through practice. Michael explains…
Read article6 Insights on How to Show Respect for People: A Lean Post Roundup
Practicing respect in a lean environment requires both a general mindset committed to the practice and constant daily actions grounded…
Read articleDiving Deeper into The Toyota Way with Jeff Liker
Professor Jeffrey Liker’s The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles From the World’s Greatest Manufacturer has proved to be one of…
Listen to podcastDiving Deeper into the Toyota Way: A Podcast with Jeff Liker
Professor Jeff Liker discusses the new, second edition of his classic book The Toyota Way on WLEI, the LEI podcast.
Listen to podcastLeveraging Strategy Deployment to Effectively Respond to the Unexpected
How Hoshin Kanri Builds Organizational Resilience.
Watch webinarArt of Lean on Situational Leadership, Part 2: Toyota, Taiichi, and TWI Job Instruction
After the introduction to what situational leadership actually is, Art Smalley returns to run through some examples as to how…
Watch videoImplementing Lean Accounting in a Publicly Traded Company
Learn how this multi-plant, multinational publicly traded company in the packaging industry embarked on its lean accounting transformation journey. Then,…
Read articleWhy it’s Better to Focus on Value, Not Waste
Learn the benefits of shifting your focus from eliminating waste to increasing value, along with two of the best value-creating…
Read articleMake Using Lean Thinking to Help Solve Societal Problems Your New Year’s Resolution
The nation needs lean thinkers and practitioners to apply their problem-solving prowess to address issues of national concern.
Read articleAsk Art: Why Are Leaps of Faith Involved in a Lean Turnaround?
Leaps of faith are not incidental associations with a lean turnaround; they are a basic requirement, argues lean veteran Art…
Read articlePlanning the Purposeful Turnaround
The capability to repurpose, and then to redesign and retool, is critically important in these challenging times, says Josh Howell,…
Read articleHow the Hoshin Kanri Process Coupled with Coaching Drives Lean Transformation, Part 2
Discover how a coach can help leaders execute a successful organizational transformation using the hoshin kanri process.
Read articleLet’s Celebrate Work
Is your work meaningful or menial? LEI Senior Advisor John Shook challenges us to aim to make all work meaningful…
Read articleTips for Following Through on Improvement Plan Execution
There is a critical difference between follow-through and follow-up during the A3 problem-solving process as David Verble, a veteran lean…
Read articleHow to Engage Everyone to Create a “Continuous Innovation Machine”
In a presentation to hundreds of engineers at a Fortune 100 manufacturer, Jim Morgan, an engineering PhD and former product…
Read articleDevelop Your People Patiently Rather Than Rely on Super Taylorism
Lean starts with quality, argue the authors, who note that by worrying about and improving quality, we are also reducing…
Read articleLooking at 5 Easy Steps to Simplify the A3 Process
Taking on an A3 can be daunting, and Eric Ethington is here to remind you that this is normal but…
Read articleHow Cascading A3s Deploy Responsibility to Think as Well as Assign KPIs
During a recent virtual workshop on how to use the A3 problem-solving methodology, a CEO asked how to cascade A3s…
Read articleHow the Hoshin Kanri Process Coupled with Coaching Drives Lean Transformation, Part 1
A veteran coach shares a few intangible truths you'll need to know to execute an organizational transformation using hoshin kanri.
Read articleStandardized Work is a Goal To Work Toward, Not a Tool to Implement
Standardized work can be an ugly thing in the hands of control-oriented bureaucrats and a beautiful thing when it enables…
Read articleHow Lean is Apple?
Apple may not worship at the altar of lean, but a close look at its operations and strategy show clear…
Read articleTaking Time for a Year-End Reflection with the Most Popular Lean Articles, Podcasts, and Videos of 2020
This year's content featured plenty of guests, returns from lean legends, and handfuls of ways that lean has been applicable…
Read articleHow to Optimize the Use of Staff Skills and Time by Making Capacity Visible: An Example from Accounting
Learn how a Finance and Accounting team used lean thinking to make capacity visible, which, in turn, helped it better…
Read articleRemembering Norman Bodek, the “Miraculous Life” of an Author, Teacher, and Publisher of Groundbreaking Business Books
Called “Mr. Productivity” and the “Godfather of Lean,” Norman Bodek began 41 years ago translating and publishing groundbreaking books by…
Read articleLean-n-Food: Reimagining an Industry in Crisis
What is a restaurant in the post-pandemic world? LEI's Karen Gaudet and Josh Howell are exploring this and other questions…
Read articleThe Lives of Your Grandchildren Depend on Innovating New Healthcare Models
Renowned healthcare transformation experts examine what it will take to reinvent healthcare models through innovation and propose a new process…
Read articleArt of Lean on Work & Waste, Part 8: Processing
Understand the two aspects of the waste that requires a careful understanding of customer requirements. Watch the final part of…
Watch videoImprove Continuously by Mastering the Lean Kata
Lean is about learning, say Rose Heathcote and Daryl Powell. Learning to find real problems, learning to face the limits…
Read articleHow to Make Your Planning Process More Effective
Learn why Toyota's planning process is much more effective than traditional approaches used by North American companies. David Verble shares…
Read articleAre You Deploying Lean Mechanistically–or Organically?
Toyota operates on a complete system based on organic rather than mechanistic principles, argues Jeff Liker, who delineates the advantages…
Read articleArt of Lean on Work & Waste, Part 7: Defects
Though he's calling the waste of defects the sixth waste in this series, Art Smalley, president of Art of Lean,…
Read articleWho Cares? How to Engage Your People in Sustained Lean
If we want people to adopt lean practices because they will then be able to be more effective at work,…
Read articleI am the Violin, or, Mastery through Doing
Developing lean vision, lean mastery, is hard work says Orry Fiume, who compare this learning journey to a childhood prodigy…
Read articleCRIISSP: The Lean Route to a Superior Stock Market Valuation
Long-term lean thinker and investment guru Cliff Ransom shares a seven-letter acronym, CRIISSP, to help identify the key (and most…
Read articleHow Can Lean Affect Shareholder Value?
Lean can help challenge assumptions and surface opinions that ultimately improve shareholder value, argues Michael Balle.
Read articleFundamentals Redux–An Appreciation of Kaizen Express
Kaizen Express is the expression of an approach to kaizen that is at once a return to basics while at…
Read articleWhy We Believe Micromanagement is Worth A Deeper Conversation
The Lean Sensei Women explore how poorly-focused micromanagement destroys trust--while well-placed micromanagement supports Lean fundamentals and delivers exceptional results.
Read articleAvoiding Lean ‘Flatlining’: A Podcast with Mark Deluzio, Art Byrne, and Jim Womack
Mark Deluzio, lean consultant, practitioner, and author of Flatlined, discusses enduring challenges with Art Byrne and Jim Womack on this…
Listen to podcastMaking Lean Stick: A Podcast Conversation with Mark Deluzio, Art Byrne, and Jim Womack
The long-term success of companies like Danaher, Fortive, Herman Miller, Parker Hannifin and many others, have all validated the power…
Listen to podcastWhy Lean Is the Strategy We Need For Today’s World
In a recent Lean Post article, Peter Ward noted that “lean is not a strategy per se but can be…
Read articleCreating a Learning and Improvement Environment in a Virtual World
Mount Sinai Health System Shares its Approach to Adapting Quickly to New Realities.
Watch webinarDebunking the ‘Time Drives Costs’ Myth with Lean Financial Thinking
Learn why you must stop allocating costs based on time--and how lean financial thinking and practice gives you a more…
Read articleAsk Art: The Benefits of Kaizen Learning vs. Traditional Problem-Solving
Kaizen is for learning and doing, says Art Byrne, who points out the benefits of this "learn-by-doing" approach over traditional…
Read articleLean WX – An Rx for Making Things Better
As someone whose understanding of lean/TPS grew exponentially by working on the line, Josh Howell encourages every would-be lean enterprise…
Read articleNavigating a Lean Quality 4.0 Road Map
Lean thinking and practice has a great deal to offer when it comes to adjusting to Industry 4.0, and in…
Read articleArt of Lean on Work & Waste, Part 6: Waiting
Learn how to spot what Art Smalley, president of Art of Lean, Incorporated, thinks is the most annoying form of…
Read articleWhat’s Needed to Ensure a Successful Lean Transformation
Learn what works--and what doesn't--in driving your lean transformation. LEI Senior Advisors Jim Womack and Jim Morgan share top-line learning…
Read articleLean Product & Process Development Guiding Principles At-A-Glance
An infographic summarizes the six guiding principles of lean product and process development.
Read articleThe 6 Guiding Principles of Lean Product and Process Development
Learn the six guiding principles of Lean Product and Process Development and how they can help your organization accelerate the…
Watch videoArt of Lean on Work & Waste, Part 5: Motion
Watch this quick tutorial about how to see the waste of motion in your work, from Art Smalley, president of…
Watch videoHow Pall Corporation Accelerated the Covid-19 Vaccine Process Development using Lean Thinking and Practice
Learn how Pall Corp developed and deployed a full manufacturing process in eight weeks – an 80% reduction compared to…
Read articleHow Lean is Amazon?
Amazon has tapped lean principles and practices in its inexorable rise to becoming the world's largest retailer, notes Tom Ehrenfeld.…
Read articleAre Lean Thinking and Practice Business Strategies?
Explore the nuances of leadership and strategy with Lean Enterprise Institute Chairman Peter Ward.
Read articlePractical Approaches for Making Innovation an Enterprise-Wide Activity
Jim Morgan tells an interviewer how to make innovation an enterprise-wide endeavor, based on his years of experience as a…
Read articleArt of Lean on Work & Waste, Part 4: Excess Conveyance
Part four of eight. Watch the others: Part one, A Focus on Muda Part two, Overproduction Part three, Excess Inventory Part five, Motion Part…
Watch videoWhat Finance Teams Can Learn from the Lean Practice of ‘Go See, Ask Why, Show Respect,’ – Part 2
A "lean accounting" coach illustrates what "go see, ask why, and show respect" means for Finance and Accounting professionals.
Read articleBecoming the Change: New Leadership Behavior Strategies for Continuous Improvement in Healthcare
To successfully lead an organizational transformation, you and other leaders must embark on your own personal transformation. The challenge for…
Watch webinarThe Deeper Purpose of Problem-Solving
Why problem-solving in a lean setting is a unique opportunity to think about how we think and develop expertise where…
Read articleLearning to Lead, Leading to Learn: A Podcast with Katie Anderson and Isao Yoshino
Join us for this WLEI podcast with Katie Anderson and Mr. Isao Yoshino on his experiences with Toyota that formed…
Listen to podcastArt of Lean on Work & Waste, Part 3: Excess Inventory
Take a closer look at the various types of inventory, with an eye toward identifying waste, with your guide, Art…
Watch videoUsing Lean Thinking to Accelerate Decision-Making
Learn how flattening the decision tree enabled The Boldt Company to pivot quickly to keep essential job sites functioning and…
Read articleAsk Art: What Role does Human Resources Play in a Lean Turnaround?
Although you shouldn’t expect HR to lead the kaizen effort or set up extensive training programs, there is still plenty…
Read articleTurn to Lean To Tackle the Problems You Want to Solve Right Now
Lean thinking and practice is hard, says LEI President Josh Howell; noting that it's well worth the effort for those…
Read articleAvoid the Costly Work of Rework
Customers care only for the product or service they receive, says Rose Heathcote. They're not interested in how much effort…
Read articleArt of Lean on Work & Waste, Part 2: Overproduction
Take a closer look at and gain an in-depth understanding of the waste overproduction with Art of Lean, Incorporated President…
Watch videoWhat Finance Teams Can Learn from the Lean Practice of ‘Go See, Ask Why, Show Respect’ – Part 1
Join a "lean accounting" coach as he recounts several gemba walks with Finance and Accounting leaders and shares their "ah-ha"…
Read articleThe Digital Storm and the End of Old You with CI&T
A virtual lean learning experience featuring CI&T.
Watch webinar“It’s Only A Failure If You Don’t Learn”
"It's only a failure if you don't learn" says Toyota veteran Isao Yoshino, whose experience developing an ultimately failed water-ski…
Read articleEncountering Problems and Resistance
The doctor entered with a comforting bedside manner. We small talked. She asked about my work and I answered, in short. “Lean? You mean that Toyota thing?” In spite…
Read articleNever Fail…To Create the Conditions for People to be Successful
In this excerpt from Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn, Katie Anderson shares the story of how Isao Yoshino learned…
Read articleTurn To Lean in Times of Crisis
Lean thinkers need new tools and new mindsets to face today's daunting challenges, argues Jim Womack, who shares examples of…
Read articleArt of Lean on Work & Waste, Part 1: A Focus on Muda
Take a deeper dive into muda, or waste, and learn the difference between pure and incidental waste. Art Smalley, president…
Watch videoApplying Lean Thinking and Practice to Systemic Racism, Part 2 of 2
To create anti-racist organizations to fit, value, and respect all people, leaders should step forward with a sound vision framed…
Read articleUsing the Logic of Lean Thinking to Combat Racism, Part 1 of 2
To create new anti-racist organizations, leaders need to fully embrace the five principles of lean: value vs. waste, value stream,…
Read articleHow Can Lean Fit Into Industry 4.0?
Lean thinkers should never become slaves to technology, says Andrew Quibell, who sketches out ways to reflect on how lean…
Read articleBoosting Organizational Resilience Through Jidoka
Jidoka enables operators to build in quality into the production process--and forms a foundation of stability helping a company respond…
Read articleThe Art of Lean: An Introduction to Muda, Mura, and Muri
Take a closer look at the concepts of muda, mura, and muri and learn why you have to consider all…
Watch videoAlign Your Continuous Improvement Efforts: Practical Tips from 4 CEOs in 4 Major Business Sectors
Four CEOs who are leading lean management voices in the critical economic sectors of manufacturing, supply chain, healthcare, and education,…
Read articleThe Role of Lean Product and Process Development in Building the Lean Enterprise
A distinguished group of lean leaders discusses the role of Lean Product and Process Development in building the lean enterprise…
Read articleThe Power of Personal Yokoten
Personal yokoten to teach new mindsets and attitudes is an activity all of us can perform out in the world…
Read articleBecoming the Change: Talking Healthcare Transformation with Kim Barnas and John Toussaint on the WLEI Podcast
In this WLEI podcast, Becoming the Change authors Kim Barnas and John Toussaint discuss the personal challenges facing healthcare leaders…
Listen to podcastBecoming the Change with John Toussaint and Kim Barnas
Lean has always promised great improvements for health care providers, but has there been a personal element that has been…
Listen to podcastChanging the Way New Value is Created with Lean Product and Process Development
Learn the six guiding principles of LPPD and why they are critical to successful new product, process, and service development.
Read articleLean Lessons from Cobra Kai(zen) and the Karate Kid
The unexpected wake-up call of the modest perfection of the original Karate Kid movie was that we need to move…
Read articleMining the Lessons From Designing the Future
Designing the Future shares a wealth of insights that transcend product development minutiae; this articles shares the broader argument presented…
Read articleNew Book, Becoming the Change, Shows that Real Organizational Change Is Personal
Learn the cause of and cure for healthcare improvements that relapse to the old ways of working. Kim Barnes, Catalysis…
Read articleThe Power of Yokoten
I’ve written a lot about yokoten in recent years – the practice of spreading good (lean) ideas horizontally between and…
Read articleBuilding People-Focused Problem-Solving Capacity
While Lean promises robust solutions to the most pressing of problems, it’s core promise offers something even more enduring: the…
Read articleLean Thinking’s Past, Present, and Future: A Q&A Roundtable with Jim Womack and Jim Morgan
To close each week of the Lean Enterprise Institute's Virtual Lean Learning Experience 2020 (VLX), we bring together the week's…
Watch videoAsk Art: What Was Danaher Like In the Early Days of Lean?
In this personal account of launching lean at Danaher, Art Byrne shares a wealth of insights into how to seed…
Read articleLean Management Leaders Weigh in on Climate Change, Coronavirus, Innovation, and More
Jim Womack, founding CEO of the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), and Jim Morgan, an experienced product development executive, explained…
Read articleThe Hidden Value of Filling Out the Paperwork
Respect for people--and sustained continuous improvement--begins with something as simple as carefully filling out the paperwork for standardized work, says…
Read articleView Crises as Manageable Challenges Through Steady Lean Leadership
If you are using lean to tackle a series of crises, you may not be using lean in the first…
Read articleThe Second P in LPPD: Why the Future is About Lean Product and Process Development
Jim Womack, speaking at the Designing the Future summit in 2019, describes the thinking behind lean product and process development…
Read articleHow the Coloplast Parts Distribution Center Reduced its Process Lead Time
How the Coloplast Parts Distribution Center in Tatabanya, Hungary, reduced its process lead time from 3 to 14 days to…
Watch videoTap the Power of Flow to Develop Lean Thinkers
Flow is personal--a moment of enrichment, and a mental state. It´s stretching oneself just that little bit extra, not because…
Read articleNo Standard, No Problem? Not Really. It’s a Big Problem
Learn why the A3 is more than a problem-solving tool, and why it's critical to leading change.
Read articleHow Respect for People Animates the Lean Spirit
Practicing respect is an animating force of lean leadership that colors how one coaches and develops people. This roundup of…
Read articleThe Art of Lean: Use These Tools to Help You Improve a Process, Part 2
Take a closer look into this four-step approach that will help you "pinpoint the tricky parts" of a process as…
Watch videoJim Womack Shares a Future-Focused Reflection on ‘Machine’
Jim Womack shares a future-focused, humble reflection of the groundbreaking book he co-authored with Daniel T. Jones and Daniel Roos,…
Read articleHow Menlo’s Virtual Teams Are Lighting the Way Forward
While Menlo Software continues to adjust to the never-ending changes caused by COVID-19, founder Rich Sheridan takes solace that they…
Read articleProduct Development Lessons from a Global Pandemic
How a Lean Product & Process Development (LPPD) approach would accelerate a Covid-19 vaccine.
Read articleLEI Responds to The Wall Street Journal’s Mischaracterization of Just-in-Time
LEI's response to the August 21 Wall Street Journal article that mischaracterized Just-in-TIme.
Read articleHow to Build Resilience Through Sustained Lean Practice
As the upcoming virtual lean learning experience shows, lean thrives when the individuals using this learning and improvement method leverage…
Read articleLean Enterprise Institute Responds to The Wall Street Journal’s Mischaracterization of Just-in-Time
A message from LEI to the Lean Community
Read articleUnderstanding Lean Product and Process Development: An LEI Explainer Video
Learn what Lean Product & Process Development (LPPD) is, why it's critical in developing successful value streams, why companies struggle…
Watch videoExploring the Advantages of Online Learning
Learn how LEI is tapping into lean ways of learning and leveraging the latest learning technologies in the design of…
Read articleEnduring Lessons from The Birth of Lean
Lean was never conceived as a new and comprehensive system designed to replace conventional enterprise. Rather, as shown in The…
Read articleGrowing from a Tactical Practitioner to a Strategic Thinker
One helpful way to move from being a tactical leader to a strategic one is to suggest that a better…
Read articleTapping Technology to Boost the Power of Lean: A Talk with Jeff Liker and Jim Morgan
What principles should guide lean thinkers as they introduce digital tools into their work? How about people, processes, and purpose,…
Read articleWhen the Toyota Way Meets Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 is not a disruptive force that makes TPS irrelevant, but rather can be an enabler that builds on…
Read articleThe Art of Lean: Use These Tools to Help You Improve a Process, Part 1
Learn about this four-step approach that will help you “pinpoint the tricky parts” of a process as you work to…
Watch videoWhy You Should Link Your Hoshin Kanri and A3 Management Processes
An organization that integrates a robust long-term-oriented strategy deployment process with a daily management process achieves greater performance gains than…
Watch webinarDueling Methods: 8D and A3
One of the scores of questions sent in by attendees at our recent webinar on the A3 problem-solving process was…
Read articleAsk Art: Why Implement Lean During A Pandemic?
Implementing lean during this pandemic will allow many more companies to emerge from this economic crisis in far better shape…
Read articleChanging Routines
In this article exploring ways to help lead positive change, Josh Howell asks: is pursuing understanding and conviction part of…
Read articleHow to Develop Healthy Habits for Mindful Coaching
Powerful lean coaches help others create productive habits that over time produce a type of "muscle memory" that forms a…
Read articleA Radical Redesign of Making Crudito — and All Restaurant Kitchens
Using animations of a few basic continuous improvement tools, Matt Savas, a team leader at the Lean Enterprise Institute and…
Watch videoBeware the Comforts of Waste
After a major move, lean thinker Rose Heathcote reflected that with lean thinking comes the responsibility to look inward at…
Read articleHow Using Kanban Builds Trust
Kanban functions as a trust machine because everyone using it must understand what they have to do and why, says…
Read articleHow a Lean Quoting Process Helps You Capture High-Value Opportunities, Part 3
Setting up a Daily Opportunity Review Board helps your company strategically respond to high-value customer inquiries.
Read articleBeyond ‘Linear’ Intelligence: Learning Lean Through Shared Experiments and Improvements
Learning entails far more than a linear set of directions from one person to another, argues LEI's Masia Goodman, who…
Read articleHow the A3 Process Developed to Help Build Better Managers, Part Two
In this second of two articles, Isao Yoshino and John Shook explore how A3 emerged as powerful practice at Toyota…
Read articleHow the A3 Process Developed to Help Build Better Managers
One of the hallmarks of a successfully executed A3 process is that it is a collaborative activity--a learning process for…
Read articlePDCA Is Really CA-PDCA — and It’s the CA that Makes the PD Work
Why Grasping the Actual Conditions (firsthand as an automatic practice) at the beginning, during, and after a problem-solving effort is…
Read articleWhat You Will Learn by Reflecting on Your Organization’s Work-at-Home Experience
Reflecting on your work-from-home experience promises to provide needed insights about knowledge work and the routine work that accompanies it—both…
Read articleLearning the Hard and Soft Skills of Lean Coaching
While lean is often associated with process improvement, error reduction, and greater efficiency in a wide range of numbers; most…
Read articleBuilding the Enabling Bureaucracy
A conversation with RJ Scaringe about creating the "Rivian Way."
Watch videoWhy You Should Link Hoshin Kanri with A3 Problem-Solving
With A3 tightly linked to hoshin, an organization will not only solve problems but also will have the opportunity to…
Read articleKeeping the “Day One” Spirit Alive
Building in a cadence of gemba walks helps nurture the vital "day one" startup spirit as a company grows, says…
Read articleMaking Your Work Work in the First 90 Days
In your first 90 days as a lean leader, what path will you take to support transformation? Andrew Quibell details…
Read article5 Guiding Principles to Accelerate Your Lean Transformation
Chief architects for lean transformation have been seeking effective ways of realizing tangible gains for years, says Senior Coach Alice…
Read article5 Guiding Principles for Tailoring a Path to Lean Transformation
Learn from top healthcare leaders who are transforming their organizations through lean thinking and practice.
Listen to podcastQuick and Practical Tips for Effective Virtual Process Mapping
In the wake of new lockdowns to halt the spread of the coronavirus, companies need ways for home-based team members…
Read articleOur Burning Platform and Using the 5 Whys to Think More Deeply about Corrective Action
A call to action: As lean thinkers, we should join with our diversity, equity, and inclusion experts to help transform…
Read articleHow A Complete Lean Production System Fuels Global Success
In this article prepared for the 2007 relaunch of the seminal book The Machine that Changed the World, co-author Jim…
Read articleBeing ‘Right’ is Not Enough
All of us have problem-solving experiences to reflect on and learn from. And what better time to draw out that…
Read articleLearn by Doing: Overcoming Inertia and Triggering Engagement Through Kaizen
Practicing daily kaizen powerfully drives the heart of any serious lean effort to learn and improve, a topic that will…
Read articleBeyond Problem-Solving: Other Facets of the A3 Process You Should Know and Practice
If you or your team think the A3 process is only a problem-solving tool, think again. “There is a lot…
Watch webinarLean Accounting is about Respect for People
The author recalls his first experience in learning first-hand the importance of providing easily understandable information to the people who…
Read articleAsk Art: Why Do Most Companies Think Of Lean as Just a Cost Reduction Program?
We shouldn’t be surprised at all that most companies approach lean as a cost reduction program, when it really is…
Read articleThe Real Secret to Success with the A3 Process: It is as Much a Social Process as a Technical Problem-solving One
Part one of a seven-part series. Learn how the A3 process is about more than problem-solving, along with the other…
Read articleHow Lean Experts Create a Pipeline for Leadership Talent
Developing a pipeline for diverse leadership talent is a key principle for leading companies--and the topic of a session led…
Read articleThe Art of Lean: Must-Knows for Coaching the Corrective-Action Phase of Problem-Solving, Part 2
Part 2 of 2. Building from part 1, Art further explains the A.D.P. methodology by exploring how it applies to…
Watch videoCreating a Lean Quoting Process to Support Your Lean Transformation, Part 2
When you view your lean transformation as a growth strategy, you’ll want to develop a lean quoting process that responds…
Read articleLessons Shared On Learning to Lead; and Leading to Learn
In her new book, Katie Anderson argues that, "being a leader means clearly defining a challenge or target for your…
Read articleLean in Lean Thinkers to Root Out Racial Inequity
A lean leader calls on other lean thinkers to leverage humble inquiry and other problem-solving tools to eradicate the waste…
Read articleWhy Product Focus is Customer Focus
How can you know your entire organization is aligned around delivering best in class value to your customer? Your product…
Read articleThe Art of Lean: Must-Knows for Coaching the Corrective-Action Phase of Problem-Solving, Part 1
Art Smalley, president of Art of Lean, Inc., shares a problem-solving coaching tip that he developed and likes to use…
Watch videoLean Roundup: Hoshin Kanri
Hoshin Kanri, described as "a management system that allows the organization to quickly and effectively adjust its priorities while engaging…
Read articleWhy We Believe Tough Times and Opportunity Go Hand in Hand
In this detailed set of suggestions for managing the current challenges posed by Covid-19, Rose Heathcote and the Lean Sensei…
Read articleUsing Lean Thinking to Create an “Emergency Management System”
The Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC) demonstrates how one organization with scarce resources can respond to a problem as daunting…
Read article“Too much, Too early” and other Common Pitfalls of Lean Product Development
Veteran product development coaches Eric Ethington and Matt Zayko provide insights about the most common mistakes they see companies make…
Watch videoLearning to Face Challenges with Agility and Resilience
In this excerpt from his book The High-Velocity Edge, Steven Spear explains how Toyota managed to adapt quickly to a…
Read articleThe Post-COVID-19 Reboot: Safe, Smart Steps for Restarting Production
GE Appliances and Herman Miller share lessons learned on opening manufacturing operations during the Covid-19 crisis. They share how their companies with…
Watch webinarMaking Pivots Operational
Learn how NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) hospital (NYP) pivoted to meet crisis-level demands at the epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic -- thanks…
Read articleUsing Lean Thinking to Resume Work Safely during the Covid-19 Pandemic
As LEI's webinar on "safe, smart steps for restarting production" approaches this week, here's a handful of articles about companies…
Read articleWhat I Learned by Coaching at the Gemba Virtually
Lean Coach Mark Reich shares an example of how lean thinking is itself continually renewed, as leading practitioners use it…
Read articleWhy Managing Emotions at Work Matters
True effectiveness in the workplace – innovation, change, enhanced customer experience - requires an acknowledgement of how emotions interface with…
Read articleHow to Fail At Lean in Four Easy Steps
Nobody wants to fail at lean, to be sure. Author Regis Medina calls our four surefire ways to achieve this…
Read articleHow to A3: Resources for Developing Structured Problem-Solving and Leadership Skills
As LEI prepares its next course on Managing to Learn, here's a popular article rounding up a wealth of resources…
Read articleAsk Art: Why Does Setup Time Reduction Matter So Much?
Setup reduction is a necessary step to go from traditional management to lean--or said another way, from batch to flow…
Read articleHow to Conduct a Virtual Kaizen Event: Some Ideas from the #LeanCommunity
Over 800 lean practitioners have joined and are sharing best practices and ideas on the LEI #LeanCommunity on Slack.
Read articleNow is the Time for Resilience and Adaptability!
People and organizations can create the conditions for building their own resilience by drawing from TPS, the Thinking People System,…
Read articleWhy a Lean Transformation Requires a New Quoting Process, Part 1
How to ensure your lean transformation leads to improved profitability.
Read articleHow to Ensure the Safety of Hospital Staff During the Pandemic
In the seventh and final post of a seven-part series, the Global Lean Healthcare Initiative focuses on keeping staff safe.
Read articleHow to Develop and Execute New Strategies for the New Era in Business
These times demand a new way of looking at business strategy because the way we worked before the pandemic probably…
Watch webinarHow Lean Helps During Economic Downturns: Lessons from the Past
John retells a quick history lesson about the birth of Toyota’s powerful way of working as it emerged from its…
Read articleSearching for a Path Toward Healing
Dr. Kiame Mahaniah, the CEO of Lynn Community Health Center, shares the message he wrote to his staff about finding…
Read articleExploring the Technical and Nontechnical Challenges of Being a Chief Engineer, a Candid Conversation with Two CEs (Part 2)
Chief engineers typically have strong technical skills to effectively lead and manage the work of engineers, designers, and other developers.…
Watch videoBook Review: Learning to Scale, a “Practical Field Guide” to Lean Growth
In his new book Learning to Scale, author Regis Medina has "successfully translated each concept of the TPS and lean…
Read articleHow NOT to Jump to Solutions When Facing A Problem
Dan Markovitz argues that productive leaders solve problems by leveraging a deep understanding of the facts, buffering them from the…
Read articleHow to Ensure Your Hospital’s Capacity in a Crisis
More tips from the Global Lean Healthcare Initiative that show how hospitals can address a surge in the number of…
Read articlePivoting Just-In-Time with Hoshin Kanri at Toyota
Learn about the power of hoshin kanri, a systematic approach to defining a strategy and, more importantly, a management system…
Read articleExploring the Technical and Nontechnical Challenges of Being a Chief Engineer, A Candid Conversation with Two CEs (Part 1)
Chief engineers typically have strong technical skills to effectively lead and manage the work of engineers, designers, and other developers.…
Watch videoExploring the Technical and Nontechnical Challenges of Being a Chief Engineer, A Candid Conversation with Two CEs
Chief engineers typically have strong technical skills to effectively lead and manage the work of engineers, designers, and other developers.…
Read articleHow to Show Respect During a Pandemic
Lean Coach Katrina Appell shares how to use Maslow's hierarchy of needs to clarify how to show respect for people…
Read articleWhy Good Lean Detectives Visit the Crime Scene
You can't solve a problem with data alone, says Dan Markovitz. He urges you to go to the "crime scene,"…
Read articleHow to Build Skills Fast with a People-Development Plan
A Lean Global Network team of lean practitioners and coaches shares a set of lean healthcare tips hospitals can use…
Read articleDon’t Just Go Back–Go Forward…With Kindness and A Little Creativity!
As we all grapple with ongoing changes imposed by the Covid-19 virus, we have reflected deeply, and humbly share the…
Read articleFive Revolutions Into the Lean Journey: What’s Next?
The current pandemic serves as an opportunity for us to rethink the world of enterprise (and more), says Dan Jones.…
Read articleAsk Art: Does Lean Really Work Beyond Manufacturing?
Lean certainly applies beyond manufacturing, explains Art Byrne, who shares the dramatic gains at a life insurance company as a…
Read articleKeep Calm and Manage Stably: Akio Toyoda’s Response to Crisis
When we read the Bloomberg article Lockdown Leads Toyota Chief to Question Core Tenet for Carmaker, we were surprised, even a…
Read articleHow Short, Structured Communication Cycles Help Hospitals Solve Problems, Offer Support to Staff
The Global Lean Healthcare Initiative shares the seven key lean practices -- each with a set of actionable tips --…
Read articleSolutions from Afar
A leader's job isn't to provide solutions to problems; it's to teach and coach their staff to solve problems themselves--at…
Read articleCombat Isolation with Productivity by Using PDCA for Effective Meetings, part two of two
How to run a productive meeting, the Toyota Way
Read articleCombat Isolation with Productivity by Using HoRenSo – A Communication Structure that Engages People, part one of two
How to make your meetings more productive, the Toyota Way.
Read articleCreating Standardized Work to Ensure Safety, Quality, and Efficiency
A Lean Global Network team of lean practitioners and coaches shares a set of lean healthcare tips hospitals can use…
Read articleAn Accountant’s Guide to Understanding Lean Accounting
I think one of the difficulties accountants face in understanding Lean Accounting is that we are trained to be “doers”…
Read articleReimagining restaurants after Covid-19
The future has never looked more uncertain for restaurants and cafes. The authors share a set of practical lean tips…
Read articlePursuing Dreams, Facing Reality
In this letter shared to his fellow Menloians, Rich Sheridan acknowledges the new reality they all must fact, and commits…
Read articleThe Sanity of Just-in-Time
Path dependence is the worst enemy of smart resolution, argue the authors, who suggest greater "frame control" with enabling tools…
Read articleHow Hospitals are Leveraging Visual Management in the Battle Against Covid-19
A Lean Global Network team of lean practitioners and coaches shares a set of lean healthcare tips hospitals can use…
Read articleWhy We Believe We Have All the Bricks to Build Our Future
In this wide-ranging article, lead author Catherine Chabiron and her fellow Lean Sensei Women propose a number of ways to…
Read articleWhen Is The Best Time To Implement Profit Sharing?
Orry Fiume argues that when businesses reopens, there are many things that will be different; and that when they do…
Read articleSingle Week Exchange of Business
You’ve no doubt heard of a single-minute exchange of dies in manufacturing, but what happens when you need to changeover…
Read articleAddressing Production Challenges that Arise from the Pandemic
How two companies with deep lean experience – General Electric Appliances (GEA) and Herman Miller – have responded quickly and…
Read articleEmerging Stronger
Learn how GE Appliances and Herman Miller leverage lean practice to design new standardized work for assembly to ensure a…
Read articleDesigning the Patient Flow to Fight Covid-19
A Lean Global Network team of lean practitioners and coaches shares a set of lean healthcare tips hospitals can use…
Read articleAutonomous Car Beta Version, Anyone? A Q&A with Jim Womack on Disruptive Innovation
What may be ahead for carmakers, product developers, and the lean management movement in a disrupted world is the subject…
Watch videoNine Lessons from Steady Work
In her book Steady Work, Karen Gaudet discusses nine key lessons for practicing lean. Here she discusses these key principles.
Read articlePracticing Steady Work for Lean Value with Karen Gaudet
"What is the role of a lean leader, and what is the humbling daily work that goes into this task?…
Listen to podcastProblem-Solving During a Crisis: A quick tip from the #LeanCommunity
How to solve problems when there seems to be no time to do so.
Read article5S, Hygiene, and Healthy Habits
5S-like practice can uncover hidden beliefs and misconceptions, and pave the way to adopting new hygiene practices – as opposed…
Read articleWhat the Covid-Virus Can Teach Us About the Toyota Way
This is a time where people are coming together with a passion and common focus, says Jeff Liker. He shares…
Read articleThe Lab is Open
Why it's important to create a way to challenge assumptions and develop know-how, solve problems, and continuously improve--even during a…
Read articleThe Post COVID Crisis Supply Chain: a Time to Rise (Part 2)
In a two-part call to action, LeanCor Supply Chain Group CEO Robert Martichenko says that now is the time for…
Read articleThe Post COVID Crisis Supply Chain: a Time to Rise (Part 1)
In a two-part call to action, LeanCor Supply Chain Group CEO Robert Martichenko says that now is the time for…
Read articleAsk Art: What Do You Focus on When Assessing the Potential Gains From Converting to Lean?
Lean veteran Art Byrne shares the key areas to look at for gains to be realized from lean: focus on…
Read articleDeveloping Awareness On the Gemba (part 2)
In this followup to her article on ways to develop awareness on the gemba, Lean Coach Sandrine Olivencia argues that…
Read articleActive Caring
Caring about others, caring about quality, caring about professionalism. When you care, continuous improvement and action come naturally. Turner Construction…
Read articleBe More Innovative with These Resources and Ideas for Exploiting World-Shaping Trends
Great products and services begin with great ideas and great ideas are informed by the big trends that are shaping…
Read articleHow A Virtual Obeya Can Enable Effective Teamwork
As we are working socially distanced apart we need to create systems that enable us to effectively enable people to…
Read articleDeveloping Awareness on the Gemba
Lean Sensei Sandrine Olivencia shares practical advice on ways to be present and to coach in the moment at the…
Read articleNew Book Explains How to Create “Steady Work” in Unsteady Times with Standardized Work Cadences
In Steady Work, the new book from the Lean Enterprise Institute, author and former Starbucks’ Regional Manager Karen Gaudet offers…
Read articleAccounting and Finance – How Can We Help?
I’ve been thinking about what we as Lean Finance and Accounting practitioners can be doing during this time of “business-as-unusual”…
Read articleWorking During an Outbreak; What We Can Learn for Later
During this pandemic, Trader Joe’s is demonstrating several hallmarks of lean thinking that help keep employees and customers safe--and creates…
Read articleThe Impact of Social Distancing on Assembly Operations
Take a deep-dive look at how GE Appliances and Herman Miller are working on designing a safe work environment for…
Read articleLean and “emotional heijunka” in a Time of Pandemic
In this timely reflection, Jim Womack calls for "emotional heijunka": taking a deep breath, identifying the most important problems that…
Read articleMaintaining Emotional Heijunka During a Pandemic
In this timely reflection, Jim Womack calls for "emotional heijunka": taking a deep breath, identifying the most important problems that…
Read articleReimagining the Restaurant Industry in a Post-COVID-19 World
The impact of COVID-19 has proven how ill-prepared we are to deal with crises. It’s time for hospitality businesses like…
Read articleHow One Company is Using Lean Fundamentals When Facing Disruption
Companies that have been built using lean principles are turning to these core ideals when confronting the unique challenges caused…
Read articleCoping with COVID-19: Lessons from The Plague
In this time of pandemic, John Shook shares some ways this novel coronavirus is impacting him personally, noting "For Camus,…
Read articleWhat do I do when key logistics employees are afraid to come to work?
Dear Gemba Coach: What do I do when key logistics employees are afraid to come to work?
Read articlePreventing Problems by Thinking Upstream: A Talk with Dan Heath
Tune in to the LEI podcast to catch a conversation with Dan Heath on his new book Upstream, which urges…
Read articlePreventing Problems by Thinking Upstream: A Talk with Author Dan Heath
“We should shift more of our energies upstream personally, organizationally, nationally, and globally. We can and we should stop dealing…
Listen to podcastWhy (and How) We Believe Lean Can Help During COVID-19
As Lean Sensei Women, we have put together some relevant lean suggestions and ideas for your organization to use (and…
Read articleAsk Art: How Does Lean Bring the Customer Directly Onto the Shop Floor?
The lean approach reduces setup times, creates flow, improves quality, lowers cost and drastically shortens lead times, says Art Byrne,…
Read articleIn Lean We Trust; Especially in a Crisis
When phone calls and cancellations started coming in, the COVID-19 crisis became more than a news report about somewhere else. We knew we had our own situation to deal with.
Read articleWhy You Need a Product Focus for Enterprise Transformation
Lean Product and Process Development serves as an enterprise activity that can engage the entire organization and improve operations and…
Read articleWhat should I expect as a lean manager?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m currently a team leader, and I’ve been offered a job as a lean manager – what…
Read articleWhy You Need a Product Focus for an Enterprise Transformation: A Talk By Jim Morgan
In this talk from the 2018 Designing the Future summit, former Rivian COO and LEI Senior Advisor Jim Morgan discusses…
Read articleHow 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 articleLean 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 articleA Consciousness of Reality
There are countless cases of lean thinking being applied masterfully with the word lean (or the Toyota Production System) nowhere…
Read articleBuilding 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 articleDelivering 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 articleOn 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 podcastShould 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 articleAccounting 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 articleThe 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 articleWhat 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 articleHow 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 articleStandardization 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 articleAsk Art: What Are the Most Important Management Changes Needed to Implement A Lean Turnaround?
Lean thinking requires a totally different mindset than traditional management, argues lean veteran Art Byrne. This is probably the most…
Read articleIs it really necessary for a sensei to act obnoxiously?
Dear Gemba Coach: Is it really necessary for a sensei to act obnoxiously?
Read articleRivian: The Electric-Vehicle Company Taking the Auto Industry by Storm
In this podcast, Rivian Founder and CEO R.J. Scaringe and former COO Jim Morgan discuss the challenges of forming a…
Read article35. Designing the Future: A WLEI Podcast with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe and former COO Jim Morgan
If you do not yet know the company Rivian you will undoubtedly know it very soon.In 2019 Rivian made waves in the…
Listen to podcastRespect for People Means Taking Care with Your Questions
Asking effective questions is an art in and of itself, says Karen Gaudet, in this excerpt from her new book,…
Read articleThe Value of A Visual Schedule is Developing Shared Understanding
People closest to the work should understand it best, so they are in the best position to share what the…
Read articleDo you find yourself surrounded by uneven workflows?
Do you find yourself surrounded by uneven workflows? Of course you do, it is natural. Almost everything has ebbs and…
Read articleMy managers are focused on monthly sales and quarterly profits – how can a lean guy like me interest them in quality?
Dear Gemba Coach: My managers are focused on monthly sales and quarterly profits – how can a lean guy like…
Read articleShare Best Thinking Rather than Best Practices
Lean Coach Karen Gaudet argues that Best Practices don't always align with Best Thinking, and suggests that "the next time…
Read articleHow Working In Oncology Has Reframed Failure and Success
Doctor Carlos "Fred" Pinto and his colleagues at IOV in Brazil have learned that resilience emerges when applying lean thinking…
Read articleHow Ron Kelner Helped Build A System of Improvement at Deublin
In this podcast, Deublin COO Ron Kelner shares with Josh Howell the long learning journey of his company as it…
Read article33. On the Job with Ron Kelner, President and COO of the Deublin Company
Ron describes the Deublin Company's business system built with lean thinking that puts human development at the center.
Listen to podcastIsn’t the obsession with problem solving unnecessarily negative and depressing?
Dear Gemba Coach: Isn’t the obsession with problem solving unnecessarily negative and depressing?
Read articleLight Students’ Fire for Learning Through Teaching Lean
One of the greatest motivations for teaching for me is when I have a tangible impact on students’ thinking and…
Read articleAfter Lean Progress, Fighting the Challenges of Backsliding
After accepting the tough challenge of reducing deliver lead-time, CEO Nicolas Chartier and their entire team learned "to react at…
Read articleWhy We Believe that Pull Flows Are Too Often Overlooked
In this incisive series of articles on the essential value of pulled flow, the lean sensei women argue, in the…
Read articleCoachable: Facilitating Peer-to-Peer Coaching for Effectively Spreading Knowledge
Join the ongoing conversation on coaching by listening to this new episode of the Coachable podcast series, as Deb McGee…
Read article32. Coachable: A Model Story, Coaching Work Improvement
An excellent study in masterful coaching on the floor where the work happens.
Listen to podcastWorking Hard…For One Minute
Anyone who doubts the ability of their people to work hard in enacting change--or who blames problems on their "people"…
Read articleAsk Art: What Happens When Standard Cost Accounting Meets Takt Time?
Trying to become a lean enterprise while retaining traditional standard cost accounting is an exercise in futility. It was developed…
Read articleHow Lean Can Help Deliver Social Justice While Boosting Quality Health Care
In this podcast, developed from a talk at the 2018 Lean Transformation Summit learn how the Lynn Community Health Center…
Watch video31. CEO Transition – an obstacle or an opportunity?
Too often, a change in executive leadership can bring a lean transformation to a grinding halt. But that has not…
Listen to podcastAre morning team huddles that go on forever a waste of time?
Dear Gemba Coach: Our company has made morning team huddles mandatory. I don't see how that helps. On my team,…
Read articleThe Eight Wastes of Lean
Originally there were seven wastes identified by Taiichi Ohno for the Toyota Production System. As lean evolved into the rest…
Read articleTime To Make Time
When the people in a lean system don't value time, everyone is cheated, says John Shook, in this fascinating reflection…
Read articleBoeing Ex-Executive Alan Mulally Discusses a “Working Together Management System”
In this rare and revealing interview, Alan Mulally discusses lean management principles, including: the role of a CEO during a…
Read articleDealing with Standard Costing in Lean Organizations
If you are in the accounting department in a lean manufacturing company, and your company uses a standard costing system,…
Read articleMy Personal Turning Point: Reflecting on a Decade as a Lean Coach
Last year I sat in the offices of several "lean champions" at their companies, agents of change who are trying…
Read article30. On the Job: My Personal Turning Point–Reflecting on a Decade as a Lean Coach
Josh Howell shares his decade-end reflections, focusing on why he left Starbucks in 2013. His reasons may surprise you. He…
Listen to podcastHow can kanban be useful in software since we never produce the same part twice?
Dear Gemba Coach: How can kanban be useful in software since we never produce the same part twice?
Read articleDoes A Lack Of Physical Inventory Make Office Work “Different”?
While "waste" is easy to see and address in a factory setting, people working in an office environment have just…
Read articleAre These Two Non-learning Trends Hurting Your Company Culture?
The beating heart of continuous improvement is learning, concludes author and product development executive Jim Morgan, who has done pioneering…
Read articleAdopting a system driven mindset for continuous improvement
In this podcast, Dr. Pat Greco discusses how she managed to align students, teachers, administrators, and the board of education…
Read article29. What’s the problem: A conversation with Pat Greco on transforming education through rapid problem solving
Pat Greco In 2011, Dr. Pat Greco began as the superintendent of the Menomonee Falls School District in Wisconsin. She faced no shortage…
Listen to podcastLean Accounting Podcast from OSU MBOE
It's a common misconception that lean in accounting equates to merely a cost-cutting tool. In this podcast from the Ohio…
Listen to podcastLean Accounting…No Thanks
“Lean Accounting” has been around for about 30 years, yet its adoption has not been widespread. Is that true?
Read articleCan a manufacturer use lean management to advance its environmental and social sustainability strategy?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can a manufacturer use lean to advance its environmental and social sustainability strategy?
Read articleTackling the Problems at the Heart of Coaching
What is the best way to navigate the tough challenge of coaching someone productively? What is the best way to…
Read article28. Coachable: Creating the Environment for Effective Coaching
December 23, 2019Featuring: Deborah McGee and Jeff SmithAs this series continues to explore the implications and dynamic of “coaching” in a…
Listen to podcastLearning from Toyota Way Principles versus Copying Toyota Practices
Toyota is an exceptional company, says Jeff Liker, who argues that the way of thinking is a model to learn…
Read articleHow Do Lean CEOs Learn To Improve?
What, and how, do I have to learn? This key question confronts all CEOs who are practicing lean seriously, argues…
Read articleLean Product and Process Development Learning Group Update: Technical Organizations Share Common Practices to Spread the Learning
Lean Product and Process Development Learning Group Update: Technical Organizations Share Common Practices to Spread the Learning
Read articleHow Lean Can Make Workplaces Safer and Healthier
The companies that are really going to solve the problem of unsafe work, just as they've done this for physical…
Read article27. Dying for a Paycheck? Must work be toxic for employees, and how can a more sustainable approach emerge?
In his new book Dying for A Paycheck, Stanford University Graduate School of Business Professor Jeffrey Pfeffer argues that there…
Listen to podcastAsk Art: What Do You Mean When You Say “Productivity equals Wealth”?
Productivity is the greatest wealth creator whether you talk about countries or companies, says Art Byrne. If you go about…
Read articleThe Hard Work of Making Hard Work Easier
We persevere by struggling to overcome the challenges of hard work, argues Mark Reich. And, he says it is also…
Read articleLean Financial Planning – How well does your budget serve its purpose?
How well does your budget serve its purpose? Asking this question can lead to a rich and revealing discussion with…
Read articleGrit, PDCA, Lean and other four-letter words
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the nature of what author Angela Duckworth calls Grit. She defines grit as a…
Read article26. On the Job: A conversation with Dr. Lynn Kelley about sustaining change at Union Pacific
Dr. Lynn Kelley was hired by Union Pacific to lead the introduction of the “UP Way” company-wide. The UP Way…
Listen to podcastCan lean management help with the start of production?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can lean management help with the start of production?
Read articleWhat Ever Happened to Mura?
If we really want to dig down into the root causes of waste, we need to bring the two lost…
Read articleLet Joy Power Your Organization’s Flight
Joy is a powerful word in life and, as it turns out, in business too, says Rich Sheridan. A company…
Read article25. What’s the Problem: A conversation with Matt Lovejoy on how LEI is trying to create more lean thinkers coming out of university
How do we create more Lean Thinkers? That is the problem we address in today’s podcast with Matt Lovejoy, Chairman…
Listen to podcastFrom Troubleshooting a Leaky Toilet Flapper to Innovating the Internet, a Comprehensive Problem-Solving Framework
Arriving at his hotel after midnight, author and business consultant Art Smalley just wanted to get some sleep before his…
Read articleThe Lean Farm
A cold wet fall Saturday at the Talking Farm in Skokie, IL was a workshop day of learning for a group of…
Read articleCan lean management help with toxic managers?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can lean management help with toxic managers?
Read article24. Coachable: Insights and approaches to situational leadership
Join my conversation with Art Smalley as he walks us through two models for situational leadership and coaching. Hersey, Blanchard…
Listen to podcastWhy Lean is a Time-based Strategy
Lean is a time-based strategy: it uses time to gain competitive advantage, says Orry Fiume. "Once I understood this I started…
Read articleOU ISE students use ‘Lean Thinking’ to improve operations, optimize space at Humble Design warehouse
The first grant from a new scholarship fund established by the Boston-based nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) is helping Midwest…
Read articleI’ve been improving process efficiency for years with value-stream mapping, why did you write that it is misleading?
Dear Gemba Coach: In your previous column you stated that value-stream mapping can be misleading. I’ve been using VSM for…
Read article23. Lean Accounting Panel Discussion with Art Byrne, Jean Cunningham, Jim Huntzinger, Nick Katko, and Mike DeLuca
Many lean thinkers find the traditional accounting reporting completely out of alignment with the new lean management system. Part of PDCA…
Listen to podcastFrame the Work For Safety and Learning
The most important skill to master as a leader is that of framing the work, says Harvard Business School Professor…
Read articleAsk Art: Why is Takt Time So Important in a Lean Turnaround?
Takt time represents the beat of the customer, or, the rate of demand, says Art Byrne: "As the primary focus…
Read articleThe Challenges of Coaching
I’ve stepped into a new role recently, assuming responsibility for a variety of new-to-me jobs. One of my new jobs…
Read article22. What’s the Problem: An interview with medical oncologist and CEO of Instituto de Oncologia do Vale (IOV), Dr. Fred, on reducing the cancer burden
Dr. Carlos Frederico Pinto (aka ‘Dr. Fred’) is a medical oncologist and CEO of Instituto de Oncologia do Vale (IOV),…
Listen to podcastHow We Improved Our Tiered Daily Huddles
At Cleveland Clinic, where he leads a continuous improvement team, Nate Hurle and others have discovered ways to build on…
Read articleOvercoming a Fear Of Failure Culture
Managers and teams can overcome the elements of a fear of failure culture, argues Andrew Quibell. His piece illustrates steps…
Read articleIsn’t flow the ultimate aim of lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: Isn’t flow the ultimate aim of lean?
Read article21. On the Job: Discovering Strategy by Doing the WORK, a conversation with Dave Brunt, CEO of the Lean Enterprise Academy in the UK
In a conversation across the Atlantic LEI’s president, Josh Howell, talks to the Lean Enterprise Academy’s CEO, Dave Brunt, about…
Listen to podcastLean at Heart: Kanban
The underlying principles of lean can be found everywhere in daily life. In this article Masia Goodman identifies examples of…
Read articleHow A3 Presentations Help Us Build Teamwork
CEO Nicolas Chartier shares a huge benefit of regular use of A3 among his team: "You realize as a CEO…
Read article5S Is a Way of Thinking and Practice
It would be impossible to find a valid description of lean that does not include the importance of 5S for…
Read article20. Coachable: Two Conversations Built on Trust, Inspiration, Experimentation and Transformation.
Meet two influential voices in my own coaching practice: Paul Serafino who first engaged me in a coaching way in…
Listen to podcastWhy We Believe that Lean is More Than A Manufacturing Approach
Is Lean thinking a thing of the past from glorious manufacturing times in the late twentieth century? Or, on the…
Read articleThe Power of Inspiration
Lean thinker Paige Henry shares a call to action: let’s get our leaders and people to realize “it’s about the…
Read articleWhere can I find information about visual management?
Dear Gemba Coach: I can’t find much written about visual management although it seems an important part of lean –…
Read article19. Building A Fearless Organization: An interview with Harvard Business School Professor Amy Edmondson
How can one create a safe workplace where all employees are encouraged and expected to take ownership of their work?…
Listen to podcastWant Better Relations and Results from Suppliers? Hear Two Execs Explain the Benefits of “Matched Pair” Leadership
New products and service development does not stop at the exterior walls of your company. Outside suppliers play critical roles,…
Watch videoHow Hoshin Kanri Aligns Your Key Organizational Systems
To build the culture and develop the complementary systems that connect your company's strategic and operational plans, consider how they…
Read articleStandardize Locally
A few weeks ago, during a day-long meeting with an executive management team, the topic of standardized work came up … again.…
Read article18. What’s the Problem: An Interview with GE Appliance’s Rich Calvaruso on Solving Problems through Improving the Work
An Interview with GE Appliance’s Rich Calvaruso on Solving Problems through Improving the Work
Listen to podcastWhy Doesn’t Lean Have a Seat at the Table?
Why hasn’t Lean spread more widely, asks Steven Spear, suggesting that it has not been framed in a way that…
Read articleAsk Art: At What Pace Should A Lean Turnaround Be Implemented?”
Changing from a traditional batch, make-the-month culture to a lean value driven culture takes a lot of time and effort,…
Read article17. On the Job Podcast: One Pathologist’s Path an interview with Dr. Lisa Yerian of Cleveland Clinic
Dr. Lisa Yerian of the Cleveland Clinic sits down with Josh Howell, LEI President & Executive Team Leader, to talk…
Listen to podcastIs my new boss right that applying standardized work is the foundation of lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: My new boss is a lean fanatic crazy about standards. He’s created a new team to audit…
Read articleSmitten Engineers or Love at First Sight of a Solution?
Entrepreneur Tyler Schilling has felt the pain of engineering heartbreak – falling in love early with a solution only to…
Watch videoBelieve in One Thing All the Way
Who is a “superhero” in our companies, asks Darril Wilburn in this inspiring piece: Is it the person that can…
Read articleCan 5S apply to coding?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re exploring lean in software development. Can 5S apply to coding?
Read articleThe Mythical Value Stream Manager
If you want to make a serious impact in your improvements, consider shifting your focus outward to a value-stream level…
Read articleWarning: What You Call Kaizen May Really Be Rework
If you begin your lean management transformation on the shop floor, you run the risk of having to rework processes…
Read articleIsn’t there a better way to manage inventory than just-in-time?
Dear Gemba Coach, This is 2019. Isn’t there a better way to manage inventory than just-in-time by now?
Read articleBook Review: The Toyota Engagement Equation by Tracey and Ernie Richardson
In their book The Toyota Engagement Equation, authors Tracey and Ernie Richardson don’t hit you over the head telling you…
Read articleAsk Art: What Foundational Items Must I Be A Zealot About?
Be a zealot on the foundational items such as 5S, visual management, and setup reduction, says Art Byrne, and your…
Read articleWhy implement lean when it fails so often?
Dear Gemba Coach: Is it true that lean often fails? What’s the point then?
Read articleWhat Is Your Leadership Model?
In this reflection based on his work as CEO Lean is a leadership model: for more than 60 years now…
Read articleTowards A More Lean Statement of Purpose
Reflecting on a recent Business Roundtable statement pledging a commitment to all of its stakeholders (and not simply maximizing shareholder…
Read articleIsn’t PDCA enough? Why do we always need to complicate things?
Dear Gemba Coach: Isn’t PDCA enough? Why do we always need to complicate things?
Read articleA Revelation at the Gemba
During my travels this summer, both personal and for LEI, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the Institute’s 20+ year…
Read articleGetting the Right Product Right, and Other Product Development Trends
As a lean product and process development coach John Drogosz, PhD, works closely with companies in a variety of industries…
Watch videoReflections From Ten Years of Michael Ballé’s Gemba Coach
Since his first Gemba Coach column of ten years ago, Michael Balle has consistently tied his advice to a faithful…
Read articleAsk Art: What Do You Mean When You Say Run Your Company On Your Operational Excellence Goals?
The Lean company competes on its operational excellence goals, says Art Byrne. These stretch goals must be aggressive in nature…
Read articleProduct Development Is Where to Cut Carbon Emissions; Here’s How
Consumers want products updated more frequently, which is great for consumers and business but not so great for the environment…
Read articleWhy We Believe Lean is Worth Our Unwavering Commitment
Lean provides a powerful alternative to short-term enterprise driven solely by the goal of maximizing profits while externalizing human and…
Read articleThe Power of Ma in Creating Cognitive Space
When we lead with respect for people, we need to truly understand that people work in different ways, argues Jim…
Read articleThe Dark Side of Concurrent Engineering
One of the fastest ways to reduce development lead time from concept to market is to work concurrently. But as…
Read articleLean Thinkers Are Systems Thinkers
Lean thinkers are systems thinkers, argues Rich Sheridan: "Intentional cultures thrive when the simple systems put in place reinforce every…
Read articleHow can there be standards — or kaizen — in a service job when no two instances are the same?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m in a service job and I struggle with the idea of standards. I read that there…
Read article12 Wastes of Product & Process Development
The wastes found in manufacturing are well known and relatively visible. But as you move upstream into the very different…
Read articleLean Accounting Is Simpler, Faster, Cheaper, and More Accurate Than Traditional Management Accounting, so Why Don’t More Companies Use It?
Five thought leaders of the movement recently held a special conversation about what lean accounting is and isn’t, why it…
Read articleThoughts on the Birth of Lean
There is much to be learned from the history of Lean that applies powerfully today in every aspect of the…
Read articleI don’t get kanban — I don’t work in production so how would it apply to one-off work?
Dear Gemba Coach: I feel that I still don’t get kanban. I don’t work in production, and I fail to…
Read articleHow Are You Supporting Your Own Lean Transformation?
When someone in our organization complains about something we hand them a Kaizen card, shares Lisa Yerian of the Cleveland…
Read article4 Core Principles of Lean Product and Process Development Explained
The ability to consistently create “insanely great” products, as Steve Jobs would say, is the ultimate competitive advantage. But many…
Read articleKnow someone who needs a compact introduction to Toyota Kata? This Summer’s 40-minute Kata video is exactly that.
Good introduction to what Toyota Kata is about, to share with anyone who needs it. Captured at the 5th annual…
Watch videoCan lean be used to turn around a company?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can lean be used in a turnaround situation? Does a burning platform make it easier or harder?
Read articleFeeling the Gemba Magic
After months of work at the gemba with his factory manager helping line workers grapple with problems, CEO Nicolas Chartier…
Read articleAsk Art: Where Will the Biggest Resistance to Lean Come From?
Resistance to Lean will come from every part of your organization, senior management included, says Lean veteran Art Byrne. Knowing…
Read articleShould A3s be used for solving organizational or technical problems?
Dear Gemba Coach: Should A3s be used for solving organizational or technical problems?
Read articleProfit and Cost At Toyota
Fresh off a tour of Japan where she observed how Toyota talks about costs and profit on the shop floor,…
Read articleCalling a Time-Out for Coaches
What's the most effective approach to coaching? Lean coaches Mark Reich and Laura Mottola share practical approaches that include methods…
Read articleAny advice for a team with a new boss who doesn’t know lean but wants us to switch to agile instead?
Dear Gemba Coach: We have a new boss who doesn’t know lean and is asking our lean team to switch…
Read articleWhy Traditional Farming Is Ripe for Disruption
Uber disrupted the taxi business. Netflix disrupted entertainment. Amazon disrupted retail. Is farming, that ancient industry, ripe for disruption? Indiana…
Watch videoKAIZEN CHALLENGE: Lean Technical and Social Quiz
In this kaizen challenge, lean coach Jeff Smith invites you to help determine the optimal lot size to run through…
Read articleShould I bother reading lean management books or rely on experience implementing lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: Should I bother with reading lean books, or just work from experience? There are so many, and…
Read articleTales Of Lean, Chapter One: Facing the Problem
What is the best way for a lean coach to support and guide her team? In this fictional tale of…
Read articleTalking Coaching with Lean Sensei Crystal Davis, Rich Vellante, Josh Howell, and John Shook
In advance of the Lean Coaching Summit, coaches Josh Howell, Crystal Davis, John Shook, and Rich Vellante discuss the finer…
Watch videoTalking About Lean: How Leaders Support Improvement With Words and Actions
In this comprehensive series of reflections, Lean Coach David Verble examines how the way managers and leaders talk to employees…
Read articleQuestions and Coaching on A3 Thinking
In this Q&A, LEI's Deborah McGee shares insights into A3 thinking and problem-solving: "The A3 Management process is really a…
Read articleHow do I implement 5S when operators think everyone does things a little differently?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I implement 5S in our small but growing shop where operators have the belief that…
Read articleHow SBP Went From Intolerable Conditions to Constructive Discontent
In this keynote talk at the LEI summit, Zack Rosenburg of SBP talks about how this non-profit has evolved its…
Read articleGetting Home: Jacob and Claude Stoller Appreciate the Lean Lessons of this New Book
"Getting Home is a terrific book that puts lean to work on a problem that’s really significant. Let’s hope it’s…
Read articleWhat are the key factors within an obeya room?
Dear Gemba Coach: On YouTube and in books there is a lot about A3 storyboards. Did you ever see them…
Read articleAsk Art: How Can I Engage All Our Leaders to Learn and Teach Lean?
What's the best way to teach lean to your internal leaders? By forming teams who will learn by doing, shares…
Read articleGo and See: Where The Magic Is
To reconnect with the reality of your business, go to the gemba, advises CEO Nicolas Chartier of Aramisauto. But to…
Read articleCost Saving is Tired–Value Creation is Hot!
Lean affects financial outcomes--dramatically so in firms that incorporate widespread lean thinking over the long term, says LEI Chair Jean…
Read articleI’ve just been named team leader with zero training and my team is not co-located – where should I start?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve just been named team leader with zero training and my team is not co-located – where…
Read articleReflections from LEI’s New President, Josh Howell
Josh Howell, an experienced manager and lean management coach, is LEI’s new president and executive team leader. Read his note…
Read articleCleveland Clinic’s Prescription for Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Lisa Yerian, MD, medical director of continuous improvement at the Clinic, talks about a “model area” approach to improvement, how…
Read articleWhat Do Sensei Actually Do?
What do lean sensei do? Take you to the gemba, discuss what the real challenges are, prescribe exercises, teach PDCA,…
Read articleHow do I know if someone is really incompetent or just struggling?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I recognize when someone is really incompetent? Sometimes people don’t have results because they’re put…
Read articlePracticing Constructive Discontent At SBP
To become an organization of problem solvers, talking about problems couldn’t merely be something that we did, shares Zack Rosenburg…
Read articleChange Your “Pet” Problem Solving Method
Got problems with your problem-solving method? This interview by LEI's Chet Marchwinski with Four Types of Problems author Art Smalley…
Read articleDon’t you use kamishibai cards; you’ve never written about them?
Dear Gemba Coach: We use a kamishibai board along with standardized work and visual management to sustain our lean efforts…
Read articleHow Does LPPD Help Create a Lean Enterprise?
What is LPPD? As noted by Jim Morgan LPPD is a set of principles and practices that promote collaboration, transparency,…
Read articleRebuilding Homes and Disaster Recovery Processes
When Liz McCartney and Zack Rosenburg left their careers to help desperate victims of Hurricane Katrina rebuild, they knew nothing…
Read articleAs head of a lean office, what must I do to really walk the talk?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am the head of a lean office. I’d like to lead by example, but it occurs…
Read articleHow to Scale Up Positive Social Change
Far more households globally have access to a mobile phone than a toilet, notes Ann Mei Chang, a tech executive…
Read articleWhy We Believe A Strong Customer Focus Is Needed To Drive A Lean Strategy
Is there any principle more core to the heart of lean than relentlessly focusing on the customer? In this collection…
Read articleJoin 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…
Read articleAsk Art: What Incentives and Bonus Programs Best Support Lean?
Bonus and incentive plans work best when they serve an underlying purpose, says Art Byrne, who advises that management design…
Read articleSometimes Less Lean is Mo’ Lean
After seeing a great concert by blues legend Keb' Mo', Brent Wahba reflected on some lean principles embodied in the…
Read articleGot any recommendations for applying lean in the tool and die shop to stop our dies from crashing like crazy?
Dear Gemba Coach: We applied SMED to increase the flexibility in our production cells. Now our dies are crashing like…
Read articleStop Asking Your Leaders to “Support” Your Lean Transformation
Helping others with shared work tied to broad improvement goals can be challenging for lean leaders. Continuous Improvement Director Lisa…
Read articleCutting Carbon Emissions and Product Costs Through Lean Product and Process Development
As the need to reduce carbon emissions becomes clearer, the need to understand the impact and consciously consider it during…
Read articleMatched Pairs: To Improve Supplier Relationships, Start Inside Your Organization
Jim Morgan shares how adopting a Matched Pair strategy that teams supply chain and engineering leaders with a common plan,…
Read articleWhat should I look for so I don’t get burned taking a lean director’s job?
Dear Gemba Coach,I’ve been offered the job of a lean director in an industrial group. The offer sounds very attractive,…
Read articleShow Respect, Psychological Safety, and Social Neuroscience
Mike Orzen and David Verble examine the meaning and lean relevance of showing respect, creating psychological safety, and the links…
Read articleLean Principles Speed Workflow in New Product Development
After successfully implementing lean principals in manufacturing, Solar Turbines took them to product development processes, reducing firefighting and boosting development…
Watch videoNot So Simple: Pioneering Lean Product Development
Jean Cunningham, LEI’s executive chair, offers lessons from her time as CFO of lean management pioneer Lantech when it successfully…
Read articleA Little Bit of Lean Product and Process Development with Very Large Results
Believing it had only enough land and budget for a badly needed new parking garage, a hospital was able to build…
Read articleProcess Excellence Means Developing New Processes Along with New Products
The traditional way of developing new products or services in isolation from the processes that must deliver them almost guarantees…
Read articleHow can I help middle managers handle contradictory instructions from top management?
Dear Gemba Coach: As a lean coach, how can I help middle-managers who are faced with contradictory instructions from top…
Read articleVSM and Toyota Kata
Give us 20 years and we'll learn a lot! This month's Kata SlideShare features perspectives from Mike Rother and Jeff…
Watch videoThe Gift of Yokoten
In this article originally published in Planet Lean, after a visit to Goshen, Indiana, Jim Womack shared thoughts on the…
Read articleAs someone who is new to lean, is there something I’m not being told?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m new to lean, and I find it fascinating. Is there something I’m not being told? Is…
Read articleThe Ingredients of Lean
Lean practitioner Steve Brenneman finds shared values in his Mennonite faith and his lean practice: a strong set of values…
Read articleWhat Do Managers Do?
After walking the gemba with sensei Hideshi Yokoi, Matt Savas learned three basic agreements between workers and management, and shared…
Read articleWhat’s different about implementing lean in a low-volume, high-variety environment?
Dear Gemba Coach: I manage a plant that makes highly engineered, low-volume products. What do I have to do differently…
Read articleAsk Art: Why Focus on Why When Doing A Lean Turnaround?
In switching to lean, understanding the WHY is the most important thing, argues Art Byrne. It helps people overcome their…
Read articleLean Is A Product-Driven Strategy
What is at the core of lean? Michael Balle argues, in terms of our best known example: "Toyota is not…
Read articleIf lean is valid in all situations doesn’t that make it an ideology?
Dear Gemba Coach: Is lean really valid in all situations? That sounds like ideology to me!
Read articleHow Standardized Work Integrates People with Process
In this three-part series, John Shook argues that "the Toyota Way is a socio-technical system on steroids" that brings together…
Read articleHow do I practice lean when I don’t feel a strong attachment to my knowledge worker team?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I practice lean consistently when I don't feel a strong attachment to my team? We…
Read article“But TPS Doesn’t Apply to Us….”
Yes, cars are not weaving looms. Patients are not cars, either. Airplanes are not cars. Electric vehicles are not the…
Read articleKanban As A Learning Strategy
Toyota’s Kanban legacy—and its underlying ideas—have far more direct lineage with today’s digital economy than most folks realize; and capture…
Read articleDesigned In Quality
Extraordinary quality is not only designed into the product, it is designed into the development process itself, says Jim Morgan,…
Read articleWhy do lean practitioners use so many Japanese terms?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why do we use so many Japanese terms? I guess experts really want employees and students to think…
Read articleCan Smart Manufacturing Replace the Art of Go and See?
Continuous improvement in a manufacturing environment has to happen at the spot where the work took place, shares Dave Westphal,…
Read articleHow Accounting “Squirrels” Can Ferret Out Waste
While other functions are busy as beavers looking for waste during a lean transformation, your accounting staff is like a…
Read articleAsk Art: Aren’t You a Little “Old School” in Your Kaizen Approach To Implementing Lean Thinking?
When you say “kaizen is old school” you may be seriously off track, argues Art Byrne. Focusing on tools like…
Read articleShowing Respect: Here’s How Emmanuel Proposed A More Reliable Shipping Rack
As I reflect on Emmanuel's proposed countermeasures to a key problem, I am encouraged with every new discovery, says General…
Read articleWhat topics, tools, and techniques would you include in an MBA-level course on teaching lean concepts?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am designing an MBA-level course to teach lean concepts. What topics, tools, and techniques would you…
Read articleIs Your Strategy a Plan–or a Hypothesis?
Success in a VUCA world requires senior executives to engage thoughtfully and frequently with company operations across all levels and…
Read articleGoing Beyond Low-Cost Obsession with “Women Go Beyond”
Hear the chairman and co-founder of an apparel manufacturer with global operations explain how and why it invests in its…
Read articleIs value engineering just about cutting costs?
Dear Gemba Coach: My boss has hired a consultant to do value engineering, who has us looking for design opportunities…
Read articleLearning to Help Anna Elevate Her Game
Anna was trained by NUMMI to identify and solve challenges via experiments with her team, notes Jeff Smith, sharing a…
Read articleNo Mani Pedi, But Keepers Improve Elephant Foot Washing
Supporting process owners includes stepping in for zoo keepers when their better idea for washing an elephant’s foot gets rejected…
Watch videoLean Without Limits
We come up with many different types of answers that sort Lean conveniently into categories for easy understanding and storage,…
Read articleDo standards make any sense in a creative industry?
Dear Gemba Coach,Do standards make any sense in a creative industry, such as code development?
Read articleThe Road to Becoming a Lean Leadership Team Has Potholes
Lean veteran Orry Fiume shares the story how the leadership team at The Wiremold Company took on the challenging work…
Read articleWhy We Believe that Lean is About Changing Our Own Behaviors, and Not Just Accumulating New Knowledge
Lean repeatedly pushes us to develop new competences (or recover lost know-hows) through kaizen and problem solving. This collection of…
Read articleWhy Meaningful Improvement Requires a “Growth Mindset”
Today is Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, part of Engineering Week, Feb. 18 to 23. To mark Girl Day,…
Read articlePi-Day, Robots, and the Joy of Making Things
To mark Engineers Week, Feb. 18-23, we’re reprising a story about celebrating Pi Day by Jim and Mary Morgan, a…
Read articleWhy should I manage as if I had no power when power is the most effective way of getting things done?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m tired of hearing I should manage as if I had no power. Surely power is the…
Read articleA Small Amount of Time Can Yield Big Results
Four minutes, well focused, can be a long time, notes Jean Cunningham. Without competing distractions, many words can be spoken,…
Read articleGood Night Sweethearts
On this Valentine's Day, GBMP President Bruce Hamilton laments this year's lack of Sweetheart Candies, reflecting that, "NECCO, like General…
Read article4 Actions that Solved My Lean Management Identity Crisis
Mike Orzen had lean management down cold – or so he thought. After all, he makes a living teaching it…
Read articleShould we seek professional help for our sensei who talks to parts?
Dear Gemba Coach: My sensei has gone crazy; he’s talking to parts. Everyone is looking at him funny on the…
Read articleFlaatnes Elektro-Mek Reveals How Double Loop Learning Supports Lean Thinking and Practice
Every experience is a learning experience. However, we tend to only experience single-loop learning where we reaffirm what we already…
Read articleAsk Art: How Should I Re-invest the Gains from Kaizen?
Becoming lean through using kaizen activity allows you to remove a great deal of waste and deliver value to your…
Read articleS2. Ep. 3 What Cannot Be Grown Must be Mined – What is Lean in Mining with Laura Mottola and Mark Reich
"If it cannot be grown, then it must be mined." Practically everything around you exists because of mining. From phones, to…
Listen to podcastWhat If Elon Musk Took Manufacturing Cars Seriously?
Jeff Liker asks of Tesla: What if it took Toyota’s help seriously in learning basic manufacturing before undertaking disruptive technology…
Read articleBuilding a Lean Culture at Turner Construction: A Talk with SVP Charlie Murphy
"Whether it’s safety, quality, production system, to me it just makes sense for us to contribute to the improvement of…
Read articleLean thinkers tell me not to give answers but my sensei keeps telling me what to do; which is it?
Dear Gemba Coach: My experience is that if you want to get anything done you have to ask very specifically…
Read articleImproving Engagement One Kaizen at a Time
Engaging the employees at all levels with a clear and realistic understanding of how they inspire, drive and support getting…
Read articleIs Lean Thinking Art or Science? Yes
Calling the recent book Lean Conversations a landmark initiative on lean and the arts, John Shook observes that "If Jean…
Read articleStandardize Your Problem-Solving Approach? Why One Size Does Not Fit All
Lean management practitioners know what a powerful tool standardization is for continuously improving processes. Without standards, there can be no…
Read articlePeople First Leadership: A Conversation by Jim Morgan with Alan Mulally
Alan Mulally is a brilliant engineer who led historic transformations as CEO of Boeing Commercial and then Ford Motor Company.…
Read articleCultivating Intuition at the Gemba
Our trainers conditioned us to water the seed of experience and use it not just to fire-fight but rather be…
Read articleCan you implement TPS if management doesn’t accept the fundamental values of the Toyota Way?
Dear Gemba Coach: How can we implement the principles of TPS if our management doesn’t accept the fundamental values of…
Read articleAnd Now For Something Completely…Lean
Lean practice is no joke, argues Brent Wahba. And yet he draws lessons from great comedy to help address this…
Read articleLean Warehousing and Distribution Benefits Your Company, Customers, and Supply Chain
Lean warehousing sounds like an oxymoron. But in this interview, lean practitioner and Toyota veteran David Graham explains how lean…
Read articleAlan Mulally, former Ford and Boeing CEO sits down with Jim Morgan to discuss Leadership, Designing the Future Special Ep. 2
“It seemed nothing short of a miracle could save Ford Motor Company in the mid 2000s. Ford didn’t receive a…
Listen to podcastHow do I start to learn “real lean” when my company practices “fake lean”?
Dear Gemba Coach: I understand now there is “real lean” and “fake lean.” I suspect my company has been practicing…
Read articleRosie the Riveter vs. Rosie the Robot
In this pithy yet wide-ranging discussion, Bruce Hamilton, president of GBMP and star of the hugely popular training video Toast…
Read article4 Types of Problems: The Keys to Better Organizational Problem Solving
Join Art Smalley for this important, eye-opening webinar and learn why settling on a favorite problem-solving technique or two is…
Watch webinarWill Artificial Intelligence Replace Shop Floor Thinking?
How does lean thinking help understand whether AI could replace shop floor thinking? Jacob Stoller argues that whether or not…
Read articleLearning a New Skill II – The Learning Curve
This 10-minute Toyota Kata video (by Mike Boyd and his wife) is a clever visual description of the typical learning…
Watch videoI’m all in on our lean effort but how do I get my managers to be more supportive?
Dear Gemba Coach: As a business unit director, I am fully on board with lean, do gemba walks and support…
Read articleAsk Art: How is Lean A Time-Based Strategy?
Operating lean is the best way to compete on time, says Art Byrne, who notes that every time you remove…
Read article3 Steps We Took to Change the Company Culture
The Lean Digital Transformation webinar with Bruno Guicardi, co-founder and president of technology services company CI&T, drew a global audience…
Read articlePeople Are Not Cars
Tyson Ortiz's challenge in helping his son through a heart transplant clarified to him what a healthcare provider said: "People…
Read articleTake Baby Steps Towards Improvement
As you think about your 2019 resolutions, ask yourself if you’re making the change too big and, therefore, too scary,…
Read articleShould producing products with zero defects be my top goal?
Dear Gemba Coach: Is zero defects really the first goal? The number of defects doesn’t necessarily relate to the user’s experience…
Read articleLean 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…
Read articleAre You Building High-Performing Teams?
It is important to work hard at building a high-performance team. Not only does it lead to better performance outcomes,…
Read articleWhat do you do when your advice is wrong?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do you handle it when you find out you’ve been wrong; when you’ve advised people to…
Read articleFour Types of Problems, author Art Smalley digs in on problem solving
Author Art Smalley joins Chet Marchwinski to discuss problem solving and his new book Four Types of Problems from reactive…
Listen to podcastWhy We Believe People-Free Plants and Services Prevent Learning
We (Lean Sensei Women) are a group of women from different continents, horizons, and professions who share a commitment to…
Read articleSoliciting Suggestions in Ways That Don’t Backfire
Sometimes well-intentioned lean activities like asking for suggestions can backfire; Cheryl Jekiel shares specific ways to prevent mishandling ideas from…
Read articleWe get good results with kaizen, but why don’t they stick?
Dear Gemba Coach: Our teams have good results with kaizen, but nothing seems to stick for long – any advice?
Read articleTransformative Steering
After three years of working with learning partner companies, LEI’s Lean Product and Process Development group observed that the companies…
Read articleStandardized Work or Kaizen? Yes
Some lean folks LOVE to quote the Taiichi Ohno observation that “there is no kaizen without standards," notes John Shook,…
Read articleHow can I make sure my teams do kaizen the right way?
Dear Gemba Coach: How can I make sure my teams do kaizen the right way?
Read articleAsk Art: How Do I Get the Senior Management Team On Board with Lean?
Lean requires teamwork, and so getting your senior management team on board requires a great deal of work, including new…
Read article“What Did I Transform Today?”
A lean approach to coaching is incomplete if nothing has changed for the better, says Josh Howell, who shares how…
Read articleSeafood Restaurant Fishes for Problems Customers Really Care About
The executive chef at Legal Sea Foods explains how the restaurants are cutting lead times from fishing boat to your…
Watch videoLPPD Under the Sea: Efficient Product Design with Subsea 2.0
In this excerpt from the new book Designing the Future, authors Jim Morgan and Jeff Liker share the case study…
Read articleAn 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…
Read articleHow do you apply takt time to service work?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do you apply takt time in fields like services where customer demand is not known?
Read article“Roll”-ing Out Lean at Kura Sushi
Self-professed "lean geek" Katie Anderson has eaten several meals at Kura Sushi restaurants and shares her observations on what she…
Read articleLean Digital Transformation
Discover how the application of lean principles can improve entire corporate ecosystems to deliver digital services and products that customers…
Watch webinarPutting Passion on Your Dashboard
Understanding what customers value requires more than a marketing approach, says Dave Pericak, explaining how he learned about customer value…
Listen to podcastReview: Designing the Future
In his review of the new book Designing The Future, Michael Ballé points out that it “makes clear the central…
Read articleBook Review: Designing the Future
Forget frameworks, processes, rote step methods. Read this book and think back to the “Why?” before the “What?” and “How?”:…
Read articleDesigning the Future Jim Morgan Talks Passion with Dave Pericak – A WLEI Special
In this special edition series, Designing the Future. Jim Morgan talks with Dave Pericak, the Chief Engineer of the 2015…
Listen to podcastLean Gratitude
As Thanksgiving approaches, Tom Richert notes that powering the TPS scientific mindset is a great deal of emotional energy. At…
Read articleWhat Problems Do You See?
Take a minute or two think about the problems you see everyday at your work. It can be quite daunting…
Read article“We Are Unique”
While many people see Lean as applicable only in limited industries and situations and therefore can’t work in their unique…
Read articleCan Lean Succeed in a Strong Labor Environment?
Lean is all about people, says Art Byrne, regarding the question of making lean succeed in a union environment. He…
Read articleI have years of experience in operational excellence but if I were to start lean where should I start?
Dear Gemba Coach: I have years of experience in operational excellence and have always assumed that lean is just a…
Read articleLearning a New Skill
This month's 5-minute TK video is about deliberate practice for learning new skills. Specifically, Mike Boyd summarizes tips from his…
Watch videoGetting Started with Lean Product and Process Development
Learning and applying the concepts of LPPD is no different than learning any other new skill in life, says Andy…
Read articleHow to Rehab Colleagues With Status Quo “Addiction”
If you work with leaders or colleagues who resist changing their behaviors -- maybe they literally can’t change. They could…
Read articleI Got 99 Problems and This Is How I’ll Tackle Type One
After an unintentional sending a mass email with an error from LEI, Lory Moniz reflects on the source of the…
Read articleHow do we get our boss to stop confusing inventory management with lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: Our new boss is a lean supporter and had us reduce drastically all inventories. Now we have…
Read articleSeason 2 Ep. 1 Leadership at the Gemba with Scott Heydon and John Shook
Former Starbucks Executive and Senior Coach at LEI Scott Heydon, joined author and LEI Chairman John Shook for a last…
Listen to podcastThinking About the Why of the What of Problem-Solving
When we talk about problem-solving, what we’re really talking about here is creating adaptive capacity, the deep capability of an…
Read articleWhat’s your problem
You learn through solving problems, failing, reflecting on failure, and adjusting course. That quote sounds like something from Deming or…
Read articleDid Red Sox Lean on Lean for World Series Victory?
For starters (and for that matter, for relievers), this World-Series-winning Red Sox team was simply an outstanding and absurdly talented…
Read articleShould we do lean maturity audits?
Dear Gemba Coach: Should we continue with lean maturity audits and, if so, how often?
Read articleDon’t Retire Your Knowledge–Reuse It
Companies can tackle the problem of the surge of retiring baby boomers by adopting the lean principle of knowledge reuse,…
Read articleBook Review: Four Types of Problems
If you are developing a problem solver in your personal life or on your team, or if you’re continuously developing…
Read articleThere are so many lean management principles to know and tools to master at the start – is there an easier way to begin?
Dear Gemba Coach: Isn’t there an easier way to start lean? For a beginner, it seems like such a mountain…
Read articleLean Product and Process Development Group Update: Leading Companies Share and Learn from Common Challenges
The Lean Enterprise Institute recently organized a meeting of the Lean Product and Process Development Learning Group that brought together…
Read articleDouble Loop Learning at Kongsberg Maritime
Kongsberg Maritime, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Norwegian-based Kongsberg Group, tapped into a Kyoryokukai, or network for supplier innovation,…
Read articleAsk Art: Does Lean Really Work in A Non-manufacturing Company?
All companies and organizations, whether manufacturing or not, are nothing more than a group of people and a bunch of…
Read articleWhat can we do to instill some passion in leadership about our lean implementation?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m in a company that is trying to implement lean but sees it simply as a series…
Read articleJishuken, Part Two: The Power of Self-Learning
Consider Jishuken to be an intensive effort to drive individuals and the organization to a higher level, says Mark Reich,…
Read articleThe Value of Sharpening Skills Through ‘Jishuken’
Jishuken, or self-learning, is a wet stone that grinds a worker's brain down to a start point, says Matt Savas--and…
Read articleWorkers Unite for Better
The local strike by hospitality workers in Boston has led Josh Howell to contrast this situation with the lean culture…
Read articleIs agile project management simply lean thinking applied to software development?
Dear Gemba Coach: You seem to distinguish between agile and lean, but to my understanding, agile is simply lean thinking…
Read articleThoughts on Digitization, Work, and Continuous Improvement
The opportunities and changes presented by digitization are issues for all lean practitioners not only those in IT. Here are…
Read articleFour Types of Problems (Introduction)
An excerpt from Four Types of Problems IntroductionThe four types of problems are:Type 1: Troubleshooting: Reactive problem solving that hinges upon quick…
Read articleFactory physics was once the rage, but I don’t hear about it any more — was it wrong?
Dear Gemba Coach: What happened to factory physics? It used to be all the rage some years ago, but we…
Read articleNot 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…
Read articleCan Lean Know-How Come Home?
When you decide to stop making things, you lose the ability to make things, argues Eric Buehrens: not just the…
Read articleUse Lean Development Principles to Avoid “Traveling Hopefully” Down the Wrong Path
Lean development is less about creating highly detailed plans based on things you can’t possibly know in the beginning of…
Read articleWill changing the standard for supervisors’ morning gemba walks make them pay more attention?
Dear Gemba Coach, We have a standard gemba walk for supervisors to check their areas every morning. I’ve noticed that after…
Read articleDeveloping Meta-Habits at Baptist Memorial Memphis Hospital Emergency Department
After teeing up a problem in the Baptist Memorial Memphis Hospital ED using a Kata routine, Nursing Manager Melanie Mays…
Read articleDeploying Improvement Habits: From Starter Kata to Meta-Habits
Learners using the Kata routine approach every problem with the “skeleton” of the Kata routine, and understand that they are…
Read articleLean Transformation? Not Buying It
Companies often describe their transformation efforts in terms of an end-state: focusing on targeted results. They see transformation as a…
Read articleDoes it matter if we call lean “lean”?
Dear Gemba Coach: If it works, why worry if it’s called lean, operational excellence, or the company’s excellence system? As…
Read articleAsk Art: Why Does Boosting Inventory Turns Matter So Much?
If you want to deliver more value to our customers such that you can grow and gain market share then…
Read articleA Great Company Culture Takes Purpose
If you’re determined to move your culture from good to great, listen to CEO Tyler Schilling as he describes two…
Watch videoTPS, the Thinking People System
The twin pillars of just-in-time and jidoka help support a full model about how to achieve customer satisfaction from employee…
Read articleWe’re working hard on problem solving so why don’t I see any improvement in our problem-solving capability?
Dear Gemba Coach: We're working hard on problem solving, asking "why" repeatedly, and looking for root causes, but I'm afraid…
Read articleValue-Stream Mapping and Toyota Kata: Navigating to Your Desired Future
The video discusses utilizing Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to establish direction and Toyota Kata to develop the necessary skills for…
Watch videoThe Escalator of Issues
A daily management system with daily performance metrics gives caregivers the sense that managers are really paying attention, that problems…
Read articleAvoiding Dashboard Wallpaper
Build a system of dashboards up and down the organization, says Leslie Barker. Connect them so ideas flow upward and…
Read articleHow to Lead with Values
A former health system CEO says it’s “strategically sound” for leaders to define a set of values that they and…
Watch videoWhy does visual management at a Toyota plant look so much different than at ours?
Dear Gemba Coach: We have been deploying lean visual management in my company for a while now, and I am…
Read articleReal Leaders Think and Act Differently
Are your management routines and Gemba Walks suffering from the superficial observations of the day-tripper? Or are your leaders adding…
Read articleToyota the Disrupter
Toyota may not be the first company you think of for disruptive product and process development, but perhaps they should…
Read articleGetting Out of the Habit of Telling
In this engaging talk at the Lean Transformation Summit in Nashville, Katie Anderson talked about learning how to keep from…
Watch videoWhat is the hardest conversation you ever had during gemba walks?
Dear Gemba Coach: What is the hardest conversation that you have during gemba walks?
Read articleHow Does Asking Questions Create Change?
Lean is not a sum of processes to acquire and apply which then will make things magically work better. It’s…
Read articleConfessions of an Aspiring Coach
What I have found most striking about how managers approach building their coaching skills is the need to be more…
Read articleAre You Learning to Learn Faster? A Conversation with Steve Spear
Learning to close the gap in our learning cycle is critical to keeping our promises and achieving our goals, argues…
Listen to podcastWe mapped a process, improved it, but six months later, performance is as bad as it was before – what are we missing?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve drawn the value-stream map of one of our complex production processes (17 steps), identified the key…
Read articleAsk Art: What’s Wrong with Organizing By Function?
While you might be able to survive and be profitable using a traditional functional structure the fact is that you…
Read articleCardboard, Duct Tape, and String: The Do-First Mindset & Meaning of Kaizen
Whatever field you work in, if you are responsible for kaizen in your company, strive for making quick changes in…
Read articleReact Less and Improve More by Using SPC More Effectively
When we stop reacting to “noise” in a metric, we can better focus our improvement efforts, waste less time, and…
Read articleEp. 11 Closing the Learning Gap with Steven Spear
Today's podcast features a conversation about closing learning gaps between LEI's CEO Eric Beuhrens and Steve Spear. Steve is author…
Listen to podcastWhat’s your definition of lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: My company is adopting lean, which has so many definitions that I find it confusing. What's your…
Read articleSensing the Gemba
The next time you show up at the gemba to do a “go and see,” take a personal assessment of…
Read articleFresh Eyes Bring Lean Problems into Clarity
“Fresh eyes” reviews are an indispensible part of developing new value. It’s amazing what you can learn from the input…
Read articleAs Toast Kaizen Turns 20, Bruce Hamilton Shares How This Famous Video Came About
Watch this "director's cut" video by Bruce Hamilton sharing the backstory behind what has become a classic lean resource: Toast…
Read articleWhat personal qualities should I work on to improve my practice of lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: What personal qualities should I work on to improve how I practice lean?
Read articleFrom Port to Plate: How Legal Sea Foods Is Improving Through Lean
Legal Sea Foods is working with LEI to help launch a movement to change everything about the way traditional restaurants…
Read articleThe Cascade of Hoshin
A recent gemba walk at a Toyota plant reveals how the company operationalizes its hoshin plan — in this case,…
Read articlePD C+ A+ In the Classroom
Looking back on her time as a teacher through a lean lens, the author suggests how the process of education…
Read articleWhy haven’t lean tools changed our culture?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m part of a team that has been tasked to implement lean tools across the company to…
Read articleThinking About Waste Helps Build A Learning Culture Everywhere
Developing people to reduce waste in everything from using toilets to saving one second of work is key to creating…
Read articleWhat is Lean Product & Process Development (LPPD)?
This animation offers an overview of this proven approach to new product, process, and service development.
Watch videoI’m thinking about outsourcing some administrative activities to be more flexible, but what does lean say about outsourcing?
Dear Gemba Coach: Financial results do not allow me to have excess people. After two years of struggling, I'm thinking…
Read articleLean Lessons from Tesla
This piece throws no shade at Tesla, a company that serves as a highly-charged conduit for many a heated debate…
Read articleClarifying the ‘5 Whys’ Problem-Solving Method
This brief animation offers a detailed explanation of one way to discover a problem's root cause.
Watch videoUgly Babies, Silent Enemies and Other Short Stories from a Continuous Improvement Conference
Besides the lessons, challenges, and results that belong to a company’s lean transformation, there are personal journeys as well. Here’s…
Read articleEp. 10 Port to Plate, Lean Changes the Restaurant Industry with Legal Sea Foods’ Executive Chef Rich Vellante
Can the restaurant industry change they way they've worked for decades? Legal Sea Foods has been on their lean journey…
Listen to podcastAsk Art: Why Should I Be Able to Make Every Product Every Day?
Working on the goal of "every product every day" helps all companies realize the benefits of lean as a strategy,…
Read articleIs lean problem solving different from regular problem solving?
Dear Gemba Coach: How is lean problem solving any different from regular problem-solving?
Read articleLeadership and Having an Effective Plan
You wouldn’t want to be known as a source of “fake news” but are you practicing
Read articleYes, Lean is About Cost Reduction
Why focus on cost reduction? Because many of the cost-saving kaizens of are simpler and require less engineering resources, and…
Read articleBuild Awareness Through Seeing How Eliminating Waste Reduces Costs
As we grow our people we must continue to add new dimensions of thinking to engage them in their work…
Read articleTending the Roots of Lean with Lean Farmer Ben Hartman
Matt Savas shares the Lean roots found at Ben Hartman's Clay Bottom Farm in Goshen, Indiana, illustrating the many ways…
Read articleFive Tips on Lean Coaching
Here are some key coaching tips culled from content written by some of the top lean coaches.
Read articleAs a business unit manager who is new to lean, what is the one thing I must know to get it right?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m a business unit manager new to lean, and our CEO has decided to embark us on…
Read articleThoughts on Coaching from John Shook and Edgar Schein
Excerpts from an in-depth conversation between John Shook and Ed Schein on the nature of coaching, humble inquiry, and the…
Read articleLesson From Japan: Day Five
On this final set of shared lessons from Japan, our lean learners reflect on the spirit of kaizen and the…
Read articleA Humble Conversation
For the past two years, John Shook and Edgar Schein have enjoyed the honor of engaging in an on-stage dialogue.…
Read articleLessons from Japan: Day Four
On day four of the Lean Learning tour in Japan, the participants share their lessons, which are tied to this…
Read articleLessons From Japan: Day Three
Is Toyota improving productivity or developing people? What we saw today suggests not just that the answer is both but…
Read articleLessons from Japan: Day Two
A group of lean learners are touring world-class enterprises in Japan; here are postcards capturing their daily lessons gleaned from…
Read articleLean Lessons from Japan: Day One
This week, LEI is in Japan with 19 eager learners. The purpose of this trip is not just to see…
Read articleSometimes Smaller is Better – and Better is Lean
LEI CEO Eric Buehrens reflects on how lean relates to the deeply hopeful story of renewal, reconstruction, and citizen engagement…
Read articleValue Stream Walk, Management Walk or….Just Walking Around?
Gemba Walks can raise consciousness about problems and the possibilities for dramatic improvements, says Jim Womack. Or they can serve…
Read articleDo I have the right attitude during gemba walks?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I know if I have the right attitude during gemba walks? We’ve started doing those…
Read articleTry These Three Deliberate Practices of Lean Coaching
A lean coach doesn’t do PDCA; she or he has three deliberate practices that keep the PDCA gear rolling with…
Read articleSurviving CEO Change, Evolving Through Culture and Being a Humble Leader
Dr. Mahaniah was kind enough to sit down with LEI’s Chairman, John Shook to talk about growing up in different…
Listen to podcastEp. 9 Leadership, Building Consensus, and Embracing Culture with Dr. Kiame Mahaniah and John Shook
Two things to think about. Challenges and Culture.Challenges shape who we are. I think we can all look at who…
Listen to podcastAsk Art: Why Do People Reject Proof that Lean Works?
Despite compelling proof, most people will find a way to doubt the power of lean to improve their particular work,…
Read articleWhat is your psychology of change?
Dear Gemba Coach: Do you have a psychology of change? And if so, what is it? Where should we start?
Read articlePractical, Actionable Tips for Re-Engaging People with a Suggestion System, Part 2
Companies, responding to surveys showing that a troubling number of people are disengaged at work, respond with perks like nap…
Read articlePractical Tips for Re-Engaging People with a Suggestion System
Companies, responding to surveys showing that a troubling number of people are disengaged at work, respond with perks like nap…
Read articleWhat Are the Most Valuable Ways You Learned Lean?
Each approach to learning lean brings value into my work and improves my capabilities. There isn’t one way (for me)…
Read articleJoePa and Other Biases to Avoid
A recent viewing of the biographical film Paterno led LEI Senior Coach Mark Reich to reflect on the way many…
Read articleCan I change a company’s attitude that people can’t be trusted to do their jobs unless they are scared into complying?
Dear Gemba Coach: A major assumption in lean thinking is that people genuinely want to do a good job, and…
Read articleThe Formula for a Successful Management System: LB * OS = MS
In order to reap the benefits of an effective management system it is important that the operating system and leadership…
Read articleAre You Managing By The Right Numbers?
Knowing the key metrics to track will help you and your team start your learning journey, says Tracey Richardson. She…
Read articleCoaching the Uncoachable Comes Down to Rock Paper and Scissors
Breaking out of a thinking cycle that is already too full to learn anything can be found in thinking about…
Read articleStability Before Innovation
Given its foundational strengths of stable and robust product development, production, supplier development, and general management system, Toyota is well…
Read articleMindfulness and Leading with Respect
Mindfulness is both more essential today than ever, and a foundation for organizational lean excellence. Here John Shook and Mike…
Listen to podcastWhy ‘Yes Chef!’ Is No Longer the Answer
In order to meet the changing demands of today's restaurants, chefs must learn to evolve from old-school methods of the…
Read articleEp. 8 Mindfulness and Leading with Respect with Mike Orzen and John Shook
Author and and LEI faculty member Mike Orzen discuss connecting with people through leading with respect with John Shook.The conversation…
Listen to podcastWhy don’t I see any significant performance improvement from obeya rooms?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve deployed obeyas all across our organization, but I can’t see any significant improvement in our results.…
Read articleExpanding Our Perspective on Lean, Part 3: Lean is a Practice in Search of a Language
To explore the idea that there may be other angles for understanding lean management than business or analytical perspectives, a…
Read articleHow to Create a Lean Management Book Club that Executives Will Actually Attend
At the start of a lean transformation, a continuous improvement leader convinced her division president that a book club would…
Read articleLean Roundup: Respect for People
Respect for People is one of the most abstract and yet most concrete tenets of lean, a guiding principle that…
Read articleAny thoughts about lean and Industry 4.0?
Dear Gemba Coach: What about lean and digital? Any thoughts? And on Industry 4.0?
Read articleFinding a Lean Cure that Respects the Health of Healthcare Workers
In his prognosis of the health care system, LEI CEO Eric Buehrens says we need to improve the work to…
Read articleExpanding Our Perspective on Lean Management, Part 2: Lean has its Roots in Spirituality
To explore the idea that there may be other angles for understanding lean management than business or analytical perspectives, a…
Read articleEp. 7 Is Lean Thinking Japanese Culture? Jim Womack and Matt Savas Discuss What They Saw While Touring Toyota in Japan
Jim Womack interviews Matt Savas about a recent trip to Toyota Motor Kyushu, Japan.Matt and Jim share their observations on…
Listen to podcastWhy does no one ask about production flow anymore?
Dear Gemba Coach: As I read lean posts and papers, no one seems to have problems like this anymore, but…
Read articleAsk Art: Am I Showing Respect for People by Asking for Fast Action?
Lean is a “learn by doing” exercise not a classroom training approach. The best method I know to achieve this…
Read articleMapping a Reading List to Lean
We humans want to see what is happening, understand how we and our colleagues best collaborate, solve problems, make good…
Read articleRespect the Customer By Respecting Your Worker
Lean provides us with a different approach to this vicious cycle. Build a management system in your company that allows…
Read articleOut of Fertile “Pre-Lean” Soil Bloom Lean Leaders
A new generation of leaders varies in individual styles but shares common beliefs that create a foundation for successful lean…
Read articleToyota chief engineers have no power? Really?
Dear Gemba Coach: We often hear that Toyota chief engineers have no power. Really? So how does that work? Why…
Read articleThe Road to Production Hell is Paved with Lack of LPPD
The real work of companies like Tesla who face stupendous challenges in launching a product should have happened long before…
Read articleThe Quiet Factory
Could noise be considered another waste to be reduced in the system? Matt Savas ponders the implications of a Toyota…
Read articleFighting Poverty with Lean Product & Process Design at MIT D-Lab
D-Lab at MIT is using lean product and process design to help solve problems in the developing world, and are…
Watch videoAs CEO, how do I get my management team to support the lean effort?
Dear Gemba Coach: As a CEO, lean has enabled me to renew our company’s profitable growth, so I love it.…
Read articleLearning to Teach the Soft Side of Lean
If there’s one common theme among virtually any failed effort, it boils to a failure to engage people in the purpose,…
Read articleEP. 6 Fighting Poverty with Lean Product/Process Development at MIT D-Lab
D-Lab at MIT is using LPPD thinking to help solve problems in the developing world, and are truly making the…
Listen to podcastRethinking the Model Line
The model line, once seen as the key to helping organizations learn and share lean thinking, has served a critical…
Read articleSeeing the Work of a Daily Management System
Daily management systems tap visual elements that expose problems, and also use obeyas as thinking spaces for reflecting on broader…
Read articleWhat’s wrong with taking a tools approach to lean management?
Dear Gemba Coach: I keep hearing that a tool approach to lean is wrong, but tools deliver results – how…
Read articleLean Management Meets Artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, the Internet of All Things
What part, if any, will lean principles – or humans – play in a manufacturing future of artificial intelligence, machine…
Read article9 Tips for Better Design Reviews
Design reviews can be the heartbeat of a healthy operating system. Here are some tips for creating better design reviews.
Read articleAsk Art: Why Do I Need to Switch From Batch to Flow?
Moving from batch to flow reveals the waste in your processes and simplifies your work at a systems level, says…
Read articleValuing The Tradition of Learning and Sharing Lean: a new WLEI Podcast
This new WLEI podcast, recorded live at the 2018 summit, features a panel discussion with Jim Womack and three lean…
Watch videoExpanding Our Perspective on Lean Management, Part 1: A Creative Ethic
To explore the idea that there may be other angles for understanding lean management principles than purely business or analytical…
Read articleEp. 5: The Lean Farm and Sharing Your Gift Live from the 2018 Lean Transformation Summit
Live from the 2018 Lean Transformation Summit in Nashville, Jim Womack interviews Ben Hartman, author of the Lean Farm, Joel…
Listen to podcastHow effective is a book club?
Dear Gemba Coach: How effective is a book club? Should we invest in book clubs?
Read articleDeveloping People Not Robots Through Karakuri
"Karakuri demonstrates that Toyota’s working currency is brainpower, grown through rigorous problem-solving and mentors who challenge their students," writes Matt…
Read articleStriking With The Zen Stick
A key part of lean coaching is the practice of striking with a zen stick, says Dan Prock. This helps…
Read articleHow do I know people are displaying the right visual information in an office?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve been quite successful with lean in our operations, and I’ve been tasked to bring it to…
Read articleToyota Kata at Zingerman’s Mail Order
This month's Toyota Kata video is about the early days of TK practice at Zingerman's Mail Order. Decision-making can be…
Watch videoMaster the Meaning of “Giri”
"Giri" represents the profound obligation of the student has toward their teacher, the apprentice to the journeyman or the child…
Read article“People who can’t change their minds can’t change anything else”
Many people argue that if lean management really was a powerful strategy, rather than an operational tactic, then more companies…
Read articleEp. 4: Tracey and Ernie Richardson with John Shook Live at the Lean Transformation Summit
Tracey and Ernie Richardson, authors of the Toyota Engagement Equation join John Shook on the main stage at the Lean…
Listen to podcastEric Buehrens Keynote at the 2018 Lean Transformation Summit
LEI CEO Eric Buehrens looks at ways that lean thinkers can help contribute to the future of work.
Watch videoWhy do you keep referring to Toyota; does it still matter?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m very interested in lean, but fail to see why you guys keep referring to Toyota. What does…
Read articleJim Womack’s Keynote Address from the 2018 Lean Summit
Catch the presentation of Jim Womack on the topic of how to develop better employees by becoming a better employer.
Read articleBecoming My Own Gemba
Like me, thousands of people suffer from undiagnosed or more complex medical conditions that mimic other conditions. And my TPS…
Read articleEp. 3: Amazon and Buffet Tackle the Healthcare Tapeworm with Eric Buehrens and Chet Marchwinski
A few weeks ago Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffet, and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon announced…
Listen to podcastAsk Art: Why Should I Set Stretch Goals?
Art Byrne urges you to take the lean leap and set stretch goals. Setting ambitious goals shows respect for your…
Read articleHR Strategies for Successful and Sustainable Lean Transformations
The interest in strengthening employee engagement is sometimes considered a separate topic from lean transformations. Cheryl Jekiel, who has over…
Read articleThe Magnificent 7 of Lean Manufacturing
How do you establish stability on a shop floor that’s chaotic? Andrew Quibell recommends “7 manufacturing basics,” his personal selection…
Read articleIs kanban relevant to office work?
Dear Gemba Coach: I understand that kanban is an important part of lean, but I work in an office environment,…
Read articleThe Battle for the Soul of Lean
When elements of lean management began to infiltrate management ranks decades ago, a ìgreat divideî quickly formed, according to author…
Read articleLean Principles Apply to Fuzzy R&D Too
Lean principles work not only for incremental innovation and repetitive R&D work but for the “fuzzy” or disruptive part of…
Read articleEp. 1: Lean and Tesla with John Shook and Jim Womack
Lean thought leaders Jim Womack and John Shook discuss Tesla.Related Articles:Tesla vs. TPS: Seeking the Soul in the New Machine While…
Listen to podcastEp. 2: Shook & Womack discuss the creation of the books Learning to See and Managing to Learn
20 years ago the book Learning to See was published, bringing with it the concept of Value Stream Mapping. Now…
Listen to podcastAndon Cues Service Center to Respond to Customer Queue
An Ohio Mutual service center has no andon cord to stop a production line but the principal is the same…
Read articleI read everywhere that in lean we should focus on process over results – does that mean we ignore budgets?
Dear Gemba Coach: I read everywhere that in lean we should focus on process over results – does that mean…
Read articleHuman Resources and Lean; It Really Is About People
Despite an expert’s exhortations to “do more kaizen, develop kaizen mind” this lean transformation failed. Find out why from someone…
Read articleMoving People Around as Key to Unlocking Financial Outcomes of Lean
As lean accounting pioneer Jean Cunningham will tell you, there’s much more to understanding lean’s financial benefits than looking at…
Watch videoIf lean is all about people, why are the discussions impersonally cold and rational?
Dear Gemba Coach: Lean thinkers say it’s all about people, but the debates are then all so cold and rational. Where…
Read articleMindset and the Andon Cord
When it comes to Andon, we like to talk about visual management, fast response, supporting employees, and other technical aspects.…
Watch videoTesla vs. TPS: Seeking the Soul in the New Machine
While Tesla has excited customers and drawn praise for innovative design and bold thinking, author Jeff Liker believes that it…
Read articleYour Consultant Doesn’t Have the Answers
Inspired by a true story from his tenure at the Toyota Production System Support Center, LEI Senior Coach Mark in…
Read articleAny advice for someone (me) in sales who fails to see how lean can help?
Dear Gemba Coach: Our company has a long history of lean in manufacturing, but I work in the sales department.…
Read articleA Reflection on Competition
A meta-analysis of research shows that among the three main ways of achieving business goals, collaboration beats competition and individualism…
Watch videoTips for Proving the Financial Value of Lean to Leadership
Of the many aspects of lean accounting, one that has proven especially useful is the principle of “cost avoidance.” Today…
Read articleHow do I fix our main delivery processes — again?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m part of a large logistics organization and our on-time-delivery is simply disastrous. We’ve done a first…
Read articleAsk Art: Why do you say the CEO needs to become a lean expert?
A key first step for any CEO leading a lean conversion is to call 1-800-lean-consultant to find an expert to…
Read articleHow do I love thee? Let me count the ways – on a Valentine’s Day A3
The question lean practitioners Tracy and Ernie Richardson get more than any other isn’t about problem-solving, takt time, standardization, or…
Watch videoBut when should we use design thinking or lean thinking?
Dear Gemba Coach: I read your latest and very interesting Gemba Coach column comparing design thinking and lean thinking. But…
Read articleIs there a crack in the model of continuous improvement?
Is this a case of déjà vu all over again? The Wall Street Journal says the sterling reputation of “Japanese…
Read articleDoing Versus Being – How Mindfulness Supports Better Lean Thinking, Part 2
Most companies don’t get the desired results from lean transformations, according to Mike Orzen, lean practitioner and LEI faculty member.…
Read articleUnique Industries Continue to Share and Learn from their Common Challenges: Fall 2017 LPPD Learning Group Activity
The Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) organized the second Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) Learning Group event of 2017, which…
Read article3 Therapies to Purge the Healthcare “Tapeworm”
LEI CEO Eric Buehrens, former COO and interim CEO of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, has three suggestions for…
Read articleThe Lean Farm: Better Food, Productivity, and Profits — with Less Work
Farming may be the next industry ripe for disruption. For example, Ben Hartman grew up on a 500-acre corn and…
Read articleBe a Better Coach; Learn to “Force” Reflection Part 2: Forcing Managers and Execs to Reflect
How to hold senior-level leaders accountable for expected behaviors and practices, such as the PDCA process' "check/reflect" phase.
Read articleBe a Better Coach: Learn to “Force” Your Team to Reflect, Part 1
Sustaining a lean thinking culture requires consistent leadership and coaching that reinforces expected behaviors and practices. Here’s an example of…
Read articleAre Design Thinking and Lean Thinking the Same?
Dear Gemba Coach: As a practitioner and advocate of design thinking, I’ve been curious about lean, but it seems to…
Read articleThinking Fast and Slow and Lean with John Shook
On the 20th anniversary of Lean Thinking, John Shook delivered this Lean Talk on the principles the book introduced, how…
Read articleFixing Lean’s “Sales” Problem
When companies begin lean transformations, IT systems too often are viewed as obstacles. So, some lean thinkers may view Jacob…
Read articleStarter Kata for Coaching
The latest Kata SlideShare (and embedded 8-minute video) traces an arc of practice and learning of coaching skill. Establish a…
Watch videoLearning to Lead, Leading to Learn
Hear how a personal lean transformation supported a crucial organizational transformation following a financial crisis at a large medical center.…
Watch videoDoing Versus Being – How Mindfulness Supports Better Lean Thinking
Most companies don’t get the expected results from their lean transformations, according to Mike Orzen, lean practitioner and LEI faculty…
Read articleThe 5 Diseases of Prioritization
Prioritization is rarely a problem by itself. Instead, it’s a symptom of a set of illnesses: Swervy, Thickets, Costeoporosis, Planemia,…
Read articleThank you, Tatsuro Toyoda
John Shook remembers the late Tatsuro Toyoda, former president of Toyota.
Read articleWhat would “process points” be in software development?
Dear Gemba Coach: Thank you for your previous column that has raised profound questions for me to work on with…
Read articleLean Principles Are the Bread & Butter of this Retail Transformation
Entrepreneurs explain how their chain of bakeries and retail stores used lean continuous improvement to profitably expand, engage employees, and…
Watch videoHow Do I Tell Good Obeya Rooms From Bad?
Dear Gemba Coach: Obeyas are popping up everywhere in our organization, and I don’t know what to look for to…
Read articleYour Favorite Lean Posts of 2017: A Lean Post Holiday Special
2017 has seen another terrific year of content on the Lean Post. Over the past 12 months we've released dozens…
Read articleShook Addresses Current State of Lean Thinking After U.S-Turkey Tiff Compels Keynote Countermeasure
Indefatigable presenter John Shook quickly made this video as a countermeasure to being denied entry to Turkey, where he was…
Read articleIf lean really is about innovation, why does so much of it seem to be about logistics?
Dear Gemba Coach: If lean really is about innovation, why does so much of it seem to be about logistics,…
Read articleThe Time for Healthcare Leaders to Implement Lean Is Now – Stat!
Pioneering healthcare leaders have demonstrated that lean applied to healthcare can help solve the problems of quality, delivery of care,…
Read articleWant Better Employees? Be a Better Employer.
Every nation in the world is on a quest to create more jobs. As they should be. But, we don’t…
Read articleOrganization Follows a Lean-like Vision for Eradicating Poverty
Meet the anti-poverty movement's Taiichi Ohno.
Read articleASK ART: “Why do you say lean is all about people?”
Lean is all about people, says author and former CEO Art Byrne, who has been successfully turning around companies for…
Read articleWhat does “separation of human work and machine work” mean?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been trying to learn more about Jidoka and I keep coming across references to “separation of…
Read article7 Elements of Quality on the Shop Floor
"How do you lean out a quality approach that can work on the shop floor (maybe even compatible in a…
Read articleThe Lean Bakery: A Q&A with 365’s Staff
In their first interview with The Lean Post, Leo and Agus Tena, children of the authors of the new LEI…
Read articleWhat Too Many Leaders Get Wrong with Coaching Kata
Think you can dive headfirst into Coaching Kata with your direct reports? Think again.
Read articleWhen should we do an A3 or use a different problem-solving tool?
Dear Gemba Coach: I would really appreciate your perspective on the following: (1) When should we do an A3 for…
Read articleThe Future of Lean Healthcare: A Faster Type of Transformation?
We all know that lean transformations take a long time to occur, and in some senses, they never end. But…
Watch videoThe (Real) Lean Firefighter: Bringing Lean to the Grand Rapids Fire Department
Brad Brown had no lean experience when he joined the Grand Rapids Fire Department (GRFD) in 2003. But as the…
Read articleWhy don’t people learn from experience?
Dear Gemba Coach: On the gemba, we have many problems to manage every day. People don’t seem to learn from…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Getting More Suggestions without Incentivizing Employees
Improving the work is difficult, if not impossible, without suggestions from those who actually do the work. But in many…
Read articleAsk Art: Can Lean and “Make-the-Month” Co-exist?
"Make-the-month" programs are not unusual in manufacturing organizations. But, many people have asked Art Byrne, are such programs compatible with…
Read articleDon’t Start with Tools!
Starting off your lean transformation with one of the various tools at your disposal is certainly tempting. But according to…
Read articleHow do we ensure sustainability of a successful lean effort?
Dear Gemba Coach: We used training and workshops to roll out a lean program with good early results – what…
Read articleThe “Playbook” of Sustaining Change
In a world where most lean transformations fail, what can we do to learn from others' mistakes and help our…
Read articleIt Starts Within: The Lean Journey of CI&T
The lean transformation of Brazilian tech company CI&T was unique in that it began with an implementation of hoshin kanri.…
Read articleIt’s Not All About the Cash: How to Help Leadership Understand Lean’s Financial Benefits
Lean's cost savings might not show up immediately on the income statement -- but that doesn't mean there were no…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: The Most Frustrating Types of Waste (and How to Eliminate Them!) II
If you've ever lost sleep over a particularly frustrating source of waste in your organization, you're not alone. Today we…
Read articleWhat do you recommend — clarify roles and responsibilities first or reengineer the process first and then define R&R?
Dear Gemba Coach: What do you recommend – clarify roles and responsibilities first or reengineer the process first and then…
Read articleLessons Learned from the Cleveland Indians’ Historic 22-Game Winning Streak
In the wake of the Cleveland Indians' record-shattering 22-game winning streak, George Taninecz reflects on some important business lessons that…
Read articleCan a Lean Mentality Help You in a Crisis?
We all know lean's power when problem solving. But what power does it have in resolving crises, which are more…
Read articleIs There a Tradeoff Between Employee Morale and Productivity?
"Is there a tradeoff between employee morale and productivity?" is a question oft-discussed in lean circles. Ken Eakin has his…
Read articleHow big should my lean promotion office be?
Dear Gemba Coach: How large should my lean promotion office be if I want to achieve quickly a lean culture…
Read articlePhases of Practice
Pierre Nadeau of soulsmithing.com talks about learning new skills, and phases of learning called "Shu Ha Ri." Those phases are…
Watch videoHow Do You Know What Your Product or Service Needs to Be?
What does it take to know what your product or service needs to be? The obvious answer, it would seem,…
Read articleWhy Bother Making It Visual?
What to do when you need to make the work visible, but your people aren't behind it? Leslie Barker has…
Read articleAs a facilitator, how much do I have to know about an area targeted for improvement?
Dear Gemba Coach: As a lean "facilitator" in my organization, how important is it to gain a deep understanding of…
Read articleLean Was a Lot Simpler Back in the Day…
Lean transformations aren't easy. But, according to Brent Wahba, they weren't always that way. In his newest Post, Brent discusses…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Top Mistakes Lean Leaders Make III
Mistakes are just a part of lean, even for leaders. Luckily they're also a great opportunity for improvement. Today three…
Read articleLean Coffee-Inspired Coaching
Lean Coffee has been praised for making meetings more productive by giving all participants a say in creating an agenda…
Read articleIs the digital revolution a more important business development than lean?
Dear Gemba Coach, Isn’t the digital revolution, especially in services, a more important business development than lean?
Read articleFollow-up Q&A for Jim Lancaster’s Work of Management Webinar
“The Real Work of Management” webinar drew very engaged attendees who submitted hundreds of questions. We now present some of…
Read articleWhen A3s Get Personal
Think A3s are just for organizational problems? Think again. Katie Anderson discusses how to adapt A3 thinking to guide our…
Read articleAsk Art: “Do lean conversions actually go smoothly, like in the books?”
Art Byrne receives many inquiries from people wondering whether lean transformations really are as smooth as they seem in books,…
Read articleIs lean different from creating a culture of problem-solving?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m an OD coach interested in lean, and wonder how lean is different from creating a culture…
Read articleThe Art of Productive Inquiry
Last month Andrew Quibell released a sketch outlining a process for effective silent observation. His new sketch shares what to…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Making Repetitive Tasks More Exciting
Repetitive tasks can create a drag on workers' morale and motivation as boredom sets in, and a disillusioned workforce will…
Read article5S – The Way to Start Your Lean Journey…or Is It?
Many people think that a 5S implementation is the perfect way to kickstart a full lean transformation. It can be…
Read articleBack-to-School Lean: Lunchbox Kanban
Lean thinking is just as impactful on the home front as it is at work. In honor of back-to-school season,…
Read articleBetter Design Reviews, Better Products
"Design reviews are a common process in product and process development," writes Katrina Appell. And they're common for good reason.…
Read articleBack to Basics: Jim Womack on Why Managers Need a “Lean State of Mind”
In this classic eletter from 2009, Jim Womack explains the crucial importance of a "lean state of mind" if a…
Read articleSBP Has a Helping Hand in Hurricane Harvey
Learn how SBP (formerly Saint Bernard Project) is using lean to help victims of Hurricane Harvey and other natural disasters…
Read articleBack to Basics: Jim Womack on Why You Should Never Create an A3 Alone
In this eletter from 2008, Jim Womack (in honor of the then-recent publication of "Managing to Learn") shares invaluable advice…
Read articleBack to Basics: John Shook on the Role of Questions in Coaching
In this throwback to the classic John Shook eletter "Coaching and Questions; Questions and Coaching," we learn the impacts of…
Read articleWhat lean concepts are most difficult to teach?
Dear Gemba Coach: In your experience of teaching lean, what do you find most difficult to teach?
Read articleWhy You Should Think of Lean Tools as Frames
Michael Ballé, co-author of the recent book "The Lean Strategy" with Dan Jones, Orry Fiume, and Jacques Chaize; discusses why…
Read articleReal 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…
Read articleDo You Practice Routine Personal Development?
Once we learn lean we often start seeing it everywhere, even in places we might least expect it. In this…
Read articleIt’s All About the Mindset on Gemba Walks
Darren Walsh believes that there are few things more critical to a successful gemba walk than the right mindset. Do…
Read articleHow Obeya Improved Our Product Development Efforts
As a followup to John Drogosz's piece on the stages of obeya from last week, Andy Houk, a client of…
Read articleYes, Lean is a Strategy!!!
Is lean a strategy? Absolutely YES, says lean author and thinker Orry Fiume. Replying to feedback on his new book,…
Read articleThe Art of Silent Observation
Silent observation is not as intuitive as it may sound. Andrew Quibell often meets people who think it's as simple…
Read articleAsk Art: Is there a balance between lean and full automation?
As a followup to his piece last month dealing with another aspect of lean and automation, Art Byrne now explores…
Read articleFollow-up Webinar Q&A with Jim Lancaster, Lantech CEO and author of the Work of Management
"The Real Work of Management" webinar drew an engaged audience that wanted to know more about the daily management system…
Read articleWhy do lean management experts differ on how to apply lean principles?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve worked with several managers who worked at Toyota or Toyota suppliers who were considered experts in…
Read articleLean Transformation: “Shock and Awe” vs. “Slow and Grow”
When leading a lean transformation, is it better to use the "shock and awe" method or the "low and slow"…
Read articleDeveloping Your Obeya, Stage-by-Stage
In his years as a LPPD coach, John Drogosz has seen that "most teams do go through several stages of…
Read articleAny advice for how to implement real pull across the company?
Dear Gemba Coach: My boss, the operations VP, has asked me to implement a pull system across the whole company.…
Read articleThe “Dimensions” of Lean
In this exclusive interview from the 2017 Lean Transformation Summit, LEI Director of Education Karen Gaudet shares her own take…
Watch videoRiding the Goodyear Wheel to Innovation Excellence
Norbert Majerus of Goodyear shares the Womack and Jones-inspired model that helped his company overhaul its product development operations.
Read articleAssessing Problem Solving Capability in Job Candidates: A True Account
Last month, Derrick Redding shared three questions that you can ask job candidates to assess their problem-solving capacity. As a…
Read article5 Steps to Empowering Your Team
Empowering an entire team can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. You just need a good background understanding…
Read articleGetting Religious About Problem Solving
Have you ever heard of a lean transformation guided by scriptures? The people at LifeWayChristian Resources' distribution center in Tennessee…
Read articleUncovering Lean’s Soul
Dr. John Ehrenfeld argues that lean as a different way of being is still woefully undervalued in lean transformations today.…
Read articleWhy don’t you use plain English instead of confusing Japanese terms such as “monozukuri” or “hitozukuri”?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why do you keep using confusing Japanese terms such as “monozukuri” or “hitozukuri” rather than plain English?…
Read articleSummer Kata Video: Example Coaching Cycle
The five Coaching Kata questions are just the main headings for a coaching cycle, and prompts to help reveal how…
Watch videoThe Story of an Error
As a followup to his popular article from earlier this summer about lean profit-sharing plans, Orry Fiume delves deeper. He…
Read articleAsk Art: Is there a conflict between automation/IT and lean?
An oft-heard debate in lean circles revolves around automation and IT. Do IT/automation complement lean? Or do they clash with…
Read articleBook Value: The Mental ABC’s of Pitching
"With both the All-Star Game and our Lean Coaching Summit approaching, I got to thinking about ways that non-lean books…
Read articleOur hoshin plan failed. What do we do now?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do we deal with hoshin kanri when things don’t work out as planned?
Read articleYou can do a lot by doing a few things
"Developing a good strategy and actually executing it is really hard," writes Leslie Barker. "What I didn’t fully realize was…
Read article“Do I have to be a team leader for the rest of my life?”
In this reprint of his latest e-letter, LEI Chairman and CEO John Shook reflects on the powerful lessons in the…
Read articleDo I have to be team leader for the rest of my life
At his talk at the Lean Transformation Summit earlier this year, and at conferences since then, including Industry Week and…
Read articleWill a real andon system bring the factory to a full stop?
Dear Gemba Coach: What would happen if we practiced andon for real – wouldn’t the factory simply stop?
Read articleWant to Be a Better Leader and Coach? Listen to Yourself
Conduct this simple two-step analysis to learn whether you’re practicing the communication behavior that encourages a culture of engagement and…
Read articleManager-Employee Communication: What Neuroscience Tells Us
Delving deeper into how humans’ innate social need to be connected and accepted explains why and how a managers’ interactions…
Read articleLeaders’ Actions Speak, but Their Talk Matters Too
How leaders talk to employees can either help or hurt efforts to create and sustain a culture of engagement and…
Read articleHow can I tell good lean consultants from bad?
If lean’s not a scam – but there are scammers -- how can I distinguish good lean consultants from bad?
Read articleDaily Management, Daily Sustainment: The Remarkable Story of Lean Transformation at Lantech
Jim Lancaster attended the 2017 Lean Transformation Summit in Carlsbad, California to speak about Lantech's journey to create a daily…
Read articleThe Concept Paper for a New Product: The Kickstart of a LPPD Project
Lean product and process development is not an easy undertaking, neither to understand nor execute. Luckily, there is a tool…
Read articleAsk Art: Does lean compromise innovation?
To some, lean and innovation seem counterproductive. But Art Byrne is not one of them. Find out why he says…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Top Mistakes Lean Leaders Make II
Everybody makes mistakes, lean leaders included. Our previous list of mistakes made by lean leaders was the highest-performing installment in…
Read article7 Things Coaches Need to Get Over
"Over the years, I have noticed some common misperceptions about coaching effective problem solving skills and developing lean thinking," writes…
Read articleI’ll Follow You into the Dark…
We all know that lean transformations can happen in any industry or environment. But have you ever thought about a…
Read articlePainting the Vision for Your Organization
To successfully deploy a new initiative, leaders "need to paint a vision to engage employees at every level, from executives…
Read articleHow a Retailer’s Distribution Center Exemplifies the Lean Precept “Respect for People,” and Reaps the Benefits
To make sure training engaged and resonated with people after previous attempts at a lean transformation faltered, LifeWay matched lean…
View case studyFollow-up to your comments on the “lean is a scam” column
Dear Gemba Coach Readers: I’ve been following the “scam” discussion with interest. Thank you for reading and taking the time to…
Read article3 Interview Questions to Gauge Candidates’ Problem-Solving Capacity
It's always great to promote from within when trying to fill lean leadership roles. But what if you have to…
Read articleYour Gemba Isn’t the Only Gemba to Walk
We all know the critical importance of gemba walks in our organization. But what many of us forget is that…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Personal Kanbans for Lean Beginners
Kanban boards. For many of us, they were the first visual management tools we used that taught us the benefits…
Read articleManaging to Win: The Remarkable Lean Transformation of Phase 2
Revisit the enlightening case study of Phase 2's lean transformation in the face of losing its biggest customer, plus insider…
Watch videoWhen Do You Stop Learning?
Lean is about learning continuously and asking the right questions, not just providing answers. But, Orry Fiume wonders, does the…
Read articleIsn’t lean just a scam to squeeze teams for more production?
Dear Gemba Coach: Lean is a scam. People like you who write about “respect” are pushing a smoke screen that…
Read articleAre You Prioritizing Efficiency Over Value?
A major element of lean is efficiency, but it's certainly not the ONLY element. While it may seem logical that…
Read articleJob 1?
Ford CEO Mark Fields just decided he needed to cut costs. Then he suddenly realized he had 1400 people he…
Read articleAsk Art: Is Lean a Strategy?
The debate over whether lean should be considered a strategy, philosophy, methodology, etc. is a long one. Merriam-Webster defines a…
Read articleWebinar: The Real Work of Management
The Real Work of Management webinar featuring Jim Lancaster, author of The Work Management.
Watch webinarLean Roundup: Lean in the News
"While few business leaders seem to be discussing lean explicitly these days, there are certainly a great deal of tangentially…
Read articleHow can we tell if gemba walks by our CEO are actually improving the business?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re instituting a program of gemba walks by our CEO. How will we know if we’re progressing?
Read article“Too Busy to Walk the Gemba”
Chris Weisbrod of Catalysis explains why healthcare leaders often claim they're too busy to walk the gemba and shares a…
Read articleA Tool That Every High-Mix, Low-Volume Leader Needs to See
"High mix, low volume operations are a difficult concept to grasp," writes Greg Lane. But it doesn't have to be…
Read articleToyota Kata Practice – Run Charts
Tony Webster provides an excellent 15-minute video guide for creating and using run charts, which are an essential practice in…
Watch videoWant to Respect Your People? Share the Profits!
People and profit are key in any company, not just a lean one. But too often, an organization's drive for…
Read articleShouldn’t lean focus on solutions, rather than problems?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why is lean so focused on problem solving? Isn’t seeing everything as a problem negative? Shouldn’t we…
Read articleHow Team Leaders Should Divide Their Time
"Through my career, I’ve seen one group of individuals on the shop floor who need the most support and training…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: How Do People Accidentally Make Change Unsustainable?
The only thing tougher than change is SUSTAINING change, we often hear. But does sustaining change need to be SO…
Read articleHow Lean Changed My Work: Lean Without Knowing It
Last month LEI sent out an email asking the lean community how lean changed their work. For Jeremy Venable of…
Read articleTechnology-Driven Improvement Initiatives (and Other Amazing Magic Tricks)
"In my experience, projects based on the scientific method are more likely to succeed than projects focused primarily on Information…
Read articleAsk Art: Why do so few companies that implement lean do it successfully?
We've all heard the stories of failed lean implementations, as well as the hotly debated question of "Why did it…
Read articleWhat’s your opinion on setting specific criteria before brainstorming countermeasures?
Dear Gemba Coach: What’s your opinion on setting specific criteria before brainstorming countermeasures?
Read articleChanging High School Culture with Lean Coaching
Nearly eight years ago, headteacher Tony Lamberton of Christleton High School was struggling with poor reviews of his school. After…
Watch video“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…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Top Mistakes Lean Leaders Make I
Making mistakes is a natural part of lean thinking and practice. Here, three LEI faculty members share some common, yet…
Read articleWhat Too Many Lean Leaders Forget about Gemba Walks
Lean Coach Darren Walsh of the UK's Lean Enterprise Academy has seen many lean leaders make a troubling, yet highly…
Read articleFaster than a Speeding Kanban…
"All of us living in Leanworld are well-trained to look for problems, identify gaps, and cure root causes," writes Brent…
Read articleEnabling Fast and Innovative Product Development at Bose
Bringing products to market as quickly as possible is a key cornerstone of lean product and process development. With this…
Read articleWhat do you mean by developing people?
Dear Gemba Coach: What do you mean by developing people?
Read articleDeveloping 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…
Read articleLaunching and Sustaining a Lean “Pop-Up”
"It’s not unusual for a lean leader or lean practitioner to feel alone, especially in a company or enterprise early…
Read articlePDCA thinking and the NCAA March Madness tournament
"There is so much thinking that goes into this thing called 'Bracketology,' which gives sports fans a way to 'grasp…
Read articleThe Future of Continuous Improvement
"Do not feel absolutely certain of anything." (From: Bertrand Russell's Ten Commandments of Teaching)
Watch videoWhat do you think are the pros and cons of merging lean and TOC?
Dear Gemba Coach: In the DevOps movement, the amalgamation of agile, lean, and IT service management practices, there is a…
Read articleLean Roundup: Pull
A pull system links all production activity to actual customer demand--and creates what one lean thinker calls "an architecture for…
Read articleDo You Own Your Lean Learning?
LEI COO and Toyota veteran Mark Reich is back with a new series on the role of consultants and OpEx…
Read articleWorking on the Management
Effective daily management is still hard to achieve for most organizations, says Jim Womack. But until line managers start tackling…
Read articleHow do we deal with a command-and-control boss?
Dear Gemba Coach: Our boss always says, “It’s not my job to tell you how to do yours!” But then…
Read articleCreating Trust: The Role of the Supervisor as Coach
"Organizationally, I believe that the coaching role needs to be fulfilled by the supervisor," writes Dave LaHote. But all too…
Watch videoAsk Art: Is there a formula to predict or evaluate the success of a lean implementation?
Art Byrne is often asked how to best measure the success of a lean transformation -- but does such a…
Read articleA Week of Kaizen in Just One Day
"Often when I hear people talk about kaizen, they are under the impression that this is some huge event with…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: How Can I Change a Culture?
One of the most common questions asked by lean leaders is the question of culture change. How, they ask, can…
Read articleLive Updates from the 2017 Lean Transformation Summit: Day One
Another Summit is here! This year we're in beautiful, sunny Carlsbad, Cali. reporting the latest. Tune in today to learn…
Read articleIs there a lean way of delegating?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m an entrepreneur and I used to micromanage everything, quite successfully. Now the firm has grown and…
Read articleLooking for split seconds, it can mean a NASCAR race WIN!
Tracey and Ernie Richardson explore how NASCAR pit crews use visuals for safety and speed.
Read articleEWABI, Earth Corporations (E-CORPS) & Electric Bamboo Bikes
Can electric bamboo bikes made in Bali offer a potential solution to global social, economic and environmental injustice? What does…
Read articleHow to More Effectively Change Mindsets through Coaching
In her many years as a coach, Karyn Ross has found an alternative to the current paradigm of changing mindsets.…
Read articleWe meet daily to examine a new customer complaint. What do we do next?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re a start-up and have taken your advice: we now have a customer wall and we meet…
Read articleLean Roundup: 5S
LEI's Senior Editor Tom Ehrenfeld provides an engaging insight into the web's best resources on 5S, a fundamental lean tool…
Read articleWhat are the key traits I should look for in a potential Chief Engineer? A Q&A with Katrina Appell
The Chief Engineer is a key cornerstone of lean product and process development. Katrina Appell has been asked many times…
Read articleWhat’s the lean take on learning?
Dear Gemba Coach: Our previous CEO used to preach “servant leadership,” but now’s he’s left and the new style is…
Read articleAccelerating Justice with Lean Forensics
One of our most popular subjects on The Lean Post is the use of lean in unorthodox places. But one…
Read articleMuda Corporation: The Pitfalls of 5S
In the latest installment of his "Muda Corporation" series, Marius Gil shares nine common mistakes he has seen people make…
Read articleDoes lean change how you think about business?
Dear Gemba Coach: I can see that lean changes how one thinks about business, but can’t quite put my finger…
Read articleLean Quotes from John Shook to Inspire You and Your Team
We share with you some inspiring quotes from LEI CEO John Shook.
Read articleA Thriving Community of Practice – Book Report
I am often asked why the “lean movement” has outlasted so many business improvement movements that have come and gone.…
Read articleResearch, Reflections, and Challenges: John Shook’s Closing Keynote of 2016
At the end of every Lean Transformation Summit, Lean Enterprise Institute Chairman and CEO John Shook gives his traditional closing…
Watch videoAsk Art: Is “We are customer-driven” a good lean strategy?
Art Byrne is often asked if "customer-driven" is a good lean strategy. The answer is yes - as long as…
Read articlePlanning Meetings Around A3s
"How many times have you sat in a meeting to discuss solving a pressing, urgent or serious problem – and…
Read articleIs “lean” now just an over-hyped word that is losing its value?
Dear Gemba Coach: I have spent the day with a group of people in the LeanIT, Agile, ITSM, IT4IT, DevOps,…
Read articleManaging to Create Problem-Solvers: A Lean Transformation Summit Roundup
Countless people have asked us over the years, "My organization can't be lean without a problem-solving culture. So how do…
Read articleLean Roundup: Continuous Problem-Solving
Continuing his popular Lean Roundup series, LEI Senior Editor Tom Ehrenfeld covers a key topic in lean circles that also…
Read articleCracking the Talent Code
This month's installment is a fuzzy video by a sharp guy. Author Dan Coyle talks about how we acquire new…
Watch videoLean Leadership at Legal Sea Foods: An Interview with Roger Berkowitz
Watch the video to hear Legal Sea Foods CEO Roger Berkowitz explain the effects lean has has on his own…
Watch videoShould value-stream mapping come before 5S?
Dear Gemba Coach: Shouldn’t VSM come before 5S so we see the whole picture first?
Read articleAsk Art: How high is up with lean?
Art Byrne explains that continuous improvement really is continuous and that there is no limit to the “up” in lean.
Read articleWhat’s a good “small step” to start off my LPPD transformation? A Q&A with Katrina Appell
A lean product and process development transformation may seem daunting, but all you really need to get started is a…
Read articleIs promising that lean will make work more meaningful disrespectful to people?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can lean really make work more meaningful for everybody? Isn’t this overpromising to workers and disrespectful to…
Read articleSix Personal Kanban Habits to Avoid
Jim Benson, kanban specialist, shares the six most common mistakes found on kanban boards.
Read articleGetting to Sustainability
Sustaining gains from kaizen thinking is one of the hardest, and certainly most misunderstood, aspects of this work. It’s misunderstood…
Read articleLean and Agile: Finding a Role for Your Leadership in Your Transformation Model
"Lean and Agile are two of the most commonly discussed (and hotly debated) principles for managing a business, particularly when…
Read articleWhat kind of conversation should I expect during a gemba walk?
Dear Gemba Coach: What kind of conversation should I expect during a gemba walk?
Read articleA Sweeter Type of Lean
In one memorable lean project, Carlos Moretti found himself assisting a Brazilian sugar-cane supplier for the ethanol industry with a…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: TPS Mythbusting
Despite its fundamental role in a lean transformation, the Toyota Production System is not an easy thing for many to…
Read articleWhat are your three most important problems?
Dear Gemba Coacg: What should I look for during a gemba walk?
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Best Tips for Designing a Work Experience
When designing a work experience, the benefits of having an experienced coach to guide you cannot be overstated. In this…
Read articleAsk Art: Why Is Something As Simple As Lean So Difficult to Do?
"Recently my good friend Paul Akers of FastCap and lean blogging fame asked me why lean, which appears to be…
Read articleFrom Chaos to Kaizen: The Visual Way
In another of his visual depictions of the fundamentals of lean, Andrew Quibell illustrates the process of transforming a chaos-plagued…
Read articleDoes implementing lean mean creating a lean management system?
Dear Gemba Coach: My understanding is that implementing lean means setting up a lean management system. You seem to disagree.…
Read articleAn A3 Antidote to the Opiate Epidemic
Opiate use in America has been spiking at an alarming rate. Many healthcare organizations, such as the University of Michigan…
Read articleHow Does Shop-Floor Lean Compare to Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD)? A Q&A with Matt Zayko
Matt Zayko was recently asked, "Is my knowledge of shop-floor lean enough for me to get by in product development?"…
Read articleWhy does my team resist multi-skilling?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m trying to introduce multi-skilling in my team but am surprised by the amount of resistance I…
Read articleInnovative Companies Continue to Learn from Each Other: Fall 2016 LPPD Learning Group Event
Find out what learnings took place at the Fall 2016 LPPD Partners' Meeting in Davis, California.
Read articleLean Books Roundup
"Several years back, LEI CEO John Shook discussed the need to explore the “frontiers and fundamentals” of lean..." writes Tom…
Read articleYou Can’t Manage a Secret
How did the obeya management system come to be at Toyota? How has it been refined since its beginning as…
Read articleDo andons apply to software development?
Dear Gemba Coach: I work in software development, and I really don’t see how andon applies – what am I…
Read articleExperiential Change: Using PDCA to craft a new department structure
"In January 2016 the Human Resources department at the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS) was restructured into a High-Impact…
Read articleThinking About Thinking
Don't believe everything you think. Practice scientific thinking and test your assumptions, because every step is an experiment!
Watch videoAdvice from the Gemba: The Most Frustrating Types of Waste (and How to Eliminate Them!)
If you've ever lost sleep over a particularly frustrating source of waste in your organization, you're not alone. Some forms…
Read articleMindfulness: A Practice, a State of Being, an Essential!
Many of us are familiar with the term "mindfulness," especially in the context of being aware of our surroundings. But…
Read articleWhat the Books Don’t Tell: Explaining the Financial Benefits of Lean
It's a curious fact that very few books about lean address the topic of finance. Questions about lean's financial benefits…
Read articleDoes a Lean Company Need Explicit or Implicit Leadership?
Dear Gemba Coach: Explicit leadership or implicit leadership? Does an explicit style sustain a lean organization?
Read articleThrustmaster Comes Around
The following Lean Enterprise Institute case study reveals how Thrustmaster of Texas successfully adopted lean thinking and practices to make…
View case studyWhy We’re Thankful For Lean
Thanksgiving is a time of year when Americans take a day to step back and appreciate everything they have to…
Read articleA Deeper Dive into Visual Management at Toyota
"In a previous sketch I introduced Toyota’s approach to visual management, or Floor Management Display Systems (FMDS), including the six…
Read articleCowabunga! Implementing Lean at a Surfing School
Lean is difficult for many companies to grasp at first, often due to the cultural shift. If the organization's people…
Read articleFresh Baked Lean: The Story of Cafe365’s Lean Transformation
When you think of environments for a lean transformation, does a bakery come to mind? Probably not, but growing pains-plagued…
Watch videoFresh Baked Lean: The Story of 365 Café’s Lean Transformation
When you think of environments for a lean transformation, does a bakery come to mind? Probably not, but growing pains-plagued…
Watch videoAsk Art: What sets lean accounting apart from traditional accounting?
"You can’t really become a lean enterprise without making the shift from traditional standard-cost accounting to lean (i.e. plain English)…
Read articleDoes lean have an ethical perspective other than goal-oriented efficiency?
Dear Gemba Coach: As a follow-up to your previous column on the question of whether lean has a spiritual dimension,…
Read articleWhen Lean Gets Personal
Lean is not simply about making things better; Jim Morgan shares how his experience with lean healthcare taught him how…
Read article“Simple Ain’t Easy”
The essence of lean is simplicity, argues Orry Fiume, a theme that applies not only to great organizations, but great…
Read articleHow Do You REALLY Put Yourself in Your Customers’ Shoes? A Q&A with Eric Ethington
The customer is king in lean. That's why it's critical to know their values, needs, interests, etc. in order to…
Read articleIs there a spiritual dimension to lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: Is there a spiritual dimension to lean?
Read articleScientific Thinking for Everyone
Scientific thinking is not difficult, it's just not our default mode. Anyone can learn to think more scientifically, by practicing…
Watch videoLean Expansion: Spreading Lean from One Store to a Region at Starbucks
Scaling up is a challenge often talked about in lean circles. How can we best leverage our individual or small-scale…
Read articleGreen from the Start
LEI faculty member Jim Morgan shares his insights with Kelly Singer, managing editor of the Lean Green Institute, on how…
Read articleBig Problems? Start Small
"In problem solving, we’re taught to ask a simple question, “Is this problem within my scope of control?” If yes,…
Read articleWhat’s the difference between a sensei and a consultant?
Dear Gemba Coach: Is there a difference between a sensei and a consultant? Beyond the way they market themselves, don’t…
Read articleLean Roundup: Jidoka
"Jidoka captures the principle of building quality into the production process—of designing work so that the people making the product…
Read articleBringing Lean to Your Sales Team
LEI faculty member Brent Wahba discusses the importance of bringing lean into your sales department as well as where to…
Read articleAsk Art: How is lean the opposite of everything people have been trained to do?
Art Byrne explains why, and how, lean practice is the opposite of what most people have learned about work in…
Read articleWhat should I know about lean management that I won’t find in books?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m new to lean and reading all I can find about it, but is there something specific…
Read articleAn Overview of Visual Management at Toyota
"Implementing visual management (VM) is a cornerstone of any lean transformation," writes Andrew Quibell. "And few companies know that better…
Read articleStudents “Shocked” that Lean Accounting Isn’t More Widespread
Lean accounting seemed “so logical” to her students that they asked Professor Pencak, winner of a Lean Education Advancement Foundation…
Read articleHow Do You Know If You’ve Created a Meaningful Challenge?
"Have you ever issued what you thought was an inspiring challenge for your team, only to discover they were underwhelmed…
Read articleHow We A3 at Goodyear
Just as lean is situational, A3s are situational too - companies like Goodyear have a variety of types of A3s…
Read articleFocus Your Operating System To Bring Your Strategy to Life
A strategy can just turn into wallpaper if you don't have the right systems in place to support it. Jim…
Read articleLessons Learned from Sunpower’s (C)Lean Transformation
Sustainability is a key part of any lean transformation - but Sunpower of San Jose, Cali. took that word a…
Read articleMaking Things Better – Visual Value in Health Information Management
Have you ever struggled to make "invisible work" visual for your leadership? Laura Shue of the University of Michigan Health…
Read articleOur new boss doesn’t ‘get’ lean; what can I do to convince him?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve had spectacular lean results with our old boss, but our new boss doesn’t get it. He’s…
Read articleMaking Things Better – 5S-ing the Community
Do you use any lean tools to make your community a better place? Tony Heath has, ever since he was…
Read articleMaking Things Better – Lean Streets: Improving Road Maintenance in Washington State
Ever feel like your home city or town needs to step up its game in maintaining road conditions? People in…
Read articleHow can kanban or lean possibly apply in an office?
Dear Gemba Coach: You often say that one can’t do lean without kanban, and that continuous improvement without kanban is…
Read articleLean 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…
Read articleLean Thinking at 20: 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…
Read articleLean Thinking: A Roundup
In honor of the 20th anniversary of the publishing of Lean Thinking, by Jim Womack and Dan Jones, Lean Post…
Read articleWhat are the elements of knowledge-based product development?
Dear Gemba Coach, What would be a knowledge-based approach to product development?
Read articleManufacturing Balancing Act: Pull Versus ERP
In this follow-up story to our case study about Phase 2 Medical Manufacturing, Inc., the company faces an enviable dilemma:…
View case studyInnovation in the Work
LEI's chairman explores the meaning of “innovation” and lean thinking’s relationship to it, bringing a fresh perspective to challenge traditional…
Read articleSummit Reflections: Knowing What You Need to Improve
"As leaders, sometimes the things that we feel like we can more easily change are not the things that we…
Read articleHighlighting 100 Years of Innovation in the Work
Comparing Ford’s 1914 and Toyota’s 2012 assembly lines demonstrates how improving work processes is the cornerstone of lean.
Watch videoMaking Things Better – Engineering Isn’t Always Right
"Have you noticed a tendency at your company to automatically take Engineering's advice?" writes Gary Stewart of Fiat-Chrysler. "If you…
Read articleAsk Art: Is Lean Inward-Focused?
Art Byrne has been asked over and over if lean is inward-focused or customer-focused. There are aspects of lean that…
Read articleProblem-Solving: One Size Does Not Fit All, Part 1
Problem solving is at the core of any lean transformation. But both beginners and experts will tell you that it…
Watch videoMuda Corporation: Improving Your Suggestions System
Anyone who's had to implement a suggestions system in their organization knows it's not an easy task, especially from a…
Read articleBaby Steps for Behavior Change
Don't start with a 20-mile run! Effective change often begins with small tweaks to behavior, which build on one another…
Watch video3 Common Problems in Government that A3 Thinking Can Help Solve
I’m always surprised at how little the public sector uses A3 thinking to tackle their toughest challenges. It’s the same…
Read articleDoes respect for humanity mean the same as respect for people?
Dear Gemba Coach: Does respect for humanity mean the same as respect for people? I hear that the literal translation…
Read articleWhy Yoda Was Wrong
Aspects of lean can be found almost anywhere - even in a galaxy far, far away. Inspired by a new…
Read articleOrchestrating Your Product Development Process with Milestones
"Effective milestones are an important part of a company’s development process, especially in today’s era of team-based sprints and stand-ups,"…
Read articleDear Professor, Am I Ever Glad You Covered Lean in Class!
Since 2008, the Lean Enterprise Institute has sponsored the Excellence in Lean Accounting Award to fund scholarships helping pairs of…
Read articleYou Can’t Know If You Don’t Know
Recently LEI Chairman and CEO John Shook found an interesting blog by Dr. Helen Kales of the University of Michigan,…
Read articleWhat Do I Tell My Leaders When Experiments Fail?
When experiments fail, it's natural for a leadership team to get nervous. But in the context of lean, they shouldn't…
Read articleDoes a lean transformation boost a company’s stock price?
Dear Gemba Coach: You’ve worked with a lot of different companies in the public and private sectors. How have the…
Read articleAccounting for the Lean Accounting Award
In this series, we talk to past winners of the Excellence in Lean Accounting Award to learn what impact the…
Read articleJust Trying “Stuff” Is Not A Real Experiment
"Today it seems like you can’t throw a stick of butter without hitting someone who is “running a lean experiment”…
Read articleAsk Art: People are Nervous about Too Much Change, Can I Lead Lean Incrementally?
Resistance to change is a classic part of lean transformation, and it's not uncommon to see efforts to skirt around…
Read articleWhat is leader standard work?
Dear Gemba Coach: Is there such thing as a leader standard work, and, if so, what is it?
Read article“What Do I Need to Know?”
"What do I need to know?" A simple, but powerful, question to ask at the gemba and beyond. Kelly Moore…
Read articleA3 Thinking Roundup
Following last week's immensely popular Posts on the origins of A3 thinking, LEI Senior Editor Tom Ehrenfeld compiles a collection…
Read articleA Kata Classic
The research that led to the book Toyota Kata ran from 2004 - 2009. The objective was to gain a…
Watch videoRising to the Challenge: The Lean Journey of Phase 2 (video)
In this video, Adam Prime, president of Phase 2 Medical Device Manufacturing shares some insider info on his organization's lean…
Watch videoReflecting to Learn: Takeaways and Reflections on the A3 Process
In the wake of yesterday's interview with Mr. Isao Yoshino on the roots of the A3 process at Toyota, LEI…
Read articleHow the A3 Came to Be Toyota’s Go-To Management Process for Knowledge Work (intro by John Shook)
A3 thinking is synonymous with Toyota. Yet many often wonder how exactly this happened. Even if we know A3 thinking…
Watch videoDo we need more research to understand what works and what doesn’t when implementing lean healthcare?
Dear Gemba Coach: There are controversies over whether lean/TPS works in healthcare or not. Authorities in lean practice suggest conducting…
Read articleLean Accounting Summit Impacts Dissertation
Since 2008, the Lean Enterprise Institute has sponsored the Excellence in Lean Accounting Award to fund scholarships helping pairs of…
Read articleCLean and Green: How SunPower Used Lean to Address Sustainability
After years of lean practice, solar-device manufacturer SunPower wanted something more. They wanted to continue their journey of continuous improvement…
Read articleYou Need More Smoke Detectors: Countering Firefighting with Leader Standard Work
Excessive firefighting is a major threat to lean transformations - it may seem easier to time-strapped managers, but it does…
Read articleThe Crucible of Innovation
Innovation is key to a successful successful development project, we always read. But innovation is a fickle term that gets…
Read articleHow do we pass the baton from one lean leader to the next?
Dear Gemba Coach: What are your thoughts about ensuring that a lean transformation persists past a leader’s tenure at an…
Read articleWaste in Process: Squeeze Before You Lean
"It seems intuitive to start applying lean to our processes, right?" writes Andrew Quibell. "Maybe so, but all that says…
Read articleIt’s About the Tools, Not the Terms
"I’ve never been a big fan of lean lingo," says John McCullough of Crayola. "It may sound expert-like, but I’ve…
Read articleAsk Art: Is There More to Becoming Lean than Conducting Kaizen Events?
Kaizen events may be a key part of lean transformation, but they're certainly not the only aspect of it. They're…
Read articleWe’re installing an andon system – what should we expect?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re installing an andon system – what should we expect?
Read articlePut the ‘i’ Before the Apple
Apple is a company with a reputation for keeping its customers' needs at the forefront of its product development decisions.…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Keeping Senior Leadership Committed
The cost savings of lean are not always apparent in the short term. If your senior leadership was skeptical going…
Read articleA More Prepared Coach
"Many coaching situations we enter...with so little knowledge about the situation and how things work," writes Josh Howell. "Instead we…
Read articleWhat does “daily problem solving” really look like in practice?
Dear Gemba Coach: I hear the phrase “daily problem solving” a lot. But what does it really mean in practice…
Read articleLean Transformation: Have You Hit the “Lean Plateau?”
After realizing that that their five-year track record of continuous improvement was leveling out, Craig Stritar and his team knew…
Read articleMining Gold and Improvement Ideas at Kinross
Unless it changed how it did business, the fluctuating price of gold would determine the fate of Kinross, a Nevada…
Read articleWhere Does Our Curiosity Go?
As children we seem to be naturally curious and try things in a kind of scientific manner, but as we…
Watch videoSucceeding by Failing
People often wonder what exactly constitutes "success" in a lean journey - it's a longstanding question. Cam Ford has a…
Read articleThe Hidden Waste in Inspection
When looking for areas of muda, your inspection department probably isn't the first place that comes to mind. But you…
Read articleRaised by Toyota: A Question and Answer with Tracey and Ernie Richardson
In this extended interview, Toyota veterans Tracey and Ernie Richardson share how they learned at the source, explain how they…
Read articleWhy does kaizen feel like chaos?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why does kaizen always feel so destabilizing?
Read articleTake Your Product Testing to the Extreme
Many of the principles of lean product and process development can seem counterproductive at first glance. For example, what if…
Read articleAsk Art: How Are Lean Teams Different?
"Teamwork in lean is a much bigger deal than the way most people think about it, and it's crucial to…
Read articleEstablishing Lean Healthcare Believers When Professional Society Allegiance Impedes Engagement
When implementing lean in a healthcare organization, it's not uncommon to encounter resistance from medical professionals set in their traditional…
Read articleLean + Circular Principals = a New True North for Manufacturer
SunPower's lean journey resembled most others until it defined a new mission, a new True North. The mission statement changed…
View case studyIs there “mudagement” in your organization?
"Mudagement." What a strange word. But to Tony Lamberton, the concept behind that word has made all the difference in…
Read articleMore than a New Product – A New Way of Thinking
"Successful entrepreneurs, whether they are lone figures toiling in garages or supporting new work at major companies, are rightly celebrated…
Read articleHow can I keep our lean management effort from becoming bureaucratic?
Dear Gemba Coach: Isn’t there a risk that all these lean tools in the workplace turn into yet more bureaucracy?
Read articleWhy Value-Stream Mapping is So Difficult in the Public Sector
Identifying value in an organization isn't the easiest task to accomplish. If you happen to work in the public sector,…
Read articleStandard Work Roundup
Several terrific articles have appeared recently, emphasizing the importance and complexity of a key lean practice: standard (or standardized) work,…
Read articleLeading Companies Gather for a Two-Day Lean Learning Exchange
The latest LPPD Learning Partners' learning event was held at GE Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky. Thirty-five people from five…
Read articleYou Are Not Different: Make universal lean principles work locally
Lean principles are universal, argues Orry Fiume, but the application of them is always local. Don't use this challenge as…
Read articleHow important is it to consider differences in roles between our current project manager and a chief engineer?
Dear Gemba Coach: Management wants us to start lean in product development, but refuses to consider the difference in roles…
Read articleThe Tesla Way vs. The Toyota Way
Does Tesla offer a Way of working that can challenge TPS? Perhaps a bit more time, and the development of…
Read articleIs Lean Getting “Fat?”
"Yes, lean has successfully spread around the world and gone from manufacturing to nearly every other type of value stream,"…
Read articleHow do I keep visual management from becoming “wallpaper?” A Q&A with John Drogosz
"Many managers try to convince everyone (including themselves) that they are visually managing their projects or departments," writes John Drogosz,…
Read articleI’m struggling to understand exactly what people mean by a “lean system”?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m struggling to understand exactly what people mean by a “lean system”?
Read articleIt’s Not All About the Data on Value-Stream Maps: An Interview with Judy Worth
Data is a critical component of value-stream mapping. But it's not the only component you should be concerned about. All…
Read articleSmall Batch: Hand-Picked Articles from the Global Lean Community (Vol. 10)
Our editor's picks for the best recent articles from our sister publication, Planet Lean. This time we're sharing stories from…
Read articleDo You Have a Capacity Problem or Flow Problem?
"Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint the exact root cause of a problem," writes Adam Hillsamer of Arnett Hospital in Indiana,…
Read articleHow do I implement standard work in an office environment?
Dear Gemba Coach: I really enjoyed reading your article on the difference between standard work and procedures back in December.…
Read articleAsk Art: What’s So Important About Standard Work?
Standard work is one of the cornerstones of a lean transformation. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's fully appreciated. "People…
Read articleGenerating Multiple Alternatives is Not Necessarily Waste
I was once asked: 'How is set-based design lean? Isnít designing multiple alternatives creating waste and the opposite of lean?'î…
Read articleAre You Fixing the System or Just a Person?
"How often do our solutions fix a person (or single event) rather than a system?" wonders Kelly Moore. Hopefully not…
Read articleOur technical guys are really resisting the idea of standard work. What should we do?
Dear Gemba Coach: Our technical guys are really resisting the idea of standard work. They believe they each have their…
Read articleConveyance: The Perfect Place for Waste
In the latest installment of his series of sketches and animations covering areas of waste in manufacturing, Andrew Quibell gives…
Read articleReflections on Hansei
For many of us, Japanese lingo has become synonymous with lean. But according to Dan Markowitz, this just makes things…
Read articleThe Importance of Embracing Development Conflict
Conflict is something almost all professionals have been told to avoid at all costs. Jim Morgan begs to differ. "Whenever…
Read articleHow to Avoid Team Disinterest and Management Disappointment with Huddles
Team huddles are rapidly becoming a day-to-day staple in the lean organization. But too often the problem-solving aspect of huddles…
Watch videoExecutive Egress: Why Many Healthcare CEOs Distance Themselves from Lean Transformations. An Interview with Jack Bowhan
A troubling issue in lean healthcare that Jack Bowhan has seen too many times is a lack of CEO engagement…
Read articleThe Role of Strategic Design Events in Lean Healthcare: An Interview with Mindy Hangsleben
Faced with a new incoming healthcare policy, Mindy Hangsleben and her team at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services…
Read articleAny step forward in a lean transformation is a good step — right?
Dear Gemba Coach: Surely a step forward in a lean transformation is a good thing, even if it’s not completely…
Read article5 Common Signs of a Novice Kata Practice
An example of an Improvement and Coaching Kata practice illustrates five common themes found in novice-level practice.
Watch videoAsk Art: What Lean Books Should I Start With?
Art Byrne shares with us his book recommendations to newcomers on insights into the philosophy and general approach behind lean.
Read articleYour Value Stream Map Looks a Little Different…
If you think there’s a different way of applying a tool, ask, “Are we changing the tool to prevent us…
Read articleView from the Hospital Floor: How to Build a Culture of Improvement One Unit at a Time
In this follow-up to our earlier case study "Transforming Healthcare: What Matters Most?", we examine how the Cleveland Clinic is…
Read articleWhat do you think about a new boss who wants us to use A3s to solve problems rigorously?
Dear Gemba Coach: My new boss wants us to use A3s to “teach us how to solve problems rigorously” –…
Read articleKaizen Means You Care
"Lean leaders, and lean consultants (like me), often talk about the organizational benefits of kaizen: lower costs, bigger profits, shorter…
Read articleFocus: Process or Results?
"We cannot improve results “directly," writes LEI faculty member Orry Fiume. "It can only be achieved by improving those processes…
Read articleSeeing and Understanding the Work in Product and Process Development
"The role of most lean tools is to enable problems to be identified or to enable problems to be solved,"…
Read articleWhy won’t operators use andons?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re struggling with andons. We’ve set up a button for operators to press and call for help,…
Read articleJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads from Across the Web (Vol. 17)
Our latest compilation of the best lean reads from around the web, this time featuring content from Forbes, Manufacturing.net, and…
Read articleInventory Waste: The “Hidden Killer” in Manufacturing
Andrew Quibell is back with the next sketch in his series on the four main areas of waste in manufacturing.…
Read articleBoatloads of Muda
Ken Eakin saw his fair share of waste during his 13 years in the ocean-shipping industry, especially in the transportation…
Read articleRather than narrow problem solving, shouldn’t we look for disruptive breakthroughs?
Dear Gemba Coach: How can a narrow focus on problem solving help us to find innovative solutions? Shouldn’t we be…
Read article3 Tips for Accurately Assessing Your Current State
"Just because everyone remembers to include the current state [on a value stream map] doesn’t mean it’s always done as…
Read articleThe Snowstorm on Your Server
When looking for a place to implement 5S, your company's server or shared drive might not be the first to…
Read articleValue Stream Mapping in a Product Development Context: A Q&A with John Drogosz
Lean Product and Process Development Senior Coach John Drogosz answers countless questions about LPPD every day. Now, in his first…
Read articleKata Classics: The Improvement Kata in 10 Minutes
Bill Costantino's classic explanation of the Improvement Kata is back, now as a video.
Watch videoEven Visual Management Starts from Need
Have you ever implement a visual management tool at your gemba after seeing it used successfully somewhere else? If so,…
Read articleCI Sustainment: A Hiding Place for Complexity
"How many times has your continuous improvement solution wound up being more complex than the original problem?" muses Lynn Kelley.…
Read articleThe Problems Inherent in Change – and What You Can Do about Them
Anyone who's been involved in an organizational transformation knows that its challenges go well beyond resistance. Katrina Appell sheds some…
Read articleWhat are the pitfalls of implementing hoshin kanri?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve heard of hoshin kanri, and I’d really like to try it in my company – what…
Read articleSmall Batch: Hand-Picked Articles from the Global Lean Community (Vol. 8)
Our picks for the best high-impact learning stories and columns from Planet Lean.
Read articleHow do I introduce kaizen to IT?
Dear Gemba Coach: Based on your experience, what is the best strategy to introduce kaizen as social, ongoing events without…
Read articleAsk Art: What to Look for in a Lean Team Leader
One of Art Byrne's most-asked questions is, "What are the key traits for a lean team leader?" His recommendation might…
Read articleJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads from Across the Web (Vol. 16)
Our editor's picks for the best lean news from around the web, this month from Harvard Business Review, FedScoop, and…
Read articleWhat Too Many Value Stream Maps Completely Miss
Believe it or not, up to half of all the value-stream maps that cross Drew Locher's desk are missing something…
Read articleHow is lean different from Taylorism?
In a special column, Michael Ballé breaks from his standard practice of answering readers’ questions to weigh in on the…
Read articleThe Manufacturing Waste Series: Introduction
In the first installment of his new series on waste, Andrew Quibell's latest sketch introduces his take on why kaizen…
Read articleCarrington on Kata
This video explains how practicing the Improvement and Coaching Kata creates a culture where everyone feels part of a team…
Watch videoChange Management: Is it Necessary?
"There are varying views on the role of change management in a lean transformation," writes Katrina Appell. In her latest…
Read articleTPS Fundamentals in a Knowledge Work Environment
A recent LEI cleaning project reminded Business Editor Cam Ford of something he learned in a recent workshop - that…
Read articleDoes lean apply to sales?
Dear Gemba Coach: Does lean apply to sales? We’re trying to introduce lean thinking throughout the company and have found…
Read articleCreating New Value and a Lesson in Fundamentals
After a recent trip to Toyota's headquarters in Japan, Jim Morgan made an epiphany about the Toyota Production System and…
Read articleSmall Batch: Hand-Picked Articles from the Global Lean Community (Vol. 7)
Our picks for the best high-impact learning stories and columns from Planet Lean.
Read articleMalpractice in the New England Journal of Medicine
Several weeks ago, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article by two physicians bashing lean and questioning its…
Read articleAccountability: Not What You Think it is…
"When managers and associates hear the term [accountability], they often flinch!" writes Mike Orzen. "This is a major problem for…
Read articleProblem? What Problem?
"Whether using A3s, the 5 Whys, DMAIC, Value Stream Mapping, or any other problem-solving methodology, many organizations don’t spend the…
Read articleWhat does “separating human work from machine work” mean?
Dear Gemba Coach: What does “separating human work from machine work” mean? How does it matter?
Read articleWhat is the best way to start gemba walks and keep them focused ?
Dear Gemba Coach: We are looking to implement gemba walks in our facility. This is new to everyone including myself…
Read articleWatch John Shook’s Keynote at Lean Construction Institute’s 17th Annual Congress!
This past October, LEI Chairman and CEO John Shook delivered a keynote at Lean Construction Institute's 17th Annual Congress in…
Read articleInteroperability: The Human Dimension of Design Excellence
Did you know only 51 percent of new product development efforts are meeting schedules, and a mere 56 percent meet…
Read articleTo A3 or Not to A3
"Not every tool is a hammer, and not every problem is a nail," writes Norbert Majerus of The Goodyear Tire…
Read articleWhat is your opinion about transformation process steps?
Dear Gemba Coach: What is your opinion about transformation process steps? First we choose a problem and start problem-solving processes…
Read articleBook Clubs Help Agricultural Company Cultivate Lean Culture
Two continuous improvement leaders explain how they successfully use book clubs to spread and align understanding of lean management at…
View case studySmall Chart, Big Impact: How a Simple Spaghetti Chart Led to Huge Wins at Thrustmaster of Texas
Sometimes the simplest lean concepts can make all the difference in ensuring a successful transformation. Marine-propulsion manufacturer Thrustmaster of Texas…
Read articleThe Value of Key Performance Indicators in a Lean Transformation
We all know to watch out for key performance indicators (KPIs) in the workplace - but are you tracking the…
Read articleWhy and How to Engage Finance in a Lean Transformation. An Interview with Jean Cunningham
There's often a disconnect between an organization's lean and finance departments, especially when a lean transformation is underway. In her…
Read articleKata Puts the “Continuous” in Continuous Improvement
In this 6-minute video, Drew Locher of Change Management Associates makes the 'Case for Kata’ by explaining what it takes…
Watch videoHow do I convince management to run to takt time, not as fast as possible?
Dear Gemba Coach: I have always struggled with convincing management about the importance of running to takt time, since the…
Read articleThe Lean Management System: The Key to Sustainability and CI. An Interview with Joe Murli
Achieving wins is only half the battle in a lean transformation - you also need a way to sustain those…
Read articleSmall Batch: Hand-Picked Articles from the Global Lean Community (Vol. 6)
Our picks for the best high-impact learning stories and columns from Planet Lean.
Read articleThe Importance of Team Leaders on the Shop Floor
Why does upper management often fail to invest in team leaders on the shop floor? Andrew Quibell has his money…
Read articleHow does continuous flow apply to healthcare or other service industries?
Dear Gemba Coach: I work in healthcare and I struggle with how the concept of flow, which I can well…
Read articleJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads from Across the Web (Vol. 14)
Our editor's latest pics for great lean reads from across the web, this month from Forbes, IndustryWeek, and The New…
Read articleNo Shortcuts: Creating a Lean Environment the Right Way
As much as we may wish there was a way to pull off a lean transformation with only a basic…
Read articleHow do I quantify kaizen’s small improvements?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I quantify kaizen's small improvements?
Read articleThe Problem of Partial Participation: Why Failing to Fully Commit to Lean Is Not An Option. An Interview with Chris Vogel
It's surprising how many lean implementations fail due to an organization's employees not fully embracing the idea. There are many…
Read articleAsk Art: How One-Piece-Flow Supports Quality
"One-piece-flow is the key to quality improvements," writes Art Byrne. "In my experience it is pretty common to get a…
Read articleIt’s the Productivity, Not the People
In one memorable lean project, Craig Stritar found himself on a large fish-processing vessel in the Bering Sea that was…
Read articleLet’s Stop Being Hypocrites: Work is Work
"We often talk about knowledge workers as though they need to be treated differently from shop floor workers," writes Dan…
Read articleWhy Your Lean Journey Needs a Self-Evaluation
Every company on a lean journey needs to occasionally step back and evaluate where they are, where they have gaps…
Read articleA Principles-Based Approach to Changing Healthcare Management
"This year alone over 250,000 Americans will die due to medical error," writes Dr. John Toussaint. "How can so many…
Read articleHabits for Continuous Learning and Improvement
What routines can you practice to develop a culture -- a habit -- of continuous improvement? The Improvement Kata and…
Watch videoWhat is the difference between standard work and procedures?
Dear Gemba Coach: What is the difference between standard work and procedures?
Read articleSmall Batch: Hand-Picked Articles from the Global Lean Community (Vol. 5)
Our picks for the best high-impact learning stories and columns from Planet Lean.
Read articleHow do you introduce visual management into a product development facility?
Dear Gemba Coach: What steps do you start with to introduce visual management into a product development facility?
Read articleIs There No Other Lean Exemplar Than Toyota?
"I believe that while Toyota isn’t the only lean exemplar out there," writes Michael Ballé, "it still gives us a…
Read articleTPS or the Toyota Way?
"Students of lean are often confused by the variety of ways Toyota explains the Toyota Production System," writes Michael Ballé.…
Read articleKaizen Learning vs. Traditional Problem-Solving
"Lean offers a fundamentally different approach to problem-solving than most traditional companies practice," writes Art Byrne. "Most [traditional] companies delegate…
Read articleJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads from Across the Web (Vol. 13)
Our latest collection of lean reads from around the web, this time featuring articles from The Wall Street Journal, the…
Read articleWhat is the lean approach to quality – is that what six sigma is all about?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m a frequent reader of your columns and you always seem to emphasize quality first, but I…
Read articlePut Your People at The Center of Your Development System
"It is your people that provide the skills, energy and creativity," writes Jim Morgan. "They are the single most important…
Read articleYour Favorite Lean Posts of 2015!
With 2016 fast approaching, we'd like to take a step back and reflect on the most popular Lean Post articles…
Read articleTOYOTA KATA AT COOKSHACK
Stuart Powell and his team at Cookshack in Ponca City, Oklahoma strive to differentiate Cookshack from competitors by strategically applying…
Watch videoUsing A3 Thinking to Solve Recruiting Problems: An interview with Gavin Martin
It's a shame that A3s are often thought of as being meant to solve manufacturing problems. The reality is they…
Read articleHow can I speed up my team’s lean learning?
Dear Gemba Coach: How can I speed up my team’s lean learning?
Read articleMapping Out Your Gemba Walks
"Gemba walks may sound like Lean 101 but they still require 110% of your undivided attention," writes Andrew Quibell. "And…
Read articleSmall Batch: Hand-Picked Articles from the Global Lean Community (Vol. 4)
Our picks for the best high-impact learning stories and columns from Planet Lean.
Read articlePersonal Kanban: You Can’t Manage What You Can’t See
Think personal kanban can't be applied to knowledge work? Think again. Drawing on examples from Jim Benson and Tonianne DeMaria…
Read articleGoodyear’s Great Year: An LPPD Success Story
Lean product and process development (LPPD) successes can be found at companies of every size and industry - such as…
Read articleJust a Fish Stick: The Perils of Forcing Your Change Agenda onto Others
Change agendas may look good on paper, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're foolproof. Brent Wahba shares his thoughts on…
Read articleWhy you can’t convince your boss to support lean activities, unless …
Dear Gemba Coach: I work as a deployment champion in a manufacturing company, but I don’t have the support of…
Read articlePractical Guidance for Using Humble Inquiry in PDCA Problem Solving and Coaching
David Verble, a Toyota veteran and LEI faculty member, explains to lean coaches and continuous improvement professionals why "Humble Inquiry"…
Read articleFord’s Focus: Lean Lessons from the Recession’s Greatest Success Story
After listening to Jim Morgan talk about Ford Motor Company's lean turnaround strategy during the Great Recession, Cam Ford (no…
Read articleJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads from Across the Web (Vol. 12)
Our latest compilation of lean reads from around the web, this time featuring articles from Stanford Medicine, the Association for…
Read articleAre You Responsible for Two Key Fobs?
In her first Lean Post article, Syngenta Continuous Improvement Lead Kelly Moore muses on a recent experience at a rental…
Read articleGemba Walking on Mars
Lean is all around us in our daily lives - including at the movies, as Lean Institute Brasil president Jose…
Read articleLean Thinking and My Navy Experience
When you think of lean organizations, does the U.S. Navy come to mind? Probably not, but it's an organization with…
Read articleGovernance Matters
"The very term “governance” seems somewhat antithetical to lean," writes Mark Hamel. "Yet...over my 20-plus years of lean learning, I’ve…
Read articleWhy are there so many different opinions about what lean management is and isn’t?
Dear Gemba Coach: I have attended several lean conferences and am deeply interested in the topic, but puzzled about the…
Read articleKATA CREATES CULTURE
Tilo Schwarz and his team at Festool (Germany) used practice of the Improvement Kata & Coaching Kata routines to make…
Watch videoWhat I Could Only Learn from a Sensei
Some aspects of lean can be learned through experience, but other aspects can only be taught by an experienced sensei.…
Read articleTowards a More Perfect (i.e. Lean) Union
"Over the past few years, we have seen an upward trend in the number of government agencies and states beginning…
Read articleCoaches Need Improvement Too
"Whether you are a coaching client or a coach yourself," writes Brent Wahba, "you both have decided to pursue the…
Read articleSmall Batch: Hand-Picked Articles from the Global Lean Community (Vol. 3)
A roundup of the best recent articles and interviews from our friends at Planet Lean, this time from Spain, Israel…
Read articleHow to Lead with Respect
Showing respect to employees falls far short of leading with respect. Discover the seven core practices that true lean leaders…
Read articleNarrowing the Scope of Kaizen Activities
Are you having trouble implementing kaizen activities? If so, the solution could be as simple as narrowing down your targets…
Read articleLeading with Respect is Not a Soft Skill: An interview with Mike Orzen
By definition, a hard skill is a skill that can be defined, measured, and taught. Does that sound like it…
Read articleMy Lean Journey: The 5Ss
Do you remember the first time you realized the true potential of lean in improving work output? Lean newcomer Cam…
Read articleHow do I reconcile the lean healthcare goal to organize around the patient with management demands to cut costs?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m the lean director at a hospital where the board keeps investing and then asking us to…
Read articleKey Traits and Behaviors of Great Lean Consultants
"If you want to accelerate your lean practice I highly recommend reaching out to a good lean consultant to serve…
Read articleWhat the Best Lean Leaders All Have in Common
What characterizes a truly exceptional lean leader? With years of first-hand observations behind him, Tom Ehrenfeld weighs in with his…
Read articleAvoiding the Pitfalls of Leader Standard Work
What are some problems a lean practitioner might run into when implementing leader standard work? Ken Abbs and Scott Ullman…
Read articleHow and Where Should I Start Using Andons?
Dear Gemba Coach: I understand the andon is an essential part of a lean system, but it seems very far…
Watch videoIK/CK at Modine
Modine Manufacturing views practicing the Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata as a way to lead, manage and develop people... in order…
Watch videoLean Fitness: The Individual vs. the Organization
"For both the individual and the organization, the problem is the same," writes Dan Markovitz. "There may be a stated…
Read articleTurn on the Spigot: Create Flow in R&D
"Flow in R&D is as critical as in manufacturing," writes Terry Barnhart. "It is a little more difficult to see,…
Read articlePeople Don’t Fail, Processes Do
Terry Smith, a lean web developer, shares two examples of real-life companies who used the "5 Whys" to drill down…
Read articleIs your obeya room used for real learning or as a glorified action plan?
Dear Gemba Coach: How can I use an obeya for learning rather than for project management?
Read articleSmall Batch: Hand-Picked Articles form the Global Lean Community (Vol. 2)
Our picks for the best high-impact learning stories and columns from Planet Lean.
Read articleIs there a way to define standard work for senseis?
Dear Gemba Coach, I’ve been working on lean projects for years and my CEO has now asked me to act as…
Read articleLean in Japan: The Benefit of an Outsider’s View
"Sometimes when we know a process, culture, or organization too deeply, we struggle to view things as they actually are..."…
Read articleHow to Know If Your Team is Ready for Kaizen
"Do we even know what the Kaizen aim of “engaged employees” means, beyond the clichés?" asks lean coach Lesa Nichols.…
Read articleBad Data: The Elephant in the Room
"The goal of IT is to enable people to perform their jobs well by providing access to complete and accurate…
Read articleGemba, workplace, genchi genbutsu, go-and-see … What’s the difference?
Dear Gemba Coach: Is there a difference between “gemba” as used in lean texts and “genchi genbutsu” as they appear…
Read articleYou Can’t Learn Lean by Talking About It
Larry Navarre, instructor at Kettering University with 20 years experience in industry, shares what he's learned about teaching lean thinking.
Read articleTough Empathy
"When grasping the situation we always focus in on the process... What about grasping the situation as it relates to…
Read articleWhat Type of a Leader Do You Choose to Be?
Plenty of people want to become better leaders. Few people want to change. Michael Bremer shares his advice for more…
Read article6 Ways to Lay the Groundwork for More Effective Meetings
"Even in organizations working hard in pursuit of lean production systems [and] employee capability development – the failure to host…
Read articleIs a lean CEO’s job different from a traditional CEO?
Dear Gemba Coach: How does the role of CEO in lean management differ from that in traditional management?
Read article5 Ways My Thinking Changed With the Help of a Lean Coach
"Coaching for development is different than being managed," writes Deborah McGee. "Lean coaching in our case was not directing an…
Read articleSmall Batch: Hand-Picked Articles from the Global Lean Community (Vol. 1)
A roundup of the best recent articles and case studies from our friends at Planet Lean - this time from…
Read articleThree Core Capabilities in Any Lean Product and Process Development System
"Good development leaders work in earnest to create a 'safe culture' for people to share issues. Working to [drive out…
Read articleHazards at the Huddle Board: How to Coach a Team Away from “Fast Thinking” to Disciplined PDCA
Lean practitioner David Verble, an LEI faculty member and former HR manager at Toyota, is noticing that problem-solving at huddle…
Read articleJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads Across the Web (Vol.10)
Our latest picks for great lean reads across the web, this time from 99u, strategy + business, a hotel app…
Read articleThe Lean Genie Problem
"For leaders and CI professionals, it’s not practical to rely on the team you’re working with to institute every change…
Read articleDoes being “sensei-ed” show respect for people?
Dear Gemba Coach: If lean is based on respect for people, why are sensei gemba visits reputed to be so…
Read articleStandout Lessons from the 4th Annual Lean Coaching Summit
"A coach’s role is to help someone better understand their own process," writes Katie Anderson. How will you bring greater…
Read articleLean Physician, Heal Thyself!
"We [need] to equip people with the right tools to address the problems they must solve," writes Phil Coy. "New…
Read articlePDCA, Fitness Apps, and Using Social Media to Improve Our Health
"Health isn't about always being perfect," writes lean coach Tracey Richardson. "Just like in our organizations, we all have imperfect…
Read articleLean Thinking for Quicker Police Emergency Response Time
Bob Downing and Erin Magee reflect on the results of a collaborative project they worked on last year when their…
Read articleTHE ROLE OF ‘CHALLENGE’ IN THE IMPROVEMENT KATA
The first step of the Improvement Kata, "Understand the Direction or Challenge," is often overlooked, yet it is the important context…
Watch videoRethinking Disaster Recovery on the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
As the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches on August 23rd-29th, read about how lean thinking is changing how New…
Read articleLEI’s Lean Transformation Model Animated
Need a simple way of explaining lean thinking to your team? LEI has released a new animated video of how…
Watch videoWhat the heck is a dojo?
ear Gemba Coach: What is a “dojo”? I hear about it but don’t find it referenced in the lean tools.…
Read articleThe Lean Transformation Framework Animated
This brief animated video offers a guide to the five fundamental questions that help lean practitioners and thinkers understand the…
Watch videoIs Your Improvement Project Headed Down the Road to Nowhere?
"The scientific method applied consistently [can mean] beginning a continuous improvement journey that lasts, well... forever," writes Tim Kane. Read…
Read articleLean Product Development at Cathedral Hill Hospital
Read Baris Lostuvali's case study on bringing LPPD to the Cathedral Hill Hospital in San Francisco.
Read articleAm I doing lean right? How can I tell?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m spending a lot of time at the gemba, but how do I know if I’m doing…
Read articleSurfer Culture Meets Standardized Work
Can surfing instructors and students really learn standardized work? Read the surprising story of how lean coach Sammy Obara worked…
Read articleStart Up By Diving Deep
"The important thing is answering some fairly core questions about your business before spending time and money developing solutions," write…
Read articleThe Joy of Lean Innovation: A Case Study of Menlo Innovations
Richard Sheridan and James Goebel of Menlo Innovations set out to create a joyful enterprise, one that they, their team,…
Read articleStep 1: Open Mouth, Step 2: Insert Foot
Joshua Rapoza, Customer Strategy Officer at LEI, reflects on whether working longer hours necessarily means more productivity and the power…
Read articleMy CEO, who supported lean, has left and been replaced by a pure finance guy. It doesn’t look good for the lean effort. What should I do?
Dear Gemba Coach: My CEO, who supported lean, has left and been replaced by a pure finance guy. It doesn’t…
Read articleToyota Partners with Nonprofit to Rebuild Homes and Lives
When the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina receded, they uncovered tens of thousands of ruined homes in devastated areas like…
View case studyStandardized Work Hangs Ten with San Diego’s Surfing Culture — Meeting the Challenges of Leadership, Culture, and Resistance
Instead of wiping out with a Southern California surfing school, the lean management principle of standardized had a positive impact,…
View case studyJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads Across the Web (Vol.9)
Our picks for interesting lean reads, this time from Modern Healthcare, Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg View, and Nikkel Blaase.
Read articleUsing Cynefin to Solve Problems While Navigating Uncertainty
Kim Ballestrin, an agile coach, explains how her team at Telstra (an Australian telecommunications and IT company) uses a problem…
Read articleIntentional Respect
"Most organizations fail to intentionally balance the technical tools side with the social side of Lean," writes Mike Orzen. "People…
Read articleValue Stream Mapping and Obeya: Key Enablers for Better Product Development
For an organization to be continually relevant and profitable, it needs to develop products and processes that consistently create value.…
Read articleHow can I tell if people “get” lean thinking; what signs should I look for?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been training teams to do lean, intensively at first, and with paced-out coaching later. How do…
Read articleLean, Agile, Joy
Rich Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations, shares his thoughts on why the lean software and lean manufacturing communities need each…
Read articleWant to Instill A3 Thinking? Teach A3 Behaviors
A3 thinking is all about A3 behaviors, says auto-manufacturing veteran Andrew Quibell. "Only by applying a step by step mentality,…
Read articleSafety Through Gemba
"When I do a gemba walk, I don’t necessarily ask questions about safety," writes Brian Fitzpatrick (a director of Health…
Read articleDesign Thinking for Lean Practitioners
"You don’t have to look very far to see that lean problem-solving has a reputation of perfecting something that already…
Read articleLeadership Stories From One of Lean’s Fastest Growing Communities of Practice
On the heels of the Lean Healthcare Summit earlier this month in Dallas, Texas, we've gathered three stories in which…
Read articleTwo managers I relied on a lot are still fighting a two-year-old pull system and creating a lot of conflict on the team. Is this normal?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m two years into establishing a pull system through my plant and two of my key managers…
Read articleWhat it Takes to Bring Lean Thinking to Healthcare: One Leader’s Candid Reflections
Keith Murphy, a Senior Lean Process Improvement Leader in a healthcare organization, shares his greatest lessons learned with regard to…
Read articleSerious Games
Boaz Tamir (President of Lean Institute Israel) and lean coach Smadar Cohen Isvoranu share their reflections on a recent lean…
Read articlePersonal PDCA and How I Learned It
"In 23 years at Toyota, I had many assignments and different bosses, I managed many people," writes Mark Reich, "but…
Read articleLean Startup: The Most Revolutionary Idea Since SMED?
"From my view, Lean Startup is quite simply the most revolutionary idea to advance the way business is practiced since…
Read articleRedefining Work
We need to think about redefining work. Until we – anyone who wishes to bring about organizational change – redefine…
Read articleWhat “Co-Learning” Across Industries Looks Like in Practice
"In April, as part of a 2-day capstone learning event for Cardinal Health, we brought the newest wave of Lean…
Read articleJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads from Across the Web (Vol. 8)
Check out our picks for high value lean reads you may have missed - this time from Inc., Harvard Business…
Read articleCould hoshin kanri be too bureaucratic for my small tech company?
Dear Gemba Coach: I get frustrated with being the only one seriously concerned with experimenting and learning new systems, so…
Read articleVisualize the Invisible: Connect Improvement Work to Real Business Needs
Reflecting on one of her most powerful learning experiences, Lesa Nichols writes, "It struck me that I hadn’t coached my…
Read articleLean Product and Process Development – Stories from the Field
Jim Morgan shares stories of his field work and research for LPPD at LEI.
Read articleTried and True Strategies for Leading Lean Practice
"In my 30 plus years of leading Lean in a wide range of companies, I’ve learned common practices that work…
Read articleWhy Lean Fails in Job Shops… and What to Do to Succeed
Like many job shop owners, LEI faculty member Greg Lane struggled with implementing lean principles early on. The experiences and…
Read articleLean is About Building Organizations that Learn to Learn
In April, LEI's John Shook spoke at the LeanUX NYC conference about how the lean movement has changed (and not…
Watch videoKATA SUMMIT KEYNOTE: JEFF LIKER
In this 16-minute video from February's Kata Summit, Professor Jeff Liker gives a revealing personal discussion of Toyota Kata from…
Watch videoConnecting Lean Thinkers With Nonprofits in Portland, Oregon
Matthew Horvat tells the story of Lean Portland, a lean community of practice connecting lean thinkers with nonprofit professionals in…
Read articleTransforming Healthcare: What Matters Most? How the Cleveland Clinic Is Cultivating a Problem-Solving Mindset and Building a Culture of Improvement
Imagine if you could create a culture of excellence and improvement in a large healthcare organization. That’s the challenge that…
View case studyLet the Work Define the Process
We’re all short on time, but think for a moment with your team about the real work to be done…
Read articleLeadership Q&A: Lisa Yerian, MD, Medical Director of Continuous Improvement, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
From the LEI senior executive series on lean leadership: Lisa Yerian, MD, director of Hepatobiliary Pathology and medical director of…
Read articleMy management team feels tense and pressured about going to the gemba. Is this normal?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve decided to take my management team to the gemba to get them to solve real problems…
Read articleConstruction Safety: It’s a Respect for People Issue
A stock photo showing unsafe working conditions at a construction site (used and shared via The Article) sparks an important…
Read articleThe Messenger is As Important as the Message
What do people look for in a change agent that will help them be more open to the risky business…
Read articleWhat it Takes to Share One’s Wisdom: A Q&A with Tracey Richardson
"When you make a decision to change the way you do business, it should hold you accountable for certain leadership…
Read articleJohn Toussaint on What a Complete System Transformation Looks Like In Healthcare
John Toussaint, CEO emeritus of ThedaCare and CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, shared his guiding principles for…
Read articleWhy Coaching is the Hardest Job I’ve Ever Had
"In 2011 a new term entered my company... we went 'lean'," writes Kasey Corbishley. "The office buzzed with anxiety as…
Read articleEnabling Change Through the Power of Story
Roberto Priolo, editor of Planet Lean, shares why not just reflection, but writing (and storytelling) is so helpful for the…
Read articleThe Chief Cause of Problems is Solutions
"In complex organizations, we [oversimplify] problems, try to fix them as painlessly as possible, cross our fingers, and move on…
Read articleKaizen Event “Malpractice” and What to Do About It
Performed properly, kaizen events create the technical and cultural foundation for daily continuous improvement. Performed improperly, they can get you…
Watch videoThe Hidden Benefit to A3 Thinking
"A3 thinking helps us think, solve problems, and strategize," writes José Ferro. "But it also helps us calm down, concentrate,…
Read articlePutting Financial Value on Lean Transformation
What is the ROI on a kaizen event? How does Lean stack up against other revenue generation or cost-saving initiatives?…
Read articleJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads From Across the Web (Vol. 7)
Five recent articles from across the web to help you reflect on your organization's approach to lean transformation or your…
Read articleContinuous Improvement is Good, But Is It Lean?
Take a look at your organization. Is Lean clearly directed and connected to strategy? Are senior leaders directly involved in…
Read articleThe Lean Power Stance
"Yoga is more than the physical movement of postures," writes Rachael McKay, an industrial engineer at lululemon athletica and yogi.…
Read articleHow is leadership engaged and trained in lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: How is leadership engaged and trained in lean?
Read articleWE ARE ALL APPRENTICES
Don't assume that your narrative is reality. Practice the Improvement Kata pattern to learn scientific thinking! Destin Sandlin of Smarter…
Watch videoHeijunka: Mastering the Peaks and Valleys
Struggling to run different types of products down one line? Lean coach Jeff Smith explains the lean manufacturing concept of…
Read articleLean Thinking in Construction: From “What” & “How” to “Why”?
"Construction is fraught with conditions of poor quality, cost overruns, and late projects," says Nick Masci of Lean Construction Institute.…
Read articleTraining Within Industry for the 21st Century
"How about a program that does for senior leaders today what Training Within Industry did for Japanese management in the…
Read articleGetting a Jump on Unplanned Changes
Andrew Quibbell, veteran of the auto industry, uses graphic recording to share lean concepts. Here's a visual of how Quibbell…
Read articleEditor’s Picks for Lean Posts to Help You Improve Your Work Monday Morning
Our picks for the most practical, "how-to" style posts we've published on the Post to date. These posts are chock…
Read articleUsing Value Stream Management to Better Care for Stroke Patients
"To make value stream management really work, the most significant cause for transformation lay simply in the shifting of team…
Read articleI’m Karen Martin, Ask Me Anything
Ask author and lean coach Karen Martin anything you wish on lean thinking and practice! She'll be here all day…
Read article5 Barriers to Lean in Government
"There are many challenges for lean in government... The structure of the workforce, disincentives for risk-taking at all levels, complex…
Read articleHow do you protect jobs while reducing lines and shifts?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do you protect jobs while reducing lines and shifts?
Read articleWhy a Plan for Every Part Is Essential to Lean Transformations
“What’s needed instead is system kaizen in which the material-handling system for an entire facility, supplying every value stream, is…
Read articleDo the Words You Use Create Clarity or Chaos?
"If words matter, shared understanding of words matters even more," writes Cindy Priddy. "The word coach reaches much further back…
Read articleNo Change is Easy: The Starbucks Siren Steps into Dunkin Donuts’ World of Orange and Pink
Lean is about a willingness to experiment and if necessary, change our approach to our work and our daily routine.…
Read articleWhy Toyota is Still My North Star
"In the past five years the local lean engineering community has gained a deeper hands-on appreciation of how intermeshed product…
Read articleStrategy Deployment at The Lean Enterprise Institute
Is your organization “chasing too many rabbits?” It’s a tendency too many companies have of annually setting more strategic objectives…
Watch video5 Ways to Help Every Team Member Contribute Ideas for Improving Work
"Engaging staff in problem identification and suggestions for improvement is essential for any organization," writes Dan Fleming, Continuous Improvement Manager…
Read articleTPS 2.0?
Jim Morgan and Jeffrey Liker chime in on Toyota's announcement of their TNGA program (Toyota New Global Architecture). "The impetus…
Read articleImproving a Complex Process that Saves Lives: Lean Transformation at LifeShare Donor Services of Oklahoma
"This is a model, like a lot of good leadership models, where you teach people the thinking and then need…
Read articleHow Do I Measure People Development?
Dear Gemba Coach: What is the metric for people development?
Read articleBe More than a Coach, Be a Coach Who Listens
"When we hold on too tightly to our own assumptions of a problem and what we think are solutions, we…
Read articleCrossing Silos: Connecting Disconnected Communities at LeanUX NYC
LEI’s John Shook will give a talk, “Lean is About Building an Organization That Learns to Learn" at this year's…
Read articleFrom Victim to Partner: The Evolution of a Manufacturing Development System
"Excellence in product development is not 'an engineering thing'; it is an enterprise thing," writes Jim Morgan. And it's helpful…
Read articleWhy do we hear less and less about lean in manufacturing?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why do we hear less and less about lean in manufacturing? Is it that most companies have…
Read articleValue Stream Maps and Battle Plans – Are They Worth Nothing?
“I’m reluctant to say maps are nothing, but there’s a difference between maps and mapping," Judy Worth says, paraphrasing Eisenhower’s…
Read articleAre You Serving “Internal Customers” or Your Real Customer?
Are teams in your organization working in silos? Do processes feel fractured? Do upstream or downstream steps occurring in different…
Read articleJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads from Across the Web (Vol. 6)
Check out five recently published articles we think may help you improve your work or think about your work differently…
Read articleThe Secrets of Lean
"The key to Lean is that it creates understanding, not knowledge," write John Ehrenfeld (Executive Director of the International Society…
Read articleLeadership Without Giving Solutions (from a Fire Fighter’s Perspective)
LEI faculty member Greg Lane shares a lean coaching story from his own life, in which he finds himself advising…
Read articleLatondra Newton on the Toyota Production System and Social Innovation
The success of Toyota’s lean management principles in manufacturing, healthcare, product development, and other areas is well known and well…
Read articleBuilding as Product
"A building project, although it has many different moving parts and players, is a product. It’s a uniquely different product…
Read articleWhat does customer focus really mean?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re discussing improving our customer focus, but we’ve realized we’re not quite sure what the phrase really…
Read articleWhy Practicing Lean Thinking Matters (Even if Your Bosses Don’t Care)
"If your boss doesn't get [lean thinking], don't expect to convince him/her," writes Michael Ballé. "Do expect to get him/her…
Read articleBook Value: What Every Manager Should Know About Training
Jeff Morrow, lean coach and faculty at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, reviews and recommends Dr. Robert Mager's 1999 book, What Every…
Read articleCounteracting the Big Project Blues
Lean thinking is well and good, Erin Urban says, but often it takes time to see the real fruits of…
Read articleWhy Leadership Needs to Drive the Bus
"Lean change can start from the bottom-up, I won’t say that it can’t, but the situation needs to flip quickly…
Read articleHow demanding can a lean leader be while remaining respectful of staff?
Dear Gemba Coach: How demanding can a lean leader be while remaining respectful of staff?
Read articleKATA AT THE PHOTO STUDIO
This month's Kata video is an example of what happens when a team practices a scientific way of working, rather…
Watch videoThree Types of Lean
"We’ve all heard 'Lean is great for 'that' company, but not for the business I lead,'" says Chris Vogel. Learn…
Read articleTraining as a Crutch
Your organization has a problem. Something has gone wrong. A process that was previously working fine is no longer working.…
Read articleUnderstanding the True Cost of Care
"Today, frontline clinicians are being asked to provide even more cost-efficient care to patients yet few understand how to do…
Read articleIs there a difference between executive coaching and lean coaching?
Dear Gemba Coach: Is there a difference between executive coaching and lean coaching?
Read articleDefining LEI’s Customer: Understanding Your Real Problems & Needs
"Our customer is part of everything we do, but defining them and their needs… well, it’s like describing the air…
Read articleSharks & Tortoises
"A small number of firms have grown spectacularly in revenue, employees, and stock price by using [lean] to execute crisply…
Read articleJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads From Across the Web (Vol. 5)
Check out our editors' picks for 5 high value lean reads you may have missed, this time from Industry Week,…
Read articleLean Principles Are Changing How the U.S. Recovers from Tornadoes & Floods
When the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina receded, they uncovered tens of thousands of homes in devastated areas such as…
Read articleAfter improving processes with help from a consultant, how do I sustain kaizen in my department? My teams are hard to motivate.
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I sustain kaizen in my department? We’ve had a consultant help us with workshops, and…
Read articleExperimenting with LEI’s Transformation Model
Josh Howell, senior coach at LEI, reflects on LEI's Lean Transformation Model. "We set out to better understand the model,…
Read articleDeveloping Students, Improving Universities
"Today, lean thinking in higher education is uncommon," writes Theresa Coleman-Kaiser of Michigan Tech University. "As a rule, institutions that…
Read articleWe’re Ernie and Tracey Richardson: Ask Us Anything
It's our second "Ask Me Anything" post, this time with lean coaches Tracey and Ernie Richardson. With a combined 54…
Read articleLook Around You, Find Your Lean Inspiration
After an awful experience with an online travel agency and way too much time spent trying to fix an error…
Read articleHow can I estimate the savings from using visual management boards?
Dear Gemba Coach: I work on a lean team and I was asked to estimate the savings from using visual…
Read articleMaking a Football is a Contact Sport
With football on the brain after the Superbowl, Lesa Nichols reflects on the football manufacturing process. "There's a concept called…
Read articleHoshin at LEI: Connecting More Closely with Our Customer
Whether you’re deploying hoshin in a small nonprofit or a huge organization, the struggles are the same," writes LEI Senior…
Read articleSam MacPherson on the Green Beret Way to Develop Leaders
Training leaders to perform at high levels during a lean transformation or in the Army’s vaunted Green Berets has more…
Read articleThe Case for Lean Thinking in Retail and Service Organizations
Josh Howell, senior coach at LEI, recently joined Ron Pereira at Gemba Academy for podcast conversation on coaching, lean thinking…
Read articleHow Do You Spread a Lean Transformation from One Site to Many?
Dear Gemba Coach: My CEO has asked me to spread lean to 30 other sites. How should I go about…
Read articleKATA AT HOME
Start 'em Early! Create Scientific Thinkers. The Improvement Kata & Coaching Kata's practice routines for scientific thinking can be applied…
Watch videoMake the Shift: From “Churn and Burn” to Learn
Already practicing PDCA? Not so familiar with it? "If you’re not squarely in the PDCA camp, please accept this invitation…
Read articleEveryday Kaizen
"With the right teaching and guidance, a good process, and a target of one kaizen activity per day, team leaders…
Read articleWhat Strategy Is and What It’s Not
"In my career, I was always more interested in what it would take to create and sustain competitive advantage than…
Read articleIn IT, can we do virtual gemba walks?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am part of an IT creation and support organization. How do you do a gemba walk,…
Read articleRich Sheridan on How to Succeed by Building a Strong Learning Culture
Rich Sheridan, CEO of the software company Menlo Innovations, talks with LEI's Chet Marchwinski about Menlo's unique learning culture, taking…
Read articleGather the Facts: How Does Your Organization View Lean?
It’s worth asking, what's your organization's REAL, honest perception of Lean? Do you hear words and phrases like engagement, problem…
Read articleThree Lean Healthcare Success Stories From Across the Globe
Read a summary of 3 lean healthcare stories from the Lean Global Network, including reflections on what seems to make…
Read articleMaximizing People Systems in a Lean Transformation
Don't make the mistake of overlooking the important role that human resources plays in a lean transformation. Learn how to…
Read articleEffective Supervision 101
One of the biggest challenges for lean thinkers is translating lean thinking into lean doing, writes Stan Shaw. One of…
Read articleKata Konfusion
Author and LEI faculty member Drew Locher explains why it is important when using the kata improvement methodology to not…
Read articleThe Obstacle is the Path
Deborah McGee, LEI's Learning Activities Manager, reflects on the most common obstacles she sees people facing when they first try…
Read articleIs there a lean strategy?
Dear Gemba Coach: My team demonstrated the benefits of kaizen to the CEO who then asked us what our strategy…
Read articleJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads from Across the Web (Vol. 4)
LEI editors share an interesting assortment of lean-themed and lean-related articles from across the web, this time from Harvard Business…
Read articleNew Year’s Reflection
Happy New Year! Even if you are not one of those who makes New Year’s resolutions the new year is…
Read articleThe Lean Thinker Who is Capable of Creating Other Lean Thinkers
LEI faculty member David Verble explains what it means to be an effective manager or lean coach and why it's…
Read articleLessons Learned from My Lean Sensei about “Customer Service”
"To 'get' Lean we have to change our specs, and no longer see processes as sequences of dependent tasks, but…
Read articleTwo Years in Tanzania and a Whole New Understanding of Purpose
Mike Grogan quit his job in corporate America and moved to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania where he began working with…
Read articleHow do I set up an obeya room?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’d like to set up an obeya room – where should I start? What’s the simplest way…
Read articleHow Wrong Assumptions about PDCA Problem Solving Destroy the Effectiveness of Lean Coaches
Problem solving based on the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle is very different from what we typically call problem solving. Here's why,…
Read articleMake Broccoli (Or Lean) Taste Better Through Experiments
"Whether it’s eating healthy, saving for retirement, or pursuing Lean, we are all biased towards maximizing the here and now…
Read articleToo Busy to Improve
"The number of people I meet who tell me, 'I don’t have time to make improvements to my work,' amazes…
Read articleWhy Effective Problem Solving Begins With a Good Problem Statement
"Let’s solve world peace" or "let’s state our predetermined solution as a problem" aren't real problem statements, says Dave LaHote.…
Read articleThe Cure for Bad Meeting Syndrome
"Anyone who leads a group needs the ability to design and plan a meeting," writes Alice Lee. "This isn’t just…
Read articleAny tips for conducting daily stand-up meetings with my team?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been told I should conduct daily stand-up meetings with my team to solve problems collaboratively. I’m…
Read articleWHAT IS LEAN ABOUT?
The Kata SlideShare for January presents some thoughts (and video) as we in the Lean community mark the 25th Anniversary…
Watch videoJim Womack and Dan Jones on the Evolution and Future of Lean
At the UK Lean Summit last month, Roberto Priolo caught up with Jim Womack and Dan Jones to talk about…
Watch videoAnd the Best Articles from 2014 Are…
Two weeks ago we asked for your favorite Lean Post articles of 2014 and the results are in!
Read articleI’m not sure I understand solving problems one by one.
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m not sure I understand solving problems one by one. I thought listing problems and pushing hard…
Read articleJust-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads from Across the Web (Vol. 3)
LEI editors have gathered another five articles that either teach us something new about lean practice or show us where…
Read articlePublic Service: Lean’s Next Frontier?
John O'Donnell and Lex Schroeder share the thinking behind LEI's new Public Service Value Network and invite you to contribute…
Read articleHow Do Lean Concepts Apply in an Office Environment?
Dear Gemba Coach: How does lean apply in an office environment? I’m excited by the ideas but can’t figure out…
Read articleAre You Training People to Think or to Follow a Checklist?
"Without attention to why continuous improvement is important, the purpose behind [PDCA], when tools should be used, and when to…
Read articleLean Practitioners Gather to Share Ideas that Grow the Bottom Line by Growing People’s Knowledge
We were among the nearly 2,000 lean thinkers attending the 2014 AME conference, organized around six value streams: Engaged People,…
Read articleYou Can’t Kaizen Chaos
LEI coach Danielle Blais shares why she believes lean thinking means little without practice, explains the importance of stable work…
Read articleIs lean just another word for productivity?
Dear Gemba Coach: Isn’t lean about productivity before all else?
Read articleOne COO’s View on Learning, Leading, and Teaching
Dominic Paccapaniccia, COO of a regional healthcare center, reflects on why he and his organization chose to begin using a…
Read article“Learning from Manufacturing” Versus Learning To Think Differently
Beau Keyte talks lean thinking and practice in non-manufacturing settings. "The big challenge now isn’t to learn lean thinking the…
Read articleLean Thinking On Purpose
Katrina Appell reflects on a provocative op-ed by Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times from earlier this year and…
Read articleHOW KATA FITS IN
With this month's SlideShare Mike and Jeff address a common question in the Lean community: "How do the Improvement Kata…
Watch videoBook Value: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
Is clutter at work or at home getting you down? LEI Senior Editor Tom Ehrenfeld reviews Marie Kondo's new book,…
Read articleThe Angry Team Member and the Changing Organization
Toyota veteran and lean coach Lesa Nichols reflects on one of the most challenging and ultimately rewarding conversations she had…
Read articleIs momentum loss normal during a lean transformation?
Dear Gemba Coach: One of our outpatient wards reduced waiting time by 75% and got an award for their lean…
Read articleGTS6 + E3 = DNA (Break the Code for Standardization, Sustainability, and Kaizen)
There's no "formula" for doing Lean well, but there are principles and practices that keep you on track. Read Tracey…
Read articleWhy Creating Products Customers Actually Want Requires a Great Process
80% of the cost (and hence, waste) is committed for a new product or service by the time product designs…
Read articleHow do we solicit feedback from the shop floor without being overwhelmed by the enormous amount of ideas?
Dear Gemba Coach: I think we all know that the "suggestion box" has gone by the wayside. How do we…
Read articleGrasping the Real Situation
Emmanuel Jallas visits a well-respected company that is vocal about its lean transformation. Upon further investigation he finds that like…
Read articleThe Five Poisons of Big Company Disease
What's "big company disease"? The tendency of any large company to worry about clearly defined territories, rules and procedures, and…
Read articleWhat Should Lean Mean to Us?
Brent Wahba offers lean beginners a few tips for how to be most impactful. "If you are working on how…
Read articleInnovation at Smartphone Speed
Ever wonder what it takes to make those smartphone chips? Learn how IBM continuously improves smartphone technology using lean thinking…
Read articleNot a High-Volume Widget Manufacturer? Lean Still Makes Sense for High-Mix, Low-Volume Production
If your organization deals with a wide variety of products that incur fluctuating demand and your customers are ever increasing…
Read articleWhat Experience Tells Me About How Change Happens
Dave LaHote reflects on his earliest experiences learning lean thinking and practice. "We all became increasingly better at making improvements…
Read articleWant Your Organization to Survive Over the Long Haul? Value Process Over Results
"There are two ways to run your business," writes Doc Hall. "Focus on value, or focus on results... Interestingly, when…
Read articleCan creative people, like product developers, follow such a structured method such as lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: For product development you need creative (maybe even chaotic) people. Are those people suited to follow such…
Read articleJust-In-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads from Across the Web (Vol. 2)
Check out our editors' picks for great lean reads you may have missed, featuring stories from The Atlantic, The New…
Read articleUsing TWI Job Instruction to Supplement CDC Guidelines
"Healthcare organizations across the country have been implementing lean practice into their work, but not without some resistance," writes Patrick…
Read articleJim Morgan on What It Takes to Transform An Organization’s Product Development System
Jim Morgan, Senior Advisor for Product and Process Development at LEI, shares his view of what's required for organizations to…
Read articleDigital Marketing: What’s the Problem?
"Digital marketers need to make sure their departments are working together and that [users] are brought into the decision-making process…
Read articleWhat do you actually do on the gemba?
Dear Gemba Coach: What is it you actually do on the gemba?
Read article10 RULES FOR FAILING WITH TOYOTA KATA
Looking for tips to successfully practice the Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata in your organization? In this month's Kata SlideShare…
Watch videoLean Thinking and Information Flow
"Most of my career has been spent on making the production floor more efficient, i.e. the delivery of a product,"…
Read articleFor Distribution Managers, Lean Means a Sea Change in Roles
Making the leap to lean management in the warehouse or the supply chain requires the same kind of cultural shift…
Read articleLean & Scrum: Complementary Methods with a Shared Lineage
Lean coach Steve Bell shares his thoughts on Jeff Sutherland's presentation at the Lean IT Summit earlier this month in…
Read articleMy boss has asked me to take on the sensei role for the company. What does that mean?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I become a sensei? My boss has asked me to act in the sensei role…
Read articleHow To Get Out of the Habit of Telling
How do we get out of the habit of just “fixing” the immediate problem at hand ourselves (or telling others…
Read articleDo As I Say, Not As I Do
"What the leader demonstrates as important is what the team will focus on," writes Erin Urban. "If we are to…
Read articleHow is standardized work different from the Taylorist one best way?
Dear Gemba Coach: How is standardized work different from the Taylorist one best way?
Read articleLean Thinking for Warehousing and Distribution: How to Know Your Business
"The vast majority of warehouse or distribution center managers have nowhere near the level of detail about the business that’s…
Read articleThink You Know Your Warehouse or Distribution Center? Think Again
Most warehouse and distribution center managers lack the detailed knowledge needed for a lean transformation. Traditional management approaches often result…
Read articleI Don’t Know What I Don’t Know, But Spread the Word
In her first piece for the Post, Lesa Nichols reflects on one of her most powerful learning experiences while working…
Read articleBoard Responsibilities and the Lean Management System
"A board needs to go far beyond checking performance measurements and actually hold senior leaders accountable for management systems and…
Read articleLeader Standard Work: Where to Start
Striving to be an effective lean leader or manager is well and good, but without the discipline of leader standard…
Read articleJust-In-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads From Across the Web
We're trying something new on the Post rounding up some of the best or more interesting lean-themed articles from around…
Read articleWhat Does “Waste” in Government Processes Mean Anyway?
"It is commonplace in the US Federal Government to see placards and signs admonishing us to be on guard for…
Read articleAre You Managing People or Making Way for Their Creativity to Shine?
"The role of the [lean manager] entails three main parts: clear definition of goals; provision of significant and consistent feedback;…
Read articleHow can I train technical experts who know more about the work than I do?
Dear Gemba Coach: I understand I have to train people, but I work in a very technical area and they…
Read articleEUROPEAN LEAN EDUCATOR CONFERENCE REMARKS
This month's SlideShare is composed of the slides and comments Mike Rother presented at the recent 'European Lean Educator Conference',…
Watch videoFront-loading Product Development
Anyone in product development is familiar with the agony of late-stage changes, sometimes called loopbacks. The common advice to head…
Read articleJohn Shook on Where Lean Thinking and Practice is Headed Today
LEI's John Shook shares his view of how and where lean thinking can be used most effectively today. Insights on…
Read articleWhy Leadership and “Respect” Are Fundamentally Entwined
Hear the word "respect" and most of us can think of a time we've wanted our boss, team member, or…
Read articleShow Up On Time (And Other Instructions from a Cook)
Lean practitioner Matt LeVeque reflects on the concepts of 5S, (JIT) Just-in-Time, and "respect for people" throughout history.
Read articleHow to Lead with Respect — Follow-Up Q&A to the Webinar
At the end of the lean management webinar “How to Lead with Respect,” we had a couple of hundred questions…
Read articleI’m a six sigma black belt and have now been ask to do lean. I’m not sure where to start with my team. Any advice?
Dear Gemba Coach,I’m a six sigma black belt and have now been ask to do lean. I’m reading the literature…
Read articleFraming Art and Science: What Lean Knowledge Are We Going to Create Together?
"What is the purpose of lean product development? Where are its limits? Who plays, and what is 'out of bounds?'…
Read articleLean Product Development is About Thinking Horizontally in a Vertical World
Check out the blog from Day 2 of the Lean Product and Process Development Exchange (North America) conference in Durham,…
Read articleDeliberate 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,…
Read articleThe Designer’s Dilemma
Durward Sobek unpacks the "designer’s dilemma"—the situation wherein you have the MOST freedom to make decisions when you know the…
Read articleHow should I accelerate my own learning?
Dear Gemba Coach: How should I accelerate my own learning?
Read articleHow to Make Your Supplier Your Lean Partner
Lean practitioner Randy Dobbs says working with suppliers to improve the extended value stream of his company has been one…
Read articleThe Biggest Waste of All
"We can fix [problem symptoms] with basic lean thinking and tools, but unless our strategy is good, we will still…
Read articlePDCA is the Breath of Lean
"PDCA is to Lean what breathing is to human beings," writes Mark Donovan. This is why it's important to practice…
Read articleAccidental Soccer Coach
When she's not working on graphic design projects, LEI's own Lory Moniz now coaches her son's soccer team. The assignment…
Read articleHow to Create a Culture of Accountability
"Over time, accountability has developed a negative connotation," writes Erin Urban. "But the truth is: we want accountable, responsible employees…
Read articleLean on Steroids: Why We Should Rely On Physical Measures, Not Financial Ones
"Lean has led me to question core business models, period," writes Doc Hall. "But while Lean focuses on improving a…
Read articleRemembering Jim Harbour
"We in the Lean Community stand on a lot of shoulders. One broad pair belonged to Jim Harbour, who passed…
Read articleWould you have a fresh perspective on 5S to make it more motivating?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m the manager of a plant that has changed hands (again). The new corporate team finds my…
Read articleStructured Experiments Into the Unknown
"For years we tried to find situations where we could apply lean tools," writes Linus Brodén of HP Tronic, an…
Read articleSay Goodbye to the Report Out
"If we want to improve coaching, let’s build the requirement for it into the daily management process," writes Dave LaHote.…
Read articleA Lean Management System Starts with Senior Leaders
"From events, projects, and A3s to focusing on a lean management system, we’re discovering a new way to run and…
Read articleDistilling Lean Ideas Down to Their Essence
Andrew Quibbell, lean leader and VP of a global enterprise, loves teaching lean concepts. Finding PowerPoint wholly ineffective at communicating…
Read articleHOW TO DEPLOY THE IMPROVEMENT KATA
This month's IK/CK SlideShare is a detailed description of how to deploy a Coach/Learner structure in your organization, to teach…
Watch videoHow Lean Tools Support the Principle of Respect (Part 2)
We first met Andy Ward when he was struggling to save his plant from closure in The Lean Manager. Since…
Read articleHow Lean Tools Support the Principle of Respect (Part 1)
We first met Andy Ward when he was struggling to save his plant from closure in The Lean Manager. Since…
Read articleStill Faithful to Lean Thinking
"We wrote Lead With Respect to show just how central engagement and involvement is to lean success," says Michael Ballé.…
Read articleRon Pereira and Jim Morgan Discuss the Power of Lean Product and Process Development
Check out excerpts from Gemba Academy's podcast with Jim Morgan on core lean product and process development concepts, what makes…
Listen to podcastThe Essence of Developing People and Yourself
Jane Delaney is the CEO of a medium sized software company in the UK. As her company faces crisis upon…
Read articleNo Do, No Learn
Developing new skills and capabilities at work requires regular, ongoing practice. But despite our good intentions, many of us struggle…
Read articleProblem Framing at the Fuzzy Front-End of Lean Product Design
Lean emphasizes problem solving, but many individuals and teams just have trouble coming up with an accurate problem statement. In…
Read articleGemba Walks: Are You Going To See or To Be Seen?
"Supervisors talked about the significant improvements they were making as a result of kaizen events," writes Dave LaHote, "But all…
Read articleI fail to see the difference between hoshin kanri and the strategic planning we used to do. What am I missing?
Dear Gemba Cocah: My boss has hired a consultant to take us through the Hoshin Kanri process. So far, I…
Read articleLean Talks: Are You Making Excuses or Solving Problems?
In his "lean talk" at the Lean Transformation Summit this past March, lean coach and author Mark Graban shared his…
Watch videoBuilding Capability, Transforming Organizations
How do we improve ourselves as coaches while developing the problem solving capabilities of others? Lean coach Katie Anderson suggests…
Read articleTesting the Lean Transformation Model in India
Dhirendra Kumar Dubey of Lean Management Institute of India (LMII) shares what he's learned about the effectiveness of the Lean…
Read articleCommunicating With Respect
Effective communication is key when it comes to lean learning. Give people too much information, too soon and you lose…
Read article8 Tips for “Passing the Baton” with Suppliers and Customers
In a relay, the winning team isnít the one that runs the fastest leg, but the one that runs fastest…
Read articleWhat does developing people mean?
Dear Gemba Coach,Are people tools? Should bosses use people? What does development mean? How should we think about it?
Read articlePDCA, BML, TMC: Learning Lean From Lean
"Lean, Lean UX, and Lean Startup – there' a lot of 'lean' out there," writes Matthew Savas. "Is this good…
Read articleAsk Art: What Does a Lean Manager Do Differently?
"The lean leader has a vision for growth just like the traditional manager, but he sees the source of growth…
Read articleWhy Skill-Based Learning is Harder Than You Think
Lean practitioner Joel Gross explains why skill-based learning (like learning how to problem solve using PDSA) requires active, hands-on practice…
Read articleHow to Coach a Person Who Doesn’t Want to be Coached?
How do you coach someone who doesn't need your help or who thinks they know everything? This was one of…
Read articleLearning from John Wooden: Everyone Is a Teacher & a Coach
John Wooden was arguably the most successful, probably the most influential, and certainly the most studied coach in the history…
Read articleWhat’s new in your new novel “Lead With Respect”?
Dear Gemba Coach: I see that you have a new lean management novel out called “Lead With Respect.” What's new…
Read articleStandardization is a Countermeasure, Never the Goal
"If you're excited about standardized work and standardization, especially if you're new to Lean, please stop and think about the…
Read articleDoing Lean Versus Becoming Lean
"We know from experience that Lean is fundamentally driven by a change in company culture," writes Jim Luckman, "not a…
Read articleTWO MINDSET OBSTACLES TO EFFECTIVE LEARNING
This SlideShare looks at two common mindsets that can prevent us from learning new skills. A team or organization that…
Watch videoSummer Reading
LEI Senior Editor Tom Ehrenfeld picks his favorite lean books you might want to take to the beach with you…
Read articleToo Much Information Can Destroy Effective Management
"A lean organization minimizes the amount of unnecessary 'junk' information and increases the amount of 'gold' (value-producing) information that is…
Read articleMixed Model Work at the Office
In manufacturing, running a mixed model reduces the risk of overproducing any one product and lowers finished "good" inventory. What…
Read articleCost Reduction, Waste, and Purpose
"Eliminating waste makes it easier to see and find problems, which is the first step to solving them," writes Katrina…
Read articleAre We “Doing Lean” All Wrong?
"Somewhere in Ohio is a small healthcare management company that is the best Lean company, EVER," says Brent Wahba. Why?…
Read articleCloser Collaboration for a Leaner Planet
Roberto Priolo, editor of Planet Lean, makes the case for lean learning and collaboration across the globe.
Read articleProblem Solving Fast and Slow
"There are many paradoxes about the Toyota Production System," writes Ben Root. "Speed is certainly one of them. 'Do it…
Read articleWhat? My Pull System Is Supposed to Fail?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve given up on installing a pull system – every time we try, our on time delivery…
Read articleThe Leader’s Dilemma: Becoming a Learner
We build leaders up to be all-knowing, but leaders who act as 'knowers' (as opposed to learners) actually limit their…
Read articleCoaching Effectively Within Takt Time
When time is of the essence and work just needs to be done, how do you help someone improve their…
Read articleLean Talks: Lean Thinking at a Knitting Factory in Bali
Mark Donovan, co-founder of the knitwear company Wooden Ships, shares how he's worked to build the problem solving capabilities of…
Watch videoPut Your Strategy on a Diet
"When it comes to goal setting in most organizations, 'Just one more…' seems to be the compulsion," writes Pascal Dennis.…
Read articleKATA CASE EXAMPLE – GKN SINTER METALS
This month's video is a case example of deploying the Improvement Kata & Coaching Kata. Wayne Meyer illustrates GKN's application,…
Watch video5 Skills to Strengthen Your Coaching Practice
As we look ahead to this month's coaching summit, here are 5 actions you can take now to become a…
Read articleAm I doing PDCA correctly?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I know if I’m doing PDCA correctly?
Read articleLeadership Then and Now
John Shook and the Leaper look toward the future of leadership.
Read articleLean Government
"We in the Lean Community have no standing on whether a government should regulate any activity or provide any service,"…
Read articleOn Coaching
I'm a long-time fan of Brasilian futbol (or as some of us call it, soccer). This World Cup, I've been…
Read articleLevelled Production: Where to Start
"A fixed repeating pattern in production that involves more frequent short runs seems ridiculous and impossible to achieve," writes Ian…
Read articleLeaning Up Baby
Olivia Talman, a former intern at The Lean Enterprise Institute, knew problem-solving was important, but wasn't sold on Lean at…
Read articleTHE JEFF LIKER KATA INTERVIEW
This month's post is an inspiring 20-minute video that anyone involved in Lean will find beneficial. On the 10th anniversary…
Watch videoLooking Back and Ahead at The Lean Transformation Summit
Read the highlights from the 2014 Lean Transformation Summit in Orlando (featuring transformation stories from companies like GE, Cardinal Health,…
Read articleLean Change Is Organizational and Personal
"Lean management is less about providing the right answers than asking the right questions and exploring those questions by engaging…
Read articleTWI Job Instruction As a Way of Sharing High Value Knowledge
"Before we try to create value, we first need to study the jobs — looking for those parts of the…
Read articleIt’s About Best Practicing
"Just like practicing to learn to play an instrument, practicing the Improvement Kata helps us learn to view uncertainty more…
Read articleReinforcing Lean Behavior Through Visual Management
"Without having a visual management perspective in place, it’s difficult for people to know what good is, what the standard…
Read articleWe found your visit rather challenging … does “real” lean have to be such a struggle?
Dear Gemba Coach: The question I’m facing internally is whether “real” lean needs to be that challenging or is there…
Read articleOne Idea for Improving Hospital Emergency Room Care
Sami Bahri, dentist and author of "Follow the Learner: The Role of a Leader in Creating a Lean Culture," suggests…
Read articleYour Conversations on Lean Thinking and Practice in Healthcare
Check out the conversation topics (and report outs) from the Open Space learning session at the Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit…
Read articleValue at the Imperial Grill
"The Imperial Grill was a lean enterprise, and my folks, lean thinkers, though they would simply call it common sense,"…
Read articleA Simple Question Without An Easy Answer
Our understanding of Lean (and how best to talk about what it is with others) evolves over time, just like…
Read articleA Body Needs Skeleton and Muscle to Work
How do you create alignment across the organization when you have separate departments, value streams, and executives with conflicting priorities?…
Read articleAre computer screens okay for visual management?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can I use computer screens for visual management or is that a big no-no?
Read articleThe Best Lean Healthcare Stories You May Have Missed
Looking ahead to the Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit June 5-6, Lex Schroeder rounds up some of the best lean healthcare…
Read articleLeadership Q&A: Thomas Hartman, Senior Director, Autoliv Americas
From the LEI senior executive series on Lean Leadership: Autoliv’s Thomas Hartman describes the development of a lean problem solving…
Read articleAutoliv: Giving Power to the People
A case study looks at how Autoliv developed and sustained a lean-problem solving culture and how this global company shares…
Read articleThree Steps Toward Lean Culture Change
"Culture change typically isn’t greeted with open arms unless there is a crisis to provide a sense of urgency," writes…
Read article“How ThedaCare Created Its Own Management System”, Follow-Up Q&A
Kim Barnas, author of Beyond Heroes: A Lean Management System for Healthcare, answers questions that we couldn't get to during…
Read articleIf You Want to Lead, Make Your Vision Actionable
An organizational vision that makes clear a compelling future, one that brings all levels of the organization together, one that…
Read articleCould you clarify the difference between cause and root cause?
Dear Gemba Coach: Could you clarify the difference between cause and root cause?
Read articleThe Age of Manipulating Customers is Over
In his latest column for the Post, Boaz Tamir explains how the business landscape has changed since consumers have become…
Read articleBeyond Lean: Towards Compression Thinking
"Lean thinkers make things better by framing issues as Problems," writes Doc Hall. "Yet today our great challenges transcend corporate…
Read articleLean Alone is Never Enough
Lean can help any organization become more efficient and effective, but there is much more to being successful than just…
Read articleHow Teaming Produces Execution-as-Learning
Amy C. Edmonson, Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, shares a concept she calls "teaming", a…
Read articleChallenge: Understand and Adapt for Sales Pace Growth
It's our first Lean Challenge post! Come up with a plan to help a machining business deal with the technical…
Read articleLean Management Case Studies Library
Learn how a variety of businesses and organizations used lean management principles to solve real business problems. We’ve arranged the…
View case studyAsk Art: How Much Lean Training Should We Be Doing?
Why aren't more companies successful at Lean? Art Byrne says it has to do with an over-focus on planning and…
Read articleWhy One Startup Will Never “Change the World”
Nathan Rothstein, co-founder of Project Repat, calls for founders to stop pitching their companies as "world-changing" charitable organizations. Businesses should…
Read articleWhat’s the main quality I should look out for in hiring a lean coach?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m in the process of hiring a Lean Coach for my team and I wondered if there…
Read articleOpportunity Lost?
President of Lean Institute Brasil, José Ferro, gives us the background situation on the World Cup and tells us about…
Read articleLevelled Production: Why Do It?
Ian Glenday explains how levelled production and "economies of repetition" make way not just for stability, but improved business performance.
Read articleLean Talks: Problem Solving with ThoughtWorks
Kevin Kriner, an agile project manager at ThoughtWorks, gives a short "Lean Talk" on what he's learned about root cause…
Watch videoHanging Up My Cape
"Managers and front line workers hustle to work around problems resulting from poorly designed work systems... and with such pride!"…
Read articleWhy Lean Startup Experiments are Hard to Design
Grace Ng, co-founder of Javelin (a software and services company dedicated to implementing Lean Startup), reflects on what she's learned…
Read articleWhich Side Are You On?
Lean is based on developing every person’s kaizen mind, writes Michael Ballé, "not asking them to thoughtlessly apply a best…
Read articleMAY THE KATA BE WITH YOU
This month's IK/CK SlideShare takes a Star Wars perspective and describes key errors that IK Coaches should watch for and…
Watch videoI want to apply lean to engineering. Any thoughts?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am the regional manufacturing VP of a large industrial company. After the latest reorganization, engineering now…
Read articleBringing Respect for People to the World’s Sweatshops
Jim Womack weighs in on how we might use lean thinking and practice to tackle the ongoing, systemic problem of…
Read articleLeave Your Ego at the Door
Jim Morgan reflects on what he's learned from Alan Mulally (CEO of Ford Motor Company 2006-2014)--lessons like the importance of…
Read articleLong-term Organizational Health or Sugar High?
"We know 'flavor-of-the-month' initiatives can't be the focus of a lean leader," writes Bob Miller of the Shingo Institute. So…
Read articleLean Communications: Why Old School is Cool
How often do you send an email when you could talk to somebody or pick up the phone? Read why…
Read articleThe Difference a Visual Cue Makes
At work and off the clock, visual cues and andons keep us safe and aware of what's going on at…
Read articleReal Concurrent Engineering: Developing Engineers and Products Simultaneously
Jim Morgan and Durward Sobek compare and contrast Lean with traditional product and process development.
Watch videoShort Stories and Quick Kaizens
Lean coach Danielle Blais continues to see opportunities for lean thinking just about everywhere she goes.
Read articleDo CEOs Matter?
Journalist Jacob Stoller sits down with LEI's own John Shook to discuss just how important the role and support of…
Read articleWhy do you lean guys always focus on shop floor processes? The lack of clarity and focus at headquarters is far worse!
Dear Gemba Coach: Why do you lean guys always focus on shop floor processes? The lack of clarity and focus…
Read articleGreening Up the Gemba
Lean practitioner Tim Kane shares a story of lean-meets-green thinking and collaborative problem solving... with a little help from the…
Read articleVeteran Supply Chain Managers Drive Lean Systems Thinking in SoCal
Lean coach and 29 year Toyota veteran Bob Bennett tells us what supply chain management professionals are thinking about in…
Read articleMura, Muri, Muda in the Kitchen
Emmanuel Jallas demonstrates variation, overburden, and waste through the simple/not-so-simple challenge of breaking an egg.
Read articleGame On! Maybe Lean Can Be Fun
Lean is counterintuitive for most of us, and learning a new way of working at all is just challenging, no…
Read articleAsk Art: How Do We Prevent Backsliding?
Backsliding is inevitable. "The key is to anticipate the backslide and take early, aggressive, organized steps to prevent it from…
Read articleWhat is the worst mistake you’ve made on the gemba?
Dear Gemba Coach: What is the worst mistake you’ve made on the gemba?
Read articleAre You Making Enough Mistakes?
How comfortable are you making mistakes? Do you make it safe for your team members to make mistakes? Boaz Tamir,…
Read articleImprovement for the Sake of Improvement Means Nothing
"We need to dig deep to understand why we do what we do and question whether it really provides value…
Read articleTransforming Healthcare is Complex, Start with a Model Cell
John Toussaint from the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value explains what he's learned about how meaningful organizational change happens from…
Read articleUsing Lean To Fundamentally Rethink How We Develop Products and Services
Jim Morgan (former Global Engineering Director at Ford Motor Company) and Durward Sobek (Professor of Industrial Engineering at Montana State…
Watch videoObserve Without Expectations
What does it really mean to go to the gemba and closely observe the work that takes place there? Are…
Read articleSustain Your Lean Business System with a “Golden Triangle”
When medical device maker Phase 2 fought off an overseas challenge by meeting the global price, margins took a big…
View case studyNo Such Thing As a Funny Lean Joke?
Does a good lean joke exist? LEI staffer Josh Rapoza really wants to believe it's possible for Lean and humor…
Read articleThink Like Judoka
"Resistance in an organization can be a daunting foe to even the most highly skilled Lean practitioners," writes Joel Gross.…
Read articleWe’re being audited on five levels on fifteen topics. I feel that if we actually worked on all these items, the plant would just stop working. Am I missing anything?
Dear Gemba Coach: Our facility is being rated on a “lean maturity” audit. We’re being audited on five levels on…
Read articleFocus on Process, Set Free Great Minds
What happens when organizations buy into this "focus on the process" concept? Read on to learn more.
Read articleLearning Through Struggle
LEI coach Danielle Blais reflects on one of the most frustrating (and ultimately, most rewarding) coaching moments she's experienced so…
Read articleTaiichi Ohno Was a Hairdresser
"In the lean community, we talk about 'gaps' – the difference between where we are now and where we either…
Read articleJapanese Cult Invades Saskatchewan Government
Lean has become a political football in the normally congenial province of Saskatchewan. Read what John Shook has to say…
Read articleMonozukuri Through Hitozukuri
Michael Ballé reflects on what it really means to "make people before parts" and introduces two more lean terms that…
Read articleWhy do the characters in your books struggle a lot with lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m new to lean and I’ve just finished reading “The Gold Mine” and “The Lean Manager” and…
Read articleTOP 10 TOYOTA KATA LESSONS
Here are ten terrifically-useful lessons from the ongoing effort to embed Toyota Kata into the culture at Texas Health Presbyterian…
Watch videoThe Relentless Pursuit of Perfection
"I began to notice that there was a sharp contrast between well-made, crafted products and poorly made ones, and an…
Read articleUsing Lean to Take Farming to the Next Level in Denmark
"When you start to think and work systematically with Lean (rather than just off the cuff), looking for waste becomes…
Read articleHow to Handle Fire Fighting, Process Averse Cultures, Naysayers, and More
Summit attendees hosted their own conversations on lean thinking and practice last week, identifying challenges and opportunities for Lean within…
Read articleLive Blogging the Lean Transformation Summit, Day 2
LEI Senior Editor Tom Ehrenfeld continues his live blog of the Lean Transformation Summit, happening now in Orlando!
Read articleHow a Problem-Solving Culture Takes Root
Changing one's own leadership behaviors is no easy task, but it can be done. Leaders can shift away from giving…
Read articleI’ve heard you say the quality department is the worst enemy of quality. I find this offensive.
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m in the quality department of a large company and I’ve heard you say quality is the…
Read articleFood Bank For New York City and Toyota: Unlikely Partners in Innovation
Margarette Purvis, President and CEO of Food Bank For New York City, will tell the story about Food Bank's partnership…
Read articleThe Real Lean Challenge: Levelling Production
Most lean practitioners focus primarily on the waste elimination aspect of Lean and ignore levelled production. In his second piece…
Read articleShow Me the Money!
In his latest piece for the Post, Michael Ballé writes, "If we don’t get better at showing explicitly where the…
Read articleStarting Up, Growing Up, and Starting Over
In an essay first published in Gemba Walks (2nd Ed) and adapted for the Post, LEI founder and thought leader…
Read articleIf I turn off MRP in favor of kanban, will the factory collapse around us?
Dear Gemba Coach: Our sensei wants us to turn off MRP and work with kanban cards. I’m really nervous about…
Read articleManaging By Not Wandering Around
“We’re still very early in our journey,” says Dan McDonnell, VP of Operational Excellence at Ingersoll Rand. “But we’re following…
Read articleWhy Fundamental Shifts in Thinking Take Longer Than You Think
Think learning the fundamentals of lean thinking and practice is easy? Think again. Deep shifts in thinking will take some…
Read articleReading the Signs
How often does your organization settle for an inferior process design or process fix, bandaged together with labels and signs?…
Read articleLead Lean by Being Lean
Lean just doesn't work if leaders don't actively, consistently demonstrate lean thinking themselves. In his first piece for the Post,…
Read articleEffective Leaders Tackle Challenges Systematically
"It's not enough to simply set a challenge," writes Dario Spinola. "We need effective ways of working toward challenges." Read…
Read articleThe Thinking Behind Toyota’s Hiring Process
Lean coach Tracey Richardson reflects on Toyota's hiring process when she joined the company 28 years ago, why it was…
Read articleReducing Wasted Motion at a Conference: Collaborative Note Taking
Mark Graban reflects on the pros and cons of collaborative note-taking at conferences and offers up an invitation/experiment to Lean…
Read articleHooray for Honda
"We in the lean movement talk an awful lot about Toyota. But Honda has always been my favorite company in…
Read articleI don’t find much about lean strategy in the literature. Where should I look?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been tasked to come up with a presentation on what is a “lean” strategy to our…
Read articleCustomers Should Determine the Businesses of the Future, Not the 1%
"We set up entrepreneurs to fail when we put all the emphasis on pitch day and the amount of money…
Read articleLean Transformation Starts with a Learning Culture
After attending a Lean Applied to Sales seminar, Tina Roach and Pete Mangan of ProMed Molded Products knew they needed…
Read articleWhich Will Prevail: Batch Thinking or Worker Leadership?
For most of two centuries, batch and queue production was the golden key that opened the factory doors of mass…
Read articleLearn from the Error, Every Time
It's an awful feeling when you think everything is going just fine and then discover you've made an error. But…
Read articleJohn Drogosz on Product Development
John Drogosz gives a talk on lean product development from the University of Michigan.
Read articleJim Morgan on Creating the Future
Jim Morgan speaks about creating the future at the 2014 Lean Summit in Brazil.
Watch videoSuper Bowl 2014: It’s All About the Coaching
LEI Senior Editor Tom Ehrenfeld gets ready for the super bowl the only way he knows how: looking for lean…
Read articleThe Problem with Batch Logic
Enterprise Resource Planning processes use economic order quantities (=EOQ), also known as batch logic, to calculate what is required. This…
Read articleKaizen Power
In his latest piece for the Post, Michael Ballé explains why "humble 100x1% is better than 1x100% kaizen." This kind…
Read articleIn TPM, Isn’t it needlessly costly to replace parts that are working fine? What do you think?
Dear Gemba Coach: I have a question about Total Productive Maintenance. My management has hired a TPM consultant who makes…
Read articleLeadership Q&A: Gary Peterson, executive vice president, supply chain and operations, O.C. Tanner
From the LEI senior executive series on lean leadership:Gary Peterson, executive vice president, supply chain and production at O.C. Tanner, describes…
Read articleOvercoming the Challenges of Lean in Public Health
"Continuous improvement in public health has potential for optimizing quality gains in disease surveillance, public health emergency response, health promotion,…
Read articleA Lean Transformation Model Everyone Can Use
John Shook explains LEI's Lean Transformation Model, offering 5 questions you'll want to think about and share with your team…
Read articleTransforming Transformation
We are all trying to transform. That's what lean thinking and practice are all about: challenging us to reflect deeply…
Read articleWhy do you lean experts still revere the Toyota Production System? Hasn’t any one come up with something better?
Dear Gemba Coach,Since Toyota formulated TPS 50 years ago, many other companies have come up with their own business systems…
Read articleFoolish Consistency or Meaningful Standard Work?
How do organizations develop system-wide standard work and also create the conditions for local problem solving within departments? Dr. Grant…
Read articleCultivating a Lean Problem-Solving Culture at O.C. Tanner
O.C. Tanner is in the appreciation business. It develops employee reward and recognition programs and manufactures a wide variety of…
View case studyThe Lean Transformation Model
John Shook, CEO of the Lean Enterprise Institutes explains the Lean Transformation Model and how it can transform your organization.
Watch videoThe Best Lean Post Articles 2013: Editors’ Picks
A roundup of high value-added stories you may have missed from The Lean Post in 2013, but should bookmark for…
Read articleThe Best Article Articles 2013: Editors’ Picks
A roundup of high value-added stories you may have missed from The Article in 2013, but should bookmark for a…
Read articleThinking Outside the Pyramid
Machiavelli said it's better to be feared than loved. Lean practitioner Daniel Fisher rejects this idea and argues it’s better…
Read articleHow to Develop Lean Leaders and Still Get Work Done
Three years ago the leadership team at Cardinal Health asked LEI to help them create a program specifically designed to…
Read articleThe Question All Healthcare Leaders Should be Asking Themselves
Lean healthcare expert Mark Graban takes a common problem he sees again and again in hospitals (errors with hourly rounds…
Read articleWe struggle to set target conditions. Is there a system to do so?
Dear Gemba Coach: We work with Toyota Kata, which we find very helpful, but we struggle to set target conditions.…
Read articleWhat’s Your Company’s Bottleneck?
"A bottleneck is the weak link in the system, the one constraint that prevents us from manufacturing that next toaster…
Read articleWhat To Do When Executives Think Continuous Improvement Smells Fishy
Top executives are smart, but they don't always see the value of continuous improvement efforts. And continuous improvement professionals don't…
Read articleManufacturing’s Next Chapter
Using the experience of GE Appliance and other manufacturers, LEI CEO John Shook reminds lean thinkers that much remains to…
Read articleThe 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…
Read articleStandardized Work for Kaizen: Define, Achieve, Maintain, Improve
We can all agree that kaizen (continuous improvement to create more value with less waste) is important, but do you…
Read articleHow does lean fit together with Lean Startup concepts?
Dear Gemba Coach: I work in IT and discovered lean through the Lean Startup movement. Now, as I read more…
Read articleSHARPEN YOUR KATA COACHING
Here are five easy techniques to improve your coaching when using the 5 Coaching Kata Questions. This is a SlideCast,…
Watch videoWhat Exactly Is – or Isn’t – a Lean System?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m confused as to what a “lean system” is or should be. Could you clarify?
Read articleProblem Solving the Airlines
Rarely are process problems so clear as during the holidays! Have ideas for how to improve your air travel experience?…
Read articleThe Fight for the Meaning of Lean
"It seems like every one and their dog is doing Lean," writes Michael Ballé. "But what 'Lean' are we talking…
Read articleAsk Art: How Should We Staff and Run Kaizen?
"Unless you have some lean knowledge before you launch any kaizen, your traditional ('batch' rather than 'flow') thinking will overwhelm…
Read articleBuilding Problem Solving Muscle at University of Michigan Health System
"We are beginning to realize the wisdom of Henry Ford’s adage: 'There are no big problems, there are just a…
Read articleLean Startups Should Be Lean Cultures, From the Start
Mark Graban reflects on John Shook's talk, "Lean Startup--From Toyota City to Fremont to You," at this week's Lean Startup…
Read articleIn Lean and On the Green, Adaptability is Key
What parallels can be drawn between lean learning and achievement on the golf course? The concept of continuous improvement is…
Read articleBridging Two Lean Communities
Two very different lean communities came together when Eric Ries and LEI's John Shook participated in the Lean Startup pre-conference…
Read articleA Real S&OP Opera
Have you been implementing Lean but are still losing money due to inconsistent customer demand? Well, don't blame the customer.…
Read articleStandard Work for Lean Leaders: One of the Keys to Sustaining Performance Gains
Not every successful business follows a lean approach to management. In fact, the vast majority of Fortune 500 companies aren’t…
Read articleWhat happens after the lean coach leaves?
As a lean coach, after you move to a new management assignment, finish a training course, or run several kaizen…
Read articleLean Healthcare Lessons and Preparing for Change
Develop capabilities by asking the right questions
Read articleGet On Your Sneakers and Start Conversations, Learning How to Create End-to-End Excellence
Take a (gemba) walk on the sustainable improvement side with Ingersoll Rand.
Read articleIs there such a thing as lean manufacturing engineering?
Dear Gemba Coach: I keep reading about lean engineering and lean design. Is there lean manufacturing engineering?
Read articleOn Lean Production’s 25th Anniversary: Candid Reflections
At the 2013 AME (Association for Manufacturing Excellence) conference three management thought leaders (Jim Womack, Dan Jones, and John Shook)…
Watch videoThe Next Frontier: Lean Government
On a recent trip to Saskatchewan Dan Jones went looking for a Canadian healthcare example but in the process he…
Read articleIs Lean Getting Lost in Translation?
As we struggle to learn together as a global lean community, what’s more important, lean “orthodoxy” (pure TPS) or lean…
Read articleMy CEO would like to install a lean culture and has asked me to specify a few basic lean values we need to implement. Where should I start?
Dear Gemba Coach: My CEO would like to install a lean culture in our company and has asked me to…
Read articleOne Simple Thing You Can Do To Improve Your Coaching
When you put people on the defense, you miss out on a lot more than improved performance and results. Tracey…
Read articleHow to Fold a T-Shirt
Training Within Industry Job Instruction is a four-step method that teaches an individual how to do a job correctly, safely,…
Watch videoActing Your Way to Horizontal Thinking
In this keynote presentation from the 2013 AME conference, James Womack, founder of the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute, and Ingersoll-Rand…
Read articleHOW TO USE THE IMPROVEMENT KATA FORMS
In this SlideShare, Richard Green has annotated the standard IK Storyboard forms with instructions for how to use them... brilliant.…
Watch videoWhat’s Your Lean Elevator Pitch?
How do you describe Lean to others? To beginners, your team members, your boss? What's your quick definition or elevator…
Read articleWhy Lean Isn’t Successful in Healthcare
How often do you choose to improve processes that may not provide any financial benefit whatsoever? Read why lean practitioner…
Read articleManaging to Reboot Leadership
"Despite sweeping changes to the business environment and real threats to organizational sustainability, too many managers remain stuck in traditional…
Read articleHow Lean is Ruining My Life
Since you began learning about Lean, have you noticed it's nearly impossible to get through a day without seeing opportunities…
Read articleLean Labor Relations and The Customer First Principle
Here’s the scene: A production line at a car and truck manufacturing plant is stalling several times a day resulting…
Read articleGetting the Most Out of the 5 Whys
Are your 5 Whys leading you to dead ends? Emmanuel Jallas has some advice on how to really get to…
Read articleTop misconceptions of the Lean movement, according to founder Jim Womack
The fall of 2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the movement, noted managaement expert Jim Womack during the annual AME…
Read article“Lean Production” Turns 25
Author and management expert James Womack talks with The Leaning Edge about the state of lean management and what’s new…
Read articleHow You Can Influence a Lean Transformation
A Lean Enterprise Institute faculty member and co-author of Toyota Culture, Mike Hoseus explains how you can positively influence senior…
Read articleAsk Art: Will Lean Work for a Distributor?
Pairing distribution companies with Lean may seem counterintuitive to some. However author of The Lean Turnaround, Art Byrne, says this…
Read articleOne Year Later, How Toyota Has Helped Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts
There are few processes that are more critical to get right than those involved in disaster relief. Check out how…
Read articleThrow Out Your Assumptions About Your Customer
LEI intern Francesco Possio reflects on his Lean Startup Machine workshop experience at the Cambridge Innovation Center.
Read articleWhy Lean Gets Business Backwards (and why that’s a good thing)
Michael Balle explains why lean is a completely different approach to business than the traditional one.
Watch videoHow do I re-size supermarkets when demand changes or to keep pace with seasonality?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I calculate re-sizing supermarkets when demand changes or to keep pace with seasonality?
Read articleCatchball Helps Us Get Past We Versus They
When employees dread going to work every day, your company loses. Read what Tracey Richardson has to say about boosting…
Read articleAdding Flavor to the Gemba Using SALT
Dr. Grant Greenberg, Associate Medical Director for Quality for the University of Michigan Faculty Group Practice, has come up with…
Read articleFighting fires vs. problem solving: what’s the difference?
Dear Gemba Coach: I hear that lean is about less fighting fires and more problem solving but I am unsure…
Read articleFollowing Four Steps to a Lean Material-Handling System Leads to a Leap in Performance
The Delphi Delco Electronics facility in Kokomo, IN, followed a methodical four-step implementation process to replace a traditional material-handling system…
Read articleAre You Playing Today’s Game or Yesterday’s?
Are your coaching sessions with your staff inspiring 3-pointers or are they all air? LEI coach Josh Howell has some…
Read articleARE WE USING THE 5 WHYS INCORRECTLY?
FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION. Like several Lean concepts of the 20th Century, we should perhaps revisit our interpretation of this…
Watch videoTee Up Your Continuous Improvement
Despite achieving success across all key metrics early on in their lean journey, ProMed Molded Products still experienced a lack…
Read articleWhy Mass Training In Anything Doesn’t Work
So you’re excited about Lean and want to show your commitment by training all of your people. LEI’s Director of…
Read articleProduct Focus = Customer Focus
"Customer-defined value creation is the first principle of lean thinking... But how do you know your hard work will deliver…
Read articleWhere Lean Meets Innovation
"Many people see Lean purely as an improvement method, not a total enterprise solution or a new way of doing…
Read articleMore Evidence That ThedaCare Rocks
LEI coach Danielle Blais reflects on her recent gemba visit to the lean healthcare organization, Appleton Medical Center in Appleton,…
Read articleProduct and Process Lean
Dear Gemba Coach: Lean product development guys tout the gospel of product focus as core to lean success. No argument…
Read articleA Lean Leap of Faith
Michael Ballé reflects on a core assumption of Lean that is often disregarded and explains why it is worth taking…
Read articleNow What Do We Call the Karaoke Bar?
We asked the lean community to sound off on whether or not they favored using Japanese terms in their lean…
Read articleDo you use Japanese terms in your lean transformation or purposely avoid them? Why?
Recently we asked our community "Do you use Japanese terms in your lean transformation or purposely avoid them? Why?" Below…
Read articleThe Problem with the US Open
What do Roger Federer, ESPN, and the US Open have to do with problem solving?
Read articleDoes This Man Look Efficient?
After spending two days with Jamie Bonini, Toyota Production System Support Center general manager, a BusinessWeek writer discovers he adds…
Read articleA Connecticut Yankee Machinist in Toyoda’s Castle
“Culture matters,” John Shook tells us in his post about Charles A. Francis, an American who worked for Toyota group…
Read articlePracticing What We Teach
"Do all Lean practitioners practice what they teach?" Maybe, maybe not. Tracey Richardson tries to as much as she can,…
Read articleWhy Social Entrepreneurship is Dead
Despite all the hype, entrepreneur Nathan Rothstein (of Project Repat) believes social entrepreneurship is dead. Read what he recommends for…
Read articleThe Hunt for Alligator Eggs
"Like alligator eggs, problems often start small. If you wait a while and ignore them, those eggs hatch," writes Ellis…
Read articleAsk Art: Does Lean Really Work Everywhere?
There's a common misconception that Lean is "just some manufacturing thing." Read why Art Byrne believes Lean can be applied…
Read articleTalking Lean with a Neuroscientist
How do we turn large, complicated, risky projects into catalysts for learning and innovation? Lean IT expert Steve Bell reflects…
Read articleWhat comes after Lean?
Lean practice is an ongoing process, it never ends. But what are we learning about the field? What comes after…
Read articleWhy is it still so hard to convince executives to adopt the lean spirit?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why, in your experience, after all these years of preaching lean, is it still so hard to…
Read articleWhat problem are you trying to solve?
As human beings, are we basically “programmed” to produce blanket solutions that typically only address symptoms of problems, never to…
Read articleA Learning Partnership to Support A New Era in American Manufacturing
As policymakers and business leaders work to rebuild and reimagine a struggling U.S. economy, GE is not only at the…
Read articleCan a pull system with zero stock make the company more fragile?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can a pull system with zero stock make the company more fragile?
Read articleStandardized Vacation
Mark Donovan, co-founder of the women's knitwear company Wooden Ships, proposes that we all consider vacation as a standardized method…
Read articleThe Silent Killer of Health Care Transformation: Being Overburdened by Too Many Choices
Writing on the Huffington Post, Beau Keyte discusses a major problem that exists in our current system of healthcare transformation…
Read articleNo Really, Go to the Gemba
LEI coach Danielle Blais explains why it's so important for lean coaches, leaders, and all managers to regularly visit the…
Read articleLean Accounting’s Acceptance Makes Slow, Steady Headway in Academia
Professor Gerald DeBusk, PhD, winner of an Excellence in Lean Accounting Award from the Lean Enterprise Institute, reflects on the…
Read articlePDCA: The Scientific Method or the Artistic Process?
What does lean have to do with art? Lean practitioner and sculptor Karyn Ross says the two really aren't so…
Read articleLean Leadership: a continuing series of interviews with senior executives on how they lead in a lean culture
The Lean Enterprise Institute interviews executives from manufacturing, service, and healthcare organizations on what they had to do differently to manage and…
Read articleAn Interview with Executive and Lean Practitioner Gary Berndt
Gary Berndt, who has led lean transformations in a variety of companies, answers questions about connecting lean efforts to strategy…
Read articleContinuously Improving Lean IT at Toyota
Pierre Masai, Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Toyota Motor Europe, weighs in on the changing face of Lean…
Read articleLean Starts With the Need to Achieve
"The first step in a lean implementation is to identify employees with an intense desire to achieve," writes lean practitioner…
Read articleThe Faster We Go, the Behind-er We Get
Speed to market is not just about doing things faster. It’s about taking the time to do things more intentionally.…
Read articleAdopt or Adapt? When Modifying Lean Makes Sense
One of the key decisions every lean coach, consultant, practitioner, and leader makes is when to fully adopt a particular…
Read articleHow do you define respect for people?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can you be more specific about “respect” in lean? The term is being used in our company…
Read articleThe Innovation Interview with John Shook
Culture matters but don’t use it as an excuse for failing to engage people, says LEI CEO John Shook in…
Read articleCreate Your Fantasy Island Organizational Culture
What would your dream organizational culture look like? What about your fantasy lean transformation? Tracey Richardson shares her advice for…
Read articleLean Writing Has a Gemba
What makes for good (lean) writing? What kind of writing are we looking for on The Lean Post? LEI senior…
Read articleA Total Shift in Mindset
Lean thinking isn't easy to put into practice, particularly for beginners. Ghassan Saleh, lean engineer at MaineGeneral Medical Center in…
Read articleIt’s Your Career, Own the Work
If an employee doesn’t have a vision for his or her own career, strengths and weaknesses, and development needs, why…
Read articleAlice Lee on the Challenges and Rewards of Applying Lean to Healthcare
Alice Lee, VP of Business Transformation at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, discusses BIDMC's unique application of lean…
Watch videoA Good Night’s Sleep
How often do you find yourself jumping to a solution without understanding the problem? If we're really interested in solving…
Read articlePublic-Private Partnerships Lead To More Effective Government in WA
Since 2012, Washington state government has received more than 2,000 hours of volunteer advice, training, coaching, and/or facility tours from…
Read articleLosing Patients: What Healthcare Organizations Have to Do to Survive Inevitable Changes
Writing on the Huffington Post, Beau Keyte discusses the effect that the full implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable…
Read articleDesigning Hospitals in Collaboration with Patients and Families
LEI coach Danielle Blais shares her reflections on a recent visit to Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando, a hospital built…
Read articleA Sensei in One’s Own Land
In his first piece for The Lean Post, John Shook addresses the question of if, when, and how you and…
Read articleWhen is technology in healthcare actually valuable?
Technology should support the worker (and the patient), not vice versa. Co-author of the book Perfecting Patient Journeys, Judy Worth,…
Read articleWhy reduce inventory further?
Dear Gemba Coach,We have a lot of machining operations in our process, and we carry inventory. What is the best…
Read articleAsk Art: Doesn’t Lean Entail Headcount Reductions?
Many people think Lean is about reducing headcount. Art Byrne responds to this common misconception and explains what to do…
Read articleReason #27 Why Your CEO Is Just Not That Into Lean
You know the value of Lean, but maybe your boss or a key member of the senior leadership team doesn't.…
Read articleWhat do effective leaders actually do every day? GTS4
So many of us know the value of lean thinking and practice, but what do lean leaders actually do every…
Read articleShould I use an A3 report to kick off a problem-solving effort?
Dear Gemba Coach: Should I use an A3 report to kick off a problem? I encourage my managers to tell…
Read articleLong Live Process Improvement?
For many beginner practitioners, Lean seems like just another "flavor of the month" program. If it isn't communicated and taught…
Read articleThe Virtue of Small Data
"Small Data can be found everywhere, with every customer transaction and interaction," writes LEI faculty member and Lean IT expert…
Read articleInnovation Through Customer Collaboration
Lean Enterprise Institute faculty member Steve Bell shows you how to examine and improve your activities for learning the Voice…
Watch videoYour Product Isn’t Everything, It’s the Only Thing
Jim Morgan, former product/process development executive at Ford (and co-author of The Toyota Product Development System), reflects on what should…
Read articleWaste-Free Capitalism
In his first piece for The Lean Post, lean thought leader and LEI author Michael Ballé shares Toyota's lessons for…
Read articleManaging the Wisdom of the Many
"Lean organizations that depend on the qualities of rare individuals face multi-dimensional risks," writes Boaz Tamir, President of Israel Lean…
Read articleDoes quality really come first?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been practicing lean for many years and have learned to create flow and one-piece-flow. However I…
Read articleEmergency Departments Use Lean Principles in an Effort to Perfect Patient Journeys
Sixty hospital emergency departments in Michigan formed a collaborative to apply the value-stream improvement methodology to cut the length of…
Read articleWhat’s Really Underlying the Protests in Brazil?
The world looked on as protests and subsequent violence swept Brazil earlier in June. José Ferro explains the state's response…
Read articleBe Prepared to Change Your Habits
LEI Coach Danielle Blais likens lean learning to something we all know something about: starting a new exercise routine or…
Read articleStarting Points for Different Value Streams
No lean transformation story is the same. Read Dan Jones's take on gaining traction for lean learning within your organization…
Read articleLean Consortia “Lessons Learned”
Here is a quick overview of the lessons learned by experienced leaders in our case study on lean consortia.
Read articleLean Consortium Delivers Great Ideas to Improve Your Business
A key suggestion about how to improve flow from lean consortium members spares Steel Tech the cost of buying a…
Read articleCan lean go wrong?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can lean go wrong? Can the ideas be misused and can the outcome be bad for the…
Read articleWhy It’s Time to Embrace Design Thinking
What do lean thinking and design thinking have to do with each other? What do practitioners in each field have…
Read articleBook Value: Jim Womack on Ford Methods and Ford Shops
Jim Womack, author of Lean Thinking and founder of The Lean Enterprise Institute, reflects on one of the books that…
Read articleClear Mind, Better Work
Like lean, mindfulness meditation is all about practice and discipline. Mark Donovan, owner of the knitwear company Wooden Ships, reflects…
Read articleThe Challenge in Providing Challenging Work
LEI's Mark Reich chimes in on the discussion of how to most effectively manage and coach the young generation of…
Read articleWHO IS THE LEAN STAFF’S CUSTOMER?
If you want to succeed, figure out how you can improve your customer's life.
Watch videoAsk Art: How Do I Get Senior Leadership On Board with Lean?
Lean transformations are rarely successful without the support and participation of senior leadership. Art Byrne, former CEO of Wiremold, shares…
Read articleCommunity Communication
Lean thinking and practice is all about tackling problems – little ones, big ones, wicked ones, sticky ones, concrete ones,…
Read articleLean concepts that help you eliminate waste and create flow in your own work
Lean Enterprise Institute faculty member Dan Markovitz, an expert on improving personal performance, explains how the lean principles of 5S…
Watch videoLeading and Learning the Toyota Way
Lean coach and LEI faculty member, Tracey Richardson, tells us why a learner's attitude is essential for effective leadership and…
Read articleWhy Starting With a Model Area is Key to Lean Transformation
Lean coach Danielle Blais explains why starting small, with one team in one area, is so important to leading an…
Read articleUpcycling Products Customers Actually Want
Nathan Rothstein, president of Project Repat, shares the story of how his startup evolved from an interesting idea to a…
Read articleEngaging Physicians to Solve Real Problems in Healthcare
Trained in the scientific method, practical to the core, focused on the patient--one would think physicians would be the first…
Read articleSuch a Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever
Lean thinking, principles, and experiments show up everywhere and make a real difference, sometimes in places you'd least expect.
Read articleUsing lean principles to escape the tyranny of the email inbox
Lean Enterprise Institute faculty member Dan Markovitz, an expert on improving personal performance, tells you how to reduce the volume…
Watch videoWhy aren’t the laws of lean articulated?
Dear Gemba Coach: Aren’t there laws of lean, just as there are laws of physics? And why aren’t these clearly…
Read articleWhy don’t middle managers practice A3 thinking? (Part 2)
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m a lean consultant, and have been hired by a large service organization to develop an A3…
Read articleImproving Continuous Improvement in Healthcare Through Collaborative Learning: The Leaning Edge interviews Perfecting Patient Journeys co-author Beau Keyte
Perfecting Patient Journeys co-author Beau Keyte talks with The Leaning Edge host Debra Levantrosser about the central role of collaborative learning…
Read articleA SKILL-LEVEL ICON FOR VS MAPS
This SlideShare presents a new Value Stream Mapping icon to indicate both current & future-state Improvement Kata skill levels for…
Watch videoIn your opinion, is lean thinking a common sense way of working or is it counterintuitive? What makes you think that?
Here are all the submissions to the community sound off question: "In your opinion, is lean thinking a common sense…
Read articleWhy don’t middle managers practice A3 thinking?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m a lean consultant, and have been hired by a large service organization to develop an A3…
Read articleLean Design and Construction Project an Extension of Lean Commitment at Akron Children’s Hospital
When the Ambulatory Surgery & Critical Care Tower opens in 2015, it will represent a three-year lean design and construction…
View case studyPatients First (Part II)
Writing in the Huffington Post, Karl Ohaus, a co-author of Perfecting Patient Journeys, poses 7 questions to ask at the…
Read articleManaging to Connect the Macro with the Micro
LEI Chairman and CEO John Shook explains management PDCA: improving the way we align people with process to achieve purpose,…
Read articleWhy Are There So Many Points of View About What Lean Is?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been interested in lean for over two years now, and can’t quite understand why after 20…
Read article“A Roadmap to Lean Healthcare Success” Webinar: Follow-up Questions and Answers
The Lean Enterprise Institute's webinar "A Roadmap to Lean Healthcare Success" with John Toussaint, MD, CEO of the ThedaCare Center…
Read articleWhat are the biggest obstacles you are facing in your lean journey?
Company culture, weak management support, lack of lean knowledge – even federal budget sequestration – were among the answers you…
Read articleLean Management for High-Mix, Low-Volume Operations
LEI faculty member Greg Lane offers some examples of how the application of lean concepts differs in high mix/low volume…
Watch videoWhy Does Our Recognition Program Just Feel So Bad?
Dear Gemba Coach: My company has put an employee of the month program and other related efforts to reward good…
Read articleLean Coaching Skills: Tips for “Humble Inquiry”
Lean Enterprise Institute faculty member David Verble compares and contrasts different managerial styles of coaching in this video.
Watch videoOperator morale has suffered terribly since we implemented cell manufacturing, and the ideas that kaizens generate have been weak. Would you please share your insights on this situation?
Dear Gemba Coach: Operator morale has suffered terribly since we implemented cell manufacturing, and the ideas that kaizens generate have…
Read articleBoston Marathon 2013 – Reflections
In business, as in sports, we like to compete. We believe competing can benefit everyone. “Everyone” means everyone – not…
Read articleUsing Lean Thinking to Help Schools Get the Resources They Need at DonorsChoose.org
A fantastic example of how lean thinking and practice has moved into the nonprofit sector, DonorsChoose.org began its lean journey…
Read articleJim Womack discusses the state of the lean movement, and compares the A3 management process with traditional modern management
Addressing workshop attendees during a lunch break, Jim Womack, management expert and Lean Enterprise Institute founder, discusses the state of…
Watch videoHow GE is making things better through lean
Bill McDonogh, HR Lean Transformation Leader at GE Appliance tells us how GE is making things better through lean thinking…
Watch videoWhen a Passion for Caring Becomes a Commitment to Process Improvement: Judy Worth and Karl Ohaus on Lean Thinking for Healthcare Organizations
LEI interviews lean practitioners and co-authors of Perfecting Patient Journeys Judy Worth and Karl Ohaus about the potential for lean…
Read articlePart 2: What is the best lean way to understand VALUE (in terms of what our customers want)?
Dear Gemba Coach, What is the best lean way to understand VALUE (in terms of what our customers want)
Read articleFollow-up Q & A to the Webinar “Getting to Everyday Improvement: How to Connect the Science and Culture of Problem Solving”
A follow-up Q&A with presenters Judy Worth and Beau Keyte for the Lean Enterprise Institute's webinar on Getting to Everyday Improvement.
Watch videoLean 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…
Read articleLean management case study series: Lean Partnership with Dealer Network Helps Vermeer Reduce End-to-End Inventory on Top Sellers
A lean transformation had taken heavy-equipment manufacturer Vermeer away from batch manufacturing, but batch ordering by dealers was delaying how…
Read articlePart 1: What is the best lean way to understand VALUE (in terms of what our customers want)?
Dear Gemba Coach: What is the best lean way to understand VALUE (in terms of what our customers want)?
Read articleWhat is the best advice you ever got about implementing lean principles?
From time to time, the Lean Enterprise Institute asks Lean Community members to share their knowledge and experiences by "sounding…
Read articleSelling Lean
Thousands of people have spent decades trying to disseminate lean management concepts. Many lean proponents can point to results showing…
Read articleSame Foundation, New Message: LEI Aims to Make Things Better
Same Foundation, New Message: LEI Aims to Make Things Better At the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), our mission for 15…
Read articleHow do we get started with lean tools in new product development?
Dear Gemba Coach: My company already has a deep rooted lean culture. However, it would seem that the next evolution…
Read articlePRACTICAL APPROACH FOR STRATEGY DEPLOYMENT
This SlideShare is almost equivalent to a workbook. Download it, study it, and discover how your organization can (finally) achieve…
Watch videoHow do we get started with standard work?
How do we get started with standard work? The literature seems to say there can’t be meaningful kaizen without standards,…
Read articleWhen problems arise, what helps you keep your focus on the work?
Learning how to create and adhere to management standard work requires a clear understanding of where all team members add…
Read articleBecoming Lean Means Reorganizing Around Value Streams
After successfully implementing lean strategies in more than 30 companies in 14 different countries, former Wiremold CEO Art Byrne identifies…
Read articleWhy haven’t kanban and value-stream mapping improved delivery from a low-volume/ high-mix process?
Dear Gemba Coach,We work in a low-volume/ high-mix process with component machining and assembly. Our OTD is somewhere between 70%…
Read articleLead from the Front, Lead from Behind
In my last letter I alluded to a common view in the Lean Community – shared by the broader business…
Read articleLean Leadership Lesson: First Thing, Grasp the Situation; Last Thing, Grasp the Situation (Appendix 1 to the eletter “Lead from the Front, Lead from Behind”)
In this appendix to his eletter on lean leadership, LEI CEO Joh Shook explains how leading in a lean management…
Read articlePolicy Deployment: aka Strategy Alignment, aka Hoshin Kanri (Appendix 2 to the Eletter “Lead from the Front, Lead from Behind”)
As a way of illustrating the most common misconception about hoshin kanri, namely, that it’s a top-down deployment process, LEI…
Read articleLean Management’s Key Concepts
The technical components and underlying philosophy of lean, based on the Toyota Production System (TPS), work together to create a…
Read articleA Quick Guide to Running Experiments
The value-stream improvement method described in Perfecting Patient Journeys differs from the traditional committee approach to making organizational changes. Both…
Read articleMy CEO has asked me to take a hard look at the lean program at our hospital – where should I start?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am ops director of a large hospital. We have been doing lean for several years now,…
Read articleGET BETTER AT ACHIEVING LEAN GOALS
We often mistake confident predictions and plans for accurate ones. But the more humility we have about our predictions, the…
Watch videoHow Lean Changes You as a Leader
Few business leaders in the world have applied lean strategy as successfully as has Art Byrne, former CEO of The…
Read articleWould you have a few tips about coaching on the gemba?
Dear Gemba Coach: Would you have a few tips about coaching on the gemba?
Read articlePracticing Lean Fundamentals in an Office Environment
Applying lean principles in service organizations and administrative processes within manufacturing companies often confounds companies. Lean faculty member and author…
Read articleHow is lean strategic?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been told by my senior management that there is no strategic vision in lean and they…
Read articleWhy won’t senseis ever give a straight answer?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why won’t senseis ever give a straight answer?
Read articleDeveloping a Problem-Solving Culture at Herman Miller: An Interview with Lean Practitioners George Mason and Dan Bos
In this interview from the Lean Coaching Summit in December 2012, George Mason, a Herman Miller Performance System (HMPS) manager,…
Read articleImproving Information Technology Processes with Lean Principles: An Interview with Steve Bell
Steve Bell, a lean IT coach, practitioner, and author is a trailblazer in the use of lean to improve information…
Read articleTHE IMPROVEMENT KATA AT AEROJET
Aerojet explains how they're using VSM + the Improvement Kata to connect daily process improvement with the organization's strategy.
Watch videoWhy audit standard work? And what is the best approach?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can you help me determine the best way to conduct audits of standard work (SW)? The Toyota…
Read articleWhy isn’t there more emphasis on lean engineering?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why isn’t there more emphasis on lean engineering?
Read articleCurrent and Future Challenges: A Reflection on 15 Years of the Lean Enterprise Institute
LEI CEO John Shook and Founder Jim Womack discuss the state of lean thinking past, present, and a possible future.…
Read articleDon’t Just Do Lean; Be Lean
A lean transformation cannot be just one of 10 elements of your strategy, according to former Wiremold Company CEO Art…
Read articleWho Owns Your A3? (Part Two)
In this second of two columns, Mark Reich explains why people must own their A3 reports as a means of…
Read articleThe Insourcing Boom
From industrial monument to memorial and then back again, the improving fortunes of GE’s huge Appliance Park plant illustrate the…
Read articleHow do I convince senior management to visit the shop floor?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I convince my senior management to get interested in our kaizen projects? In fact, how…
Read articleJim Womack on Lean Tools As Tools for Creativity
In this video, LEI founder and senior advisor Jim Womack answers the question: "What challenge do you think the lean…
Watch videoHelpful Coaching? Part One: Who Says What’s Helpful?
David Verble, a lean practitioner and Lean Enterprise Institute faculty member, offers advice for what kind of coaching is helpful…
Read articleWho Owns Your A3? (Part One)
LEI Director of Strategy and Operations Mark Reich shares how he learned a key lesson from his time at Toyota:…
Read articleHow can we reconcile the lean principle of respect for people with our disrespectful atmosphere?
Dear Gemba Coach: My company's lean program stigmatizes competent people as “concrete heads” for disagreeing with the lean coaches, even…
Read articleDelivering Effectively on a Noble Mission: Community Servings Gets High-Quality Meals to the People Who Need Them
At the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), our partner organizations usually come to us, or a learning relationship develops over time…
Read articleIdentifying the Organizational Problem and Opportunity at Community Servings
Lean is first and foremost about learning by doing, so during summer 2012, the LEI team headed to Community Servings…
Read articleTHE ROLE OF THE LEAN COACH
Here's one for discussion... a useful way to look at Lean coaching.
Watch videoBusinesses Sharing Processes Face a “Prisoner’s Dilemma”
Managers and executives today face a “prisoner’s dilemma” in which they have to “betray” other departments or companies along a…
Watch videoLeadership Q&A: Michael Hoseus, a former general manager at Toyota
From the LEI senior executive series on lean leadership: In this interview from LEI's Executive Series on Lean Leadership, Michael Hoseus, who…
Read articleLean Business-IT Integration, Part Five: Measurement – Finding Our True North
In the fifth article of a five-part series on Lean IT, LEI faculty member Steve Bell addresses measurement. Part One…
Read articleWhere Lean Leadership Begins
As with all lean practice, leadership begins with grasping the current state. For lean leaders that means understanding the external…
Watch videoHow do we mid-level managers convince the CEO and senior management that adopting lean practices is worthwhile?
Dear Gemba Coach: The recent webinar on the business case for lean was particularly useful for us because it raised…
Read articleJay Johnson, president, Plumbers Supply Company
As part of a continuing series on leading lean transformations, the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) interviews executives from a variety of companies…
Read articleLean Consortia: Sharing Experiences, Learning from Others
Manufacturers, healthcare organizations, government agencies, and others gain powerful benefits through collaborative learning and networking in lean consortia. Consortium members…
Read articleLean for Healthcare Organizations in South Africa: An Interview with Lean4NGO Founders Steve Bell and Karen Whitley Bell
In this interview, LEI speaks with Steve Bell and Karen Whitley Bell about a Lean4NGO workshop they offered with Norman…
Read articleThink of the best mentor/coach you’ve had on your lean journey. What did he or she do to help you become a better problem solver?
Whether practical, profound, or humorous, the guidance that your best mentors provided was just what you needed, just when you…
Read articleWhat would a lean transformation mean for the IT Department? What benefits would it create for the company?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve asked our IT department to be involved in kaizen events several times, but it is always…
Read articleKaizen vs. the Suggestion Box
Mark Graban’s new book, Healthcare Kaizen (Productivity Press), co-authored with Joe Swartz, has lots of examples and practical advice for…
Watch videoAnatomy of a Lean Leader (Introduction)
For 30 years, Jerry Bussell studied leadership while bringing lean practices to companies such as Medtronic and becoming a passionate,…
Read articleCoach Says: What Do You Think?
We will soon host our first summit devoted to the topic of coaching, an event that marks the importance of…
Read articleLean in Sales and Marketing — Addressing a Market Need: An Interview with Brent Wahba
A specialist in lean and problem-solving strategies and techniques, Brent Wahba is the author of The Fluff Cycle(And How to…
Read article5 QUESTIONS TO ACTIVATE YOUR TEAM
Use the 5 Question card daily to systematically create forward motion in your team.
Watch videoDo lean-minded finance professionals make a difference in appraising lean initiatives?
Dear Gemba Coach: I would like to ask lean-minded fellow finance professionals if they make a difference in appraising lean…
Read articleLeveraging Lean to Get the Oil Out
Aera Energy LLC, a California oil and gas company, relies on lean principles to improve key processes, including drilling new…
View case studyWhat Exactly Is The Problem You Are Trying To Address?
A3 coach David Verble asks a key question about getting started: do you know exactly what problem you are trying…
Read articleAsking Effective Questions: The Foundation of Coaching with Margie Hagene
Lean Enterprise Institute faculty member Margie Hagene offers tips for using the four types of questions -- humble, diagnostic, prompting,…
Watch videoDeveloping PDSA Capabilities
Improvement kata and A3 management have become popular ways for developing and practicing plan-do-study (or check)-act capabilities. What’s the connection…
Read articleLean in Sales and Marketing
“Half my advertising budget is wasted – trouble is, I don’t know which half,” department store magnate and marketing pioneer,…
Read articleHow Do the Problems of Continuous Improvement Professionals Differ from Those of Line Managers
Dear Gemba Coach: How do the lean-related problems or responsibilities of ci professionals differ from those of line managers or business…
Read articleDEVELOP CAPABILITY BY PRACTICING THE IMPROVEMENT KATA
This excellent discussion and example of how the Improvement Kata drives improvement, adaptation and innovation is from Gerd Aulinger, a…
Watch videoCoaches coaching coaches
The Olympics are always great fun. It is inspiring to see human performance taken to such astounding levels. Watching the…
Read articleWhat Is Your Purpose? Who Is Your Audience?
In this article, the third in a series of starting your A3, sensei David Verble suggest that you reflect more…
Read articleTHE WRONG KATA
This SlideShare is a good one for reading and discussing in your team. We wish you interesting and productive reflection!…
Watch videoLean Business-IT Integration, Part Four: The Lean Learning Leader
In the fourth article of a five-part series on Lean IT, LEI faculty member Steve Bell addresses leadership and IT…
Read articleHow Should We Relate Lean Projects to KPIs in a Large Company?
Dear Gemba Coach: We have started a continuous improvement process with dedicated lean experts at each site. Until now our…
Read articleThink Before You Leap
In this second of a series on getting started with your A3, coach David Verble shares why clarifing what you…
Read articleWhat Are the Lean Enterprise Institute and the Lean Global Network
John Shook, CEO of the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), describes LEI and the Lean Global Network, a group of 18…
Read articleAre Lean Managers Teaching Or Just Controlling?
Dear Gemba Coach: I hear what you lean guys are saying about, learning, “kata” and the role of managers as…
Read articleCan Lean Boost Sales?
Dear Gemba Coach: Every one says that lean is not just about cost cutting. But I fail to see how…
Read articleDon’t Call It…Anything
Would lean be easier to teach and learn if it weren't called lean? If in fact it weren't labeled at…
Read articleIMPROVEMENT KATA SHIPYARD EXAMPLE
An example of the Improvement Kata in action at a shipyard in Lithuania.
Watch videoHow Can Our Back Office Sustain Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: The improvement program at the back office of the bank where I am a lean facilitator is…
Read articleAre You Being SMART?
Coach Tracey Richardson shares five key qualities that should inform your A3 thinking.
Read articleVisual Management – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Visualization is a good thing. We all know that. And many of us in the Lean Community practice it, to…
Read articleCan you help us define the role of team leader?
Dear Gemba Coach: My lean team is creating a team leader role, and we are struggling to define this function…
Read articleLEARNING HOW TO LEARN
Meryl Runion (creator of the SpeakStrong series of books) has a nice way of making things clear and understandable. This…
Watch videoTK UNIFIED FIELD THEORY
This 11-minute audio SlideCast provides a terrific explanation of the Improvement Kata. It's almost like having Bill come to your…
Watch videoReal Lean vs. Fake Lean
Dear Gemba Coach: I am a lean consultant who is totally dedicated to applying the lean principles. Unfortunately most lean…
Read articleTHE FIVE COACHING KATA QUESTIONS
The Five Questions are a pattern and routine that's central to coaching the Improvement Kata.
Watch videoWhy Do Problem-Solving Projects Fail?
You've probably participated in problem-solving projects that have fallen short of expectations. Why did they fail? Eric Ethington, a fellow…
Read articleCreating the Conditions for Effective Lean Learning
If lean is problem-solving and problem-solving is all about learning, lean practitioners must develop a learner's attitude in everything they…
Read articleHow do you suggest we should do lean in a foundry?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do you suggest we should do lean in a foundry?
Read articleDon Berwick on healthcare spending: “We have to improve our way out of this”
Dr. Donald Berwick, former administrator of the federal Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, says the U.S. will have to…
Read articleLEI Partners Program Drives Lean Thought Leadership Forward
The Lean Enterprise Institute’s Partners Program—longstanding, collaborative learning relationships between LEI and six organizations leading their own lean transformations—is one…
Read articleRETIRE THE PDCA WEDGE?
Thank you LEI for letting us share ideas & findings. Some things we in the Lean community have learned to…
Watch videoIt seems that lean these days is all about learning and coaching. What about the good ol’-fashioned just-in-time stuff of the earlier days?
Dear Gemba Coach: It seems that lean these days is all about learning and coaching. What about the good ol'-fashioned…
Read articleWhat’s the difference between model lines and kaizen events?
Dear Gemba Coach: We used to do six sigma and are new to lean. Some consultants talk to us about…
Read articleCan Lean and ERP Work Together?
With its top-down approach to materials planning and production scheduling, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems often conflict with lean production's…
Read articleManagement has a bad case of investment loss aversion. What can I do?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been asked to take over the corporate lean program but the company’s investment plan favors large…
Read articleLean & ACOs at ThedaCare with Dr. Dean Gruner
Dean Gruner, M.D., president and CEO of ThedaCare, tells the LeanBlog podcaster Mark Graban how the Wisconsin healthcare system is…
Listen to podcastWhat is Your Line of Sight?
Coach Tracey Richardson explains why having a line of sight aligns you with the organizations purpose, and helps you determine…
Read articleShould I Use Lean for Headcount Reduction?
Dear Gemba Coach: My company wants to reduce its fixed costs. And as part of this my management has asked…
Read articleLean business-IT integration, Part Three: What is an integrated business-it value stream?
In this, the third article in a five part series on lean IT, LEI faculty member Steve Bell explores the…
Read articleAre You Having Problems with Your Problem-Solving?
Here are some useful questions to ask about how you approach problems. Following them may help you avoid some common…
Read articleLean practice applies to all work, everyone, every day, all day.
As often happens, I was introduced at a company event recently as an "expert." I've never been fond of the…
Read articleHow Do I Address Resistance From Middle Management?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why does middle management resist lean transformations; how can they be brought on board?
Read articleHow are Assumptions Framing the Way You Do Business?
Coach Tracey Richardson shares a productive way to examine whether you are dealing with facts or assumptions at the gemba.
Read articleTranslating Collaborative Learning Into Practice
What does collaborative learning mean for lean thinkers in practice, on a day-to-day basis? In his final talk at the…
Read articleHow Do I Reduce Buffers To Zero?
Dear Gemba CoachI run an assembly line for service station equipment. Our product is customized for each customer so we…
Read articleLessons From LEI Partners on How Change Happens: An Interview with John Shook
An interview with Lean Enterprise Institute Chairman and CEO John Shook on the LEI Partners Program, collaborative learning, and what's…
Read article4Ps Prove Lean Applies Everywhere
Trainer Tracey Richardson explains how four deep principles reveal how lean thinking applies to any organization.
Read articleWhy Is It So Hard To Sustain Lean Gains?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why is it so hard to sustain lean gains?
Read articleSummit Highlights: Healthcare Value Network and Bahri Dental Group Bring Lean Into Healthcare
A recap of two talks at the 2012 Lean Transformation Summit: Dr. John Toussaint's talk on the work of the…
Read articleLeading with GTS²
Lean leadership is ultimately about behaving--and in this article Tracey Richardson explains why GTS squared enables leaders to not just…
Read articleLet Your A3s Lead
Coach Eric Ethington shares how simply getting started with A3s as a means of engaging others in this process is…
Read articleCan Hospitals Reap the Deeper Benefits of Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: As Health Systems globally wrestle with skyrocketing healthcare costs, many hospitals are jumping on the lean bandwagon,…
Read articleTaiichi Ohno’s Birthday and 100 Years of Lean
Today is Taiichi Ohno's birthday. Were he alive, the primary developer of the Toyota Production System would be turning 100…
Read articleThe Birth of Lean: How Practices, Principles, and Tools Came Together as a System
Toyota was struggling to survive when Taiichi Ohno and a handful of innovators began experimenting with methods that ultimately became…
Read articleFind One Second of Waste
Coach Tracey Richardson shows you how she learned the importance of looking for waste everywhere, and how you can start…
Read articleLean and Forecasting
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m in charge of the forecasting department in my company. My colleagues in production have been doing…
Read articleLean Thinking Helps City of Chula Vista with Budget Crunch
After laying off 350 employees and still facing a continuing budget shortfall, the City of Chula Vista, CA, faced a…
View case studyHow should I assess the success of our lean progress?
Dear Gemba Coach: My management is asking for an assessment of our lean progress. How should I do this?
Read articleThe Five Whys
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m a lean coach and teach A3s in my company. Every lean book mentions “5 why,” and…
Read articleDenver Health Becomes Profitable After Using Toyota as a Template
In a story about the lean healthcare success at Denver Health, Governing cites five lean principles championed by the Lean…
Read articleAn interview with Gary Convis on A3 thinking and lean leadership
Lean veteran Gary Convis explains how the A3 report serves as a flexible tool that develops leaders and aligns important…
Read articleGemba and Quality
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve made good progress on quality with Six Sigma, but we’ve reached a plateau. I’ve met a…
Read articleLearning Lean – Collaboratively
I wish I knew more about learning. I know quite a lot, just not nearly enough. Like you, I’ve been…
Read articleUsing A3 Problem Solving to Make the Thinking Process Visible
In this excerpt from The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership, authors Jeff Liker and Gary Convis share a story of…
Read articleWhich is best for a lean environment, a U-shaped cell or assembly line? Why?
Dear Gemba Coach: Which is best for a lean environment, a U-shaped cell or assembly line? Why?
Read articleLeadership Q&A: An Interview with Jerry Bussell, co-founder, Jacksonville Lean Consortium
From the LEI senior executive series on lean leadership:As vice president of Global Operations at Medtronic Surgical Technologies in Jacksonville,…
Read articleShould we plan according to what we can do, or the other way around?
Dear Gemba Coach: Should we plan according to what we can do, or the other way around?
Read articleHow Do I Plan for the Long Term?
Dear Gemba Coach: I don’t know how to plan for two or five years out. As a plant manager, my…
Read articleHow Do We Sustain A3 Thinking in our Organization?
Dear Gemba Coach: My firm has been investing a lot of time and energy this year in teaching A3 thinking…
Read articleLean Business-IT Integration, Part Two: Obstacles to Value-Stream Transformation
In this, the second of a five part series, LEI faculty member Steve Bell offers a framework to help overcome…
Read articleWhy A3s Won’t Work in My Organization (Part One)
Coach Eric Ethington shares obstacles you may be encountering as you implement A3 thinking--and suggests ways to proceed.
Read articleIs There a Right Way to Teach A3?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve been teaching A3 problem solving to all our managers, but so far I fail to see…
Read articleSo, what are you going to do about it?
What a year for global supply chains! It started quietly, with a few leading firms taking the lead in reintegrating…
Read articleTools Are Not the Purpose
Coach Eric Ethington shares his experience about learning how A3 thinking must always be the guiding principle when using A3…
Read articleWas Steve Lean?
I don’t know that much about Apple. The only gemba I've visited are lots of Apple stores (I don't know…
Read articleEngineering Checklists
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I apply standardized work to product development?
Read articleA3: Tool or Process? Both….
Coach Tracey Richardson explains why an A3 is both a useful tool that captures and shares the results of an…
Read articleHow Many Whys Should I Ask?
Coach Tracey Richardson explains just how many whys to ask when conducting 5 Why analysis.
Read articleTop athletes and singers have coaches. Should you?
Surgeon Atul Gawande explains why he got a coach and why everyone’s work would benefit from having one.
Read articleAre lean principles universal?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can we really consider Lean principles as Universal? I am currently working on a case study about…
Read articleHow to Change a Culture: Lessons From NUMMI
The editors of MIT Sloan Management Review honored LEI CEO John Shook with the 2011 Beckhard Memorial Award for the…
Read articleShould we have our own TPS “house”?
Dear Gemba Coach: My management wants to build our own version of the TPS (Toyota Production System) house in order…
Read articleLean Business-IT Integration, Part One: Who Wants to Go Talk to IT About This One?
In this, the first of a five part series, LEI faculty member Steve Bell begins with the importance of lean…
Read articleWhy Create Poka-yokes—and Why Disconnect Them?
I’m a manufacturing engineer and since I have started participating in kaizen workshops, I have noticed that production supervisors tend…
Read articleThe Lean IT Challenge
View slides from the Lean IT workshop showing the roles IT can play in a successful lean transformation.
Read articleWhat Is Information Waste?
Excess information — in our inboxes, hard drives, shared drives, intranet sites, data warehouses, etc., — is waste. This unnecessary…
Read articleHow Can Lean Take Root in a Crappy Culture?
Dear Gemba Coach: I've done a lot of working with lean, and recently started my first coaching/consulting gig. And while…
Read articleTakt Time Thinking for a Low-Volume High-Mix Company
Dear Gemba Coach: Our company produces custom products that cannot be easily forecast in terms of when they will be…
Read articleWhy Is Failure Key to Lean Success?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am a LSS black belt working with a sensei to improve our performance. We conduct many…
Read articlePDCA at the Plate
We know that "lean" is all about plan-do-check-act (PDCA). The challenge we all face in our everyday work is to…
Read articleFulfillment-Stream Measurement Systems: Driving Action in Real Time
Derek Browning, a lean supply chain executive at LeanCor, takes time out from a lean logistics conference to answer questions…
Read articleWhat Are the Different Types of A3s?
What are the different types of A3s and what are they used for?
Read articleMethod vs. Tool
Dear Gemba Coach: I think that TPM, JIT, SMED, Heijunka are methods and the 5S, VSM Kaizen are tools. Perhaps…
Read articleWhat Level of a Problem Requires an A3?
Here are some thoughts to help you determine what type of problem you have, and how to apply A3 thinking…
Read articlePerformance versus costs, part 2
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve read your recent column on performance versus cost with great interest, as I believe we’re currently having…
Read articleGetting Over Gemba-phobia
“I work in a company where leaders think gemba walks are scheduled visits to the factory to look at performance…
Read articleGemba Walk Checklist
Jim responds to this question from his Gemba Walks webinar: “Do you find it easier to complete your Gemba Walk…
Read articleProblems First and Positive Thinking
Dear Gemba Coach: Isn’t always focusing on problems discouraging? My people feel that they’d like to be recognized for their successes…
Read articleFor Lean Thinkers, “Clutch” Offers Lessons in Planning and Leading
Read an excerpt from Paul Sullivan's new book Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don't, discussing what…
Read articleLeadership 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…
Read articleThe Gemba Walks Webinar Follow-Up Q&A Video
On June 23, 2011 LEI presented the webinar "Sustaining Lean Gains by Taking a Gemba Walk", featuring Jim Womack, author…
Watch videoWho’s Responsible
In reviewing my calendar, I find that I have taken eight gemba walks in the last five weeks. These ranged…
Read articleLean Management Benefits Delayed at Airlines and Aerospace Companies by Traditional Management Practices
Lean manufacturing tools such as 5S, kaizen, and kanban are common in aerospace shops and offices, but their effect is…
Read articlePerformance Versus Cost
Dear Gemba Coach: I am the continuous improvement director of a large hospital. We invested two years ago in a central…
Read articleLean Enterprise Institute Calls for Ending the “Madness” in Supply Chain Strategies
Shook made his recommendations on lean supply chains to authorities on Japan, leading investors, economists, policymakers, and business executives at…
Read articleHow Often Should We Change Takt Time?
Dear Gemba Coach: How often should we change takt time?
Read articleLeadership Q&A: Bill Hopkins, Akron Children’s Hospital board member and former vice president, technology/strategic initiatives, at Goodyear
From the LEI senior executive series on lean leadership:Hopkins on why Akron Children’s Hospital leadership decided to implement lean process…
Read articleLean management case study series: Pediatric Hospital in Tough Market Pegs Growth to Lean Process Improvement
Lean improvement projects at Akron Children’s Hospital have saved millions of dollars, increased utilization of expensive assets, and reduced wait…
View case studyFrom Recalls to Redemption: Toyota Did NOT Lose its “Way”
Jeffrey Liker, author of The Toyota Way and coauthor of Toyota Under Fire, sums up the automaker's response to its…
Read articleStandards vs. Standardization
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re often told that “there can be no kaizen without standards.” But when do you start when there…
Read articleThe Bottom Line: Running hard
Lean one piece flow keeps the last shoe factories in U.S. producing athelteic shoes for New Balance. This story in…
Read articleThe spirit of challenge
Culture will drive Toyota’s recovery from recalls and recession, according to this excerpt from Toyota Under Fire.
Read articleHow Do I Change the Culture?
Dear Gemba Coach: I come from a company quite advanced in lean and I’ve joined a new firm as technical director.…
Read article‘Lean’ Manufacturing Takes Root in U.S.
In an overview of lean, Fox News notes that General Electric estimates it has saved up to four direct labor…
Read articleAny Color You Want Except Tuxedo Black
Henry Ford could get the customer any type of Model T as long as it was black. But the Ford…
Read articleTeaching a ‘Lean Startup’ Strategy
A new MBA elective course at Harvard, called Launching Technology Ventures, uses a lot of concepts from the "lean startup" methodology, which…
Read articleThe Gemba Walk, from the 2011 Lean Transformation Summit
Jim Womack, LEI founder and author, talks about his experience with Gemba Walks and his book Gemba Walks.
Watch videoLean Thinking is Horizontal Thinking
In the first of a two-part interview, Jim Womack, founder and senior advisor of LEI, talks with LeanBlog podcaster Mark…
Read articleLean Continuous Improvement as Culture
Author David Verble shares three fundamental ways that a lean culture bases its practice of continuous improvement on the principle…
Read articleA Turbulent Industry Looks to Lean for Smoother Flying
Lean Thinkers in aviation try to take some of the turbulence out of an industry that often hits bumps on…
Read articlePodcast #116 – Jim Womack, His New Book “Gemba Walks”
Jim Womack, LEI founder and saenior advisor, sat down wit Mark Graban at the Lean Blog for a 2-part interview,…
Listen to podcastLet’s Take a Gemba Walk
I have good news for those of you who missed last week's Transformation Summit in Dallas. One highlight was the…
Read articleProblem Solving For Lean Continuous Improvement
What does real lean problem-solving look like? In this column, David Verble shares his experience at Toyota, revealing how the…
Read articleWhy is Flow Easy, and Quality Hard?
Dear Gemba Coach: My lean team has become proficient at teaching flow but it's not gaining traction when it comes…
Read articleWant A Problem Solving Culture? Try Leading From the Middle
I spent fifteen years working with Toyota in North American and Japan, and discovered first-hand one of the most powerful…
Read articleAre You Pulling?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve made a substantial effort in training all our operators to standardized work (SW) by deploying Training Within…
Read articleFollow-up Q & A to the Webinar “Big Company Disease: What is it? and Why Should I Care?”
The following questions represent the most-asked ones that we couldn't get to during the webinar “Big Company Disease” with presenter Pascal Dennis.
Read articleToyota and Sudden Acceleration: Facts from the NASA Report
NASA just released its highly anticipated report about the Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA) charge in Toyota vehicles. The verdict is…
Read articleProperly Applying Auto-Eject Isn’t Automatic
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m working on improving the design of our machines for lean manufacturing, and hear that an auto-eject…
Read articleThe Trouble with Lean Experts
Dear Gemba Coach: I run a Lean Promotion Office (LPO) and my team mostly conducts kaizen events across the company. We…
Read articleLean Product Development and Engineering at Ford
James Morgan, director, Global Body Exterior and Stamping Business Unit Engineering, Ford Motor Company, explains how he got skeptical engineers…
Read articleGlad That I Asked You
About 400 of you responded with excellent suggestions for the final "Learning Session" for the upcoming LEI Lean Transformation Summit.…
Read articleLean Product Development at Ford
Jim Morgan, director, Global Body Exterior and Stamping Business Unit Engineering at Ford, discusses lean product development methods in this…
Listen to podcastFollow-up Q & A to the Webinar “Integrating Leader Standard Work with Visual Management Tools”
This webinar was one of our most popular and highly rated. From among the hundreds of questions that we received…
Read articleLean IT as a Factory?
Lean IT authors Steve Bell and Mike Orzen comment on a study by McKinsey & Company that 64% of executives are currently…
Read articleHow Do We Manage Our Stock to Be Lean AND Responsive to Varied Customer Demand?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re a tier two supplier and we’re trying to implement a pull system. We’re leveling our production schedules,…
Read articleA Fundamental Question
As I continue to visit your gemba and receive emails (over 500 and counting since I started in September), I…
Read articleLeveling to Build Capacity and Flexibility
Dear Gemba Coach: We manufacture a seasonal product and are working on leveling, but are having a tough time. Our peak…
Read articleLEAN = TPS {KAIZEN + RESPECT}
Dear Gemba Coach: In the webinar, you’ve defined LEAN = KAIZEN + RESPECT. Isn’t it simplistic? Is that all there is…
Read articleHow Do I Lead An Existing Lean Initiative as a Newcomer?
Dear Gemba Coach: The head of the lean initiative in our company has left and they gave me the job. I’ve…
Read articleFollow-up Q&A to the Webinar “Lean Logistics and Supply Chain Networks: 8 Guiding Principles”
The Lean Enterprise Institute's webinar "Lean Logistics & Supply Chain Networks: 8 Guiding Principles" drew hundreds of questions from Lean…
Read articleFrontiers and Fundamentals
Thank you to the over 350 of you who replied to my letter of last month by sending in suggestions…
Read articleFollow-up Q&A to the Webinar: On the Mend – Changing a healthcare organizational culture to continuous improvement
The lean healthcare webinar “On the Mend: Changing a healthcare organizational culture to continuous improvement” drew an engaged audience that…
Read articleThe Joys of a Brownfield
“Lean experience teaches us to enjoy and make the most of going to see. Go to the gemba, go there…
Read articleHow Do We Help Our Plant Managers Want to Do Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: We've just changed our divisional general manager and the new boss wants our lean approach to be less…
Read articleHow to Use Red Bins
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re having an internal debate about how to involve the quality department and how to use “red…
Read articleRole of the Sensei
Dear Gemba Coach: I often wonder how senseis skip to new areas--from the shop floor to the back office, or…
Read articlePassing the Baton
Jim Womack and John Shook reflect on passing the baton of leadership at the Lean Enterprise Institute
Read articleMutual Assistance Teamwork
Toshiko Narusawa, co-author with John Shook of Kaizen Express, illustrates Taiichi Ohno’s comparison of workplace teamwork to passing a baton.…
Read articleDo We Need a Truck Preparation Area?
Dear Gemba Coach: As logistics manager, I disagree with our lean expert who insists we should have “truck preparation areas”…
Read articleHow Does Pull Relate to Problem-Solving?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been following the exchanges on The Lean Edge with great interest, and all the lean authors…
Read articleHow Can One Be A Better Sensei?
Dear Gemba Coach,Our operations VP is disappointed with our lean program. Despite his close personal involvement with the program, it…
Read articleThe Joy of a Greenfield
Last spring on a trip to Central America, I encountered that wonderful sight for process improvers, a “greenfield”. And I…
Read articleHow Do I Clarify Lean Roles and Responsibilities?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can you provide some guidance on splitting roles and responsibilities amongst the various hands-on leaders of the lean…
Read articleStandardized Work in Business Processes
Dear Gemba Coach: How about standardized work in a business process environment? For example, in a procurement process or supply chain…
Read articleStandardized Work in Machine-Intensive Processes
Dear Gemba Coach,Most lean literature and case studies to date focus on assembly type manufacturing which utilizes very people-intensive operations.…
Read articleMaking People Before Making Products
Dear Gemba Coach: I keep hearing about “making people before making products” but I have a hard time visualizing what this…
Read articleLean Leap by Auto Supplier Gets Boost from Leaping Figure Skaters
As part of its lean transformation, a Nexteer Automotive plant in Saginaw, MI, is using video and motion analysis software…
Read articleExample A3: Acme Stamping – Project Status Review (from Managing to Learn)
An example of an A3 from the book Understanding A3 Thinking by Durward K. Sobek II and Art Smalley, included…
Read articleExample A3: Lean Institute Brasil – Summit Sessions (from Managing to Learn)
An example of an A3 from Lean Institute Brasil, developed during attendance at the Managing to Learn workshop, included as…
Read articleAn Open and Honest Culture at Thedacare, a Lean Story
In this video, John Toussaint, a co-author of the LEI publication On the Mend: Revolutionizing Healthcare to Save Lives and…
Watch videoLean Drives Improved Patient Care at Park Nicollet Frauenshuh Cancer Center
Instead of requiring patients to move from department to department to receive their care, a process typical in most cancer…
Watch videoHomicide by Example?
My LEI colleague Dave LaHote is fond of saying that managers - and especially senior managers - overestimate their effectiveness,…
Read articleWhat Should I Be Looking For?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve just started working with lean with my team, and we’re doing a value-stream mapping project with a…
Read articleLean Transformational Leadership Webinar – Follow-up Q & A and Reading List
During the Transformational Leadership webinar, many of you asked for the list of related books and articles that presenter Jim…
Read articleHow Do I Lead Change Without Discouraging Employee Engagement?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do you balance the sometime conflicting practices of gaining employee engagement while ensuring that everyone remains…
Read articleWhere to Start in Engineering
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m in charge of the engineering department in our company and the CEO has asked me to start…
Read articleThe Tipping Point?
Early efforts to apply lean principles to healthcare faltered and for many years the challenge seemed to be too great.…
Read articleStandards at workstations
Dear Gemba Coach: Our corporate production system asks us to post standard work at workstations, but we feel that the paperwork…
Read articleHow can we remain positive?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am a kaizen coach in a large company, and it never seems to get any easier. We’ve…
Read articlePhilosophy Helps Start-Ups Move Faster
"Lean isn't about being cheap [but is about] being less wasteful and still doing things that are big," says Eric Ries,…
Read articleHow lean should a lean line design be?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m in manufacturing engineering and have been asked to design a lean line. I’ve participated to several kaizen…
Read articleWhat are you going to do about your plant’s ‘cats and dogs’?
Dealing with "cats and dogs,” parts or products that are typically small volume, high variety, hard to make, or all of the…
Read articleBecoming Horizontal in a Vertical World
One of my favorite value-stream walks is with the senior managers of several organizations who share and jointly manage a…
Read articleWhen should I push and when should I praise?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am in charge of a service activity and have started a lean approach with a sensei. In…
Read articleQ & A with the Authors of Building a Lean Fulfillment Stream
A Conversation with Robert Martichenko and Kevin von Grabe, authors of Building a Lean Fulfillment Stream: rethinking your supply chain and…
Read articleValue-Stream Mapping at FAA Office Improves Information Flow
Lean management principles and tools originated on the shop floor to improve manufacturing processes but in its first value-stream mapping…
Read articleShould I pursue waste elimination or lead-time reduction?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re having a heated debate in our company over whether to pursue cost reduction through waste elimination by…
Read articleHow Do You Find – or Develop – the Right Sensei to Lead Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: We have become skilled at indicating what goes wrong, but solving the problems is not our strength.…
Read articleToyota the Bad Guy
Recently I am cornered frequently by beleaguered lean change agents eager to show me their scars inflicted by re-energized resistors.…
Read articleHow Do I Keep My Lean Team Motivated for the Long Term?
Dear Gemba Coach: My team often feels that they are alone in their improvement efforts. Even after all our work…
Read articleThe End of the Beginning
NUMMI closes today. The GM-Toyota joint venture assembling motor vehicles in California lasted 25 years - a very long time…
Read articleLean Transformation: Thinking, Learning, & Experimenting For Today’s Complicated Operating System
Matt Zayko, an LEI faculty member, notes that many organizations that have tried to implement lean in the past 20 years have…
Read articleNUMMI Closes and is Crushed by N.Y. Times Columnist Bob Herbert
New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. closes its doors for the final time this Thursday, April Fools' Day. It is a…
Read articleThe End Of The Line For GM-Toyota Joint Venture
LEI Founder and Chairman Jim Womack and Senior Advisor John Shook are among the key experts interviewed for this look at the…
Read articleIs Toyota No Longer a Guiding Light?
Dear Gemba Coach: I'm the lean manager of a mid-sized company, and have been getting teased by many folks about Toyota's…
Read articleToyota Troubles: Fighting the Demons of Complexity
An interview with Professor Takahiro Fujimoto, Manufacturing Management Research Center, University of Tokyo
Read articleLean for the Long Term
I've now been thinking about lean continuously for thirty years, since the fall of 1979 when my MIT bosses asked…
Read articleRobert Cole’s Observations on the Liker-Shook Dialogue regarding Toyota’s Quality Crisis
I have previously introduced readers of this column to Robert Cole, Professor Emeritus at Berkeley, former long-time professor at the…
Read articleHow Does Lean Apply In a Job Shop?
Dear Gemba Coach: In our job shop we make high precision modules and tools, work that involves a great deal…
Read articleToyota Trouble: A Dialogue with Jeff Liker (AKA the Coffee Shop Talks)
With the appearance of Toyota's various quality and recall problems, Jeff Liker and I have been meeting in coffee shops…
Read articleLean Project Improvements, Federal Aviation Administration, Flight Standards District Office, Boston
Peter O’Leary, principal aviation safety inspector and a member of a lean improvement team at an FAA office near Boston,…
Read articleLean in the IT Department
Dear Gemba Coach: My company has been doing lean for a while now, and I've been asked to start lean…
Read articleBack to Work
Only a month ago I wrote about going beyond Toyota. And in light of the last month's events, I suppose…
Read articleDon’t Gloat Too Quickly – If This Could Happen to Toyota, It Could Happen to You …
Okay, so how do you respond to a "crisis"? My recent encouragement to Toyota President Akio Toyoda that "It isn't the…
Read articleThe Business Case for Kaizen
Dear Gemba Coach: I can see the benefits kaizen has brought our company, but find it hard to formulate the…
Read articleFreedom
Dear Gemba Coach: I work for a large governmental organization that has decided to do lean. I have been interested in…
Read articleIt’s Not the Crisis; It’s How You Respond to It
He probably didn't ask for a problem of quite this magnitude, but like it or not, Akio Toyoda has his…
Read articleShook Says Toyota Recall Could Cost Customer Trust: Video
John Shook, LEI author, faculty member, and senior advisor, in an interview with Bloomberg News about Toyota's recall of vehicles with sticking accelerators…
Watch videoHow Can I Convince My CFO?
Dear Gemba Coach: Is there a way to put a dollar value (cost savings) on these types of improvements? We…
Read articleRapid Growth Has Its Perils, Toyota Learns
Toyota's rapid growth from 2002 to 2010 garnered it 15% of the global auto industry, surpassing General Motors as the world’s largest…
Read articleDetroit Auto Show Overshadowed by Dr. Womack’s Trashing of Toyota
Jim Womack's most recent e-letter titled "Beyond Toyota"†has sparked a lively and even rancorous debate. "We all, even including Toyota,…
Read articleCan Great Lean Companies Develop Great Lean Managers?
Dear Gemba Coach: I know that not everyone can fulfill the lean ideal—but shouldn’t the system of managing folks who…
Read articleBeyond Toyota
Weíve won the battle of ideas on how to operate and improve processes. But creating management systems and organizations that…
Read articleSo Long 2009 – Hello 2010!
Whew, what a year! Most everyone I know is eager to escort the hard times of 2009 out the door…
Read articleIs Lean Scientific?
Dear Gemba Coach: I often hear that lean is like the scientific method. As a lean consultant, I facilitate kaizen events,…
Read articleMistake Proofing Webinar Follow-up Q & A
In a follow-up to the webinar Mistake Proofing to Reduce Medical Errors, mistake-proofing expert John Grout tackles questions from attendees that…
Read articleWhat Role Should a Quality Department Play in a Lean Organization?
Dear Gemba Coach: How can you improve quality overall while reducing the number of people who are developing policies, supporting…
Read articleHow Come Toyota Veterans Don’t Use a Roadmap?
Dear Gemba Coach: Recently I spent a few months working with Toyota veterans at an automotive supplier. I was surprised…
Read articleWhy 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 articleOn Our Watch
A few weeks ago I walked through the Arsenale in Venice, which has been in continuous use for building and…
Read articleValue Stream Management
As we emerge from the recession and look ahead old ways of thinking and action will not be enough to…
Read articleWhat 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 articleThe 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 articleWhat 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 articleDeveloping 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 articleDo Managers “Get” Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: You mentioned during the webinar that plant tours reveal how well managers 'get' lean. Can you be…
Read articleMaking Everyone Whole
I've had a big smile on my face for much of the last month because I've had the opportunity to…
Read articleA 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 articleHow 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…
Read articleFive 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…
Read articleWhere do I start?
Dear Gemba Coach: I'm the operations manager of a healthcare training company. We conduct technical training to nurses in hospitals. We've…
Read articleFive Missing Pieces in Your Standardized Work (Part 2 of 3)
John Shook delves more deeply into two of the five most often neglected elements, demonstrating the importance of practice and…
Read articleLean and Financials
Dear Gemba Coach: During the webinar, you mentioned the importance of quantifying the financial impacts of lean efforts before introducing the…
Read article5 Missing Pieces in Your Standardized Work (Part 1 of 3)
John Shook offers an overview of the five most frequent misunderstandings about this fundamental lean practice and expands on three…
Read articleHow Do I Convince People to Practice Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: I have previous lean experience, and have now joined a large bureaucratic organization. I’m trying to apply the…
Read articleHow NUMMI Changed Its Culture
I received a lot of questions on-line and off about last week’s column on the pending closing of NUMMI. One…
Read articleKaizen is Fun? Really?
Dear Gemba Coach: I have been learning lean for three years now. My question to you: How is Kaizen 'fun'? Doing…
Read articleHow Can I Address the Conflict that Lean Creates?
Dear Gemba Coach, I have just finished reading The Lean Manager, and I was very taken by the chapter on…
Read articleManaging Suppliers
Dear Gemba Coach: We've done a lot of kaizen work in production and have something of a pull system running. We've…
Read articleWas NUMMI a Success?
By now you know that Toyota made its much-anticipated decision to close NUMMI. Many of my friends are saddened by…
Read articleHerman Miller’s Experiment in Excellence
With initial support from the Toyota Supplier Support Center, Herman Miller cultivates experimental thinkers who make process improvements every day.…
View case studySigns of Progress
Dear Gemba Coach: We've been doing lean for several years now, and the program has had its ups and downs.…
Read articleIn Search of Value Stream Architects
Recently I've been spending most of my gemba time walking through value-creating processes in organizations far away from manufacturing. And…
Read articleHow Do We Reduce Costs with Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: I have been asked to reduce the cost of a product by a significant amount. I believe…
Read articleHow Much Control Do I Need (and Need to Give Up) to Lead?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am interested in setting up a team for implementing lean. So far I have been trying…
Read articleYou Gotta Have Wa
In July, just prior to the Major League All Star break, I introduced you to The Mental ABCs of Baseball.…
Read articleA3 Example from “Making Hospitals Work”
This is an example high-level planning A3 from the fictitious hospital in the book Making Hospitals Work. Click on the "read…
Read articleWho To Move?
Dear Gemba Coach: "Kaizen Express" landed on my doormat this morning. While reading through I noticed that it states that if…
Read articleThe Virginia Mason Production System: So Much Waste, So Little Time
In this 53-minute video, Marnee Iseman from Virginia Mason talks about the Virginia Mason Production System to a group at…
Watch videoA Lean “Teachable Moment”: Starbucks in The Wall Street Journal
John Shook discusses recent news about Starbucks and lean.
Read article5S Again and Again and Again
Dear Gemba Coach,†I've just inherited responsibility for our 5S efforts in our company. Any suggestions for how I can get…
Read articleToyota’s Secret: The A3 Report
The A3 report, with its logical series of boxes and graphics, looks simple in layout but the underlying thought process…
Read articleThe Mind of the Lean Manager
Several years ago I started to talk about the need to move beyond lean tools - including the very powerful…
Read articleThe Lean Manager (Chapter 1)
The Lean ManagerChapter OneCUSTOMERS FIRST“He’s closing the plant!”Closing the plant meant losing his job. Losing his job meant losing Malancourt.…
Read articleManaging to Pitch with PDCA (Pitch-Defend-Catch-Adjust)
John Shook discusses lean thinking in baseball.
Read articleLeadership Q&A: Karl Wadensten, president, VIBCO
From the LEI senior executive series on lean leadership:In the first couple years of its lean transformation VIBCO, Inc. saved over…
Read articleRecruiting Creative Ideas
Comparing GM's and Toyota's approach to suggestion systems reveals significant differences — and may help explain GM's recent poor performance.
Read articleManaging To Learn in Sloan Management Review
John Shook discusses Managing to Learn in two Sloan Management Review articles
Read articleGM Is Bankrupt: Does That Mean GM Managers Are Bad Managers?
John Shook discusses GM's bankruptcy and management
Read articleSailing a Straight Course in a Time of Variances
Recently I spent a day as a lean anthropologist, sitting in the back of the room and observing the behavior…
Read articleNew Sloan must define new GM
James Womack, founder and chairman of the Lean Enterprise Institute, writes in Automotive News that the genius of Alfred Sloan…
Read articleThe Lean Dentist Webinar Follow-Up Questions & Answers
After reviewing all the questions that we couldn’t get to during the webinar with Dr. Sami Bahri, several key themes…
Read articleStrategy Deployment In Action: One Executive’s Perspective – Follow up Q & A
Webinar presenters David Brule and Pascal Dennis answer questions from their webinar about strategy deployment on March 12, 2009.
Read articleThe End of an Era
When General Motors filed for bankruptcy yesterday it marked the end of an era. The first truly modern, manage-by-the-numbers corporation,…
Read articleIs Your Technical Person a Technical Problem or a People Problem …?
John Shook discusses the need for both technical and social skills
Read articleFollowing The Toyota Way, For Better Or Worse
The article and audio present an overview of how Toyota is dealing with its worst year since the 1930s. The…
Read articleLean Thinking in Aircraft Repair and Maintenance Takes Wing at FedEx Express
The FedEx Express lean initiative at its repair and maintenance facility at Los Angeles International Airport just began in December…
View case studyFrom Modern Management to Lean Management
Jim Womack presented to the Honda Supplier Lean Network Conference on May 14, 2009 on the topic of 'Modern' Management…
Read articleToyota, Too, Is Looking to Cut Costs
Toyota employees meet in a large "war room" at a plant in Woodstock, Ontario -- called an obeya in Japanese -- to find nearly $100…
Read articleForward to Fundamentals Redux – Kaizen Express
Thanks to those of you who joined last week’s webinar. We had some great questions, only a few of which…
Read articleForward to Fundamentals Webinar with Jim Womack and John Shook
In recent years, most discussions around lean transformation have understandably evolved toward more managerial and strategic matters. Yet there remains…
Read articleThinking 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…
Read articleRepurpose Before You Restructure
One of my favorite questions when meeting with senior leaders of enterprises is, "What is your organization's purpose?"
Read articleMichikazu Tanaka of Daihatsu on “What I Learned from Taiichi Ohno”
This week (and in some future columns as well, no doubt) I’ll indulge my deep interest in the history of…
Read articleForward to Fundamentals Webinar with John Shook and Jim Womack, Written Transcript
In recent years, most discussions around lean transformation have understandably evolved toward more managerial and strategic matters. Yet there remains…
Read articleAnd You Forgot About Overproduction
John Shook discusses waste - specifically, overproduction
Read articleThedaCare Improved Outcomes with Lean Management
This article provides a summary of ThedaCare's lean journey, including improvements in their radiation oncology department. From the article:"The results…
Read articleBack to Basics at the Lean Transformation Summit
John Shook reflects on the 2009 Lean Transformation Summit
Read articleRespect Science, Particularly in a Crisis
The current recession is the fifth in my working career. And it is beginning to feel like the worst. I…
Read articleLearning from Managing to Learn
It has been about four months since the release of Managing to Learn, now already in its second printing. I’ve…
Read articleGM Veteran Lou Farinola Responds to, “Why hasn’t GM learned from NUMMI?”
John Shook discusses how GM learned from NUMMI with a former GM executive
Read articleCoaching and Questions; Questions and Coaching
John Shook discusses the role of questioning
Read articleTaking the Wheel as Toyota Skids
As he assumes the presidency of Toyota Motor Corporation after a 25 year apprenticeship, Akio Toyoda embodies the company's Toyota Way…
Read articleLandscape Forms Cultivates Lean to Fuel Growth Goals
With single-item orders 80% of the time, adopting single-piece flow and cellular production made sense to management at Landscape Forms,…
View case studyConstancy of Purpose
The first of Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s 14 Points is "create constancy of purpose for continual improvement of products and…
Read articleGemba-Based Leadership – Not Just for Chief Engineers
John Shook on gemba-based leadership
Read articleThe Remarkable Chief Engineer
Last week I shared this principle quoted from an unexpected source, the U.S. Marine Leadership Manual: "An individual's responsibility for…
Read articleWe’re all connected and nobody is in charge
Everyone hates the “matrix”. Not the movie series, of course, but the cross-functional matrix organization. Yet, having searched for the…
Read articleLearning to Manage
My colleague John Shook has recently written a wonderful book for LEI about "managing to learn". By this he means…
Read articleLeadership Q&A: Dr. Jack Billi, associate dean and associate vice president for medical affairs
From the LEI senior executive series on lean leadership:Jack Billi, M.D., associate dean for clinical affairs, University of Michigan Medical…
Read articlePodcast with John S. Toussaint, MD, about Lean at ThedaCare
Mark Graban welcomes John Toussaint, MD, CEO emeritus of ThedaCare, and CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, to…
Listen to podcastLeadership Q&A: Dan Ariens, CEO of Ariens Co.
From the LEI senior executive series on lean leadership:In the late 1990s, Ariens Co.faced a blizzard of problems. The iconic…
Read articleToyota’s New Material-Handling System Shows TPS’s Flexibility
Art Smalley, LEI author and faculty member, reports on Toyota's new material-handling system for assembly areas that he saw in…
Read articleBack to Basics
I often take advantage of relaxing holiday time to go over old things, take care of less pressing matters that…
Read articleNew Year 2009
During one of my final company visits last year, I was asked by a young engineer in South America, “Why…
Read article2008 in Summary: A Large Enough Wave Swamps All Boats
We all know the phrase, "a rising tide lifts all boats", and this was true during the world economic bubble…
Read articleWhat’s your challenge?
Toyota can’t exist -- Toyota can’t be Toyota -- without a challenge. That’s true for each individual or work group…
Read articleMaking Lean Leaders — Ariens Internship Program Develops Lean Management and Leadership Skills in Everyone
Besides making snow-blowers, mowers, and string trimmers, Ariens Co., of Brillion, WI, makes lean leaders. An internal lean internship program…
View case studyA Lean Dream…
…wouldn’t it be great to see some lean Practical Problem Solving brought to the Detroit 3 “bailout” debate in Washington?…
Read articleLeaning Your Boss
What do top managers need to learn to be able to lead a lean transformation? I get asked this question…
Read articleSurvive to Make Money or Make Money to Survive?
With GM’s demise becoming more real every day, many people have been asking me, “Why didn’t GM learn from Toyota…
Read articleEiji Toyoda and Management Muda
Enthusiasts know how tremendously influential Eiji Toyoda has been to the development of Toyota and its revolutionary management system. Perhaps…
Read articleThe Most Frustrated Person in Your Company
No, it’s not you. Earlier in my career I spent most of my time down in the front lines of…
Read articleMega Mura Bubble Trouble
I started writing my monthly e-letter in October of 2001 to speak to the worries of the Lean Community as…
Read article“Our people are our most important asset”…Really?
This well-intentioned phrase can carry a buried and profoundly disrespectful message, implying conventional capital asset thinking, treating the people in…
Read articleA Recession Action Plan
A recession is a good time for lean. Organizations can either postpone lean and resort to traditional cost cutting, or…
Read articleNo Excuses
There has been much drive-by observation of lean operations over the years. A drive-by will unveil a fair amount of…
Read articleWhat is Lean Management?
If lean thinking means a different approach to business, then it must also imply a different approach to managing by…
Read articleLean Landscapers
HighGrove Partners, an Atlanta landscaping company, needed some time to figure out how to apply lean management principles. After all,…
View case studyIt Takes 2 (or more) to A3
No one can create a useful A3 in isolation. It takes at least two individuals and often many more. Developing…
Read articleManage the Contract or Improve the Value Stream?
As much as I would like to, I can't walk frequently along every type of value stream. As a result,…
Read articleFighting Cancer with Linear Accelerators and Accelerated Processes
A series of cross-functional lean improvement teams in the Radiation Oncology Department at the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS)…
View case studyPutting Lean Principles in the Warehouse
While lean principles and practices have been widely adopted in manufacturing over the last couple of decades, their use in…
View case studyThe Worst Form of Muda
One of the souvenirs I collect on my visits to different countries is special reasons why lean is impossible in…
Read article5S for Information
When a Lean Thinker asked how to apply the principles of 5S to the company server, Dan Markovitz responded with…
Read articleFrom Staffs Conducting Programs to Line Managers Solving Problems
Jim Womack, founder and senior advisor of LEI, introduces the concept of 'touzen'—kaizen that should not have been necessary.
Read articleFor Athletic Shoe Company, the Soul of Lean Management Is Problem Solving
When it began a lean transformation in 2003, New Balance, the only athletic shoe manufacturer that still makes some products…
View case studyNice Car, Long Journey
2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Model T Ford. This truly is “the machine that changed…
Read articleKnife Company Hones Competitiveness by Bucking the Status Quo
Family-owned Buck Knives needed to reduce costs by at least 30% to keep its U.S. operations open. In turning to…
View case studyCreating Value or Shifting Wealth?
How do we judge the progress of the Lean Movement? One critical indicator is our success in extending lean thinking…
Read articleThe Big Mura and Mean Leanness
How can we have dramatic short-term gyrations in an economy whose business is to supply what a relatively constant number…
Read articleUsing Lean Thinking to Reinvent City Government
In many cities, stagnant tax revenues from a slowing economy coupled with rising healthcare and energy costs are causing budget…
View case studyYokoten Across the World
The trick to yokoten, the term Toyota uses for the horizontal transfer of information and knowledge across an organization, is…
Read articleA Journey to Value Streams: Reorganizing Into Five Groups Drives Lean Improvements and Customer Responsiveness
While many plants have used value-stream thinking and practices such as current- and future-state mapping, Parker Hannifin Corporation's New Haven,…
View case studyJumping to Solutions
We are all guilty of one of the greatest sins with lean – not having the patience to really understand…
Read articleThe Missing Link
There is a missing link between the world’s brilliant objects – now cheaper and better in many cases because of…
Read articleCadence
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)…
Read articleRespect for People
For years I've visited companies where "respect for people" is a core element of the corporate philosophy. So I've asked…
Read article“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.…
View case studyTen Years and Counting
What do we at LEI -- and in the whole lean movement -- need to do now? This is the…
Read articleKaizen or Rework?
I recently visited a contract electronics manufacturer with a striking capacity for kaizen – the steady improvement of every step…
Read articleThe Problem of Sustainability
I recently got a call from an old friend who led one of the first lean implementation efforts in healthcare…
Read articleDentist 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…
Read articleFrom 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…
Read articleCreating Lean Healthcare
Ten years ago this month I made a visit to the Mayo Clinic’s large medical complex in Rochester, Minnesota. I…
Read articleWhy 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…
Read articleLean Inroads Into Alabama Academia
Despite business’s declared need for graduates experienced with lean concepts, most colleges and universities offer only a lean module or…
View case studyNew Facility, New Flow, and New Levels of Patient Care The wait is over for patients at the Clearview Cancer Institute in Alabama
Dr. Marshall Schreeder treats cancer and treatment processes at the Clearview Cancer Institute in Alabama.
View case studyInterview: Lean Software Development
Lean software practitioners Mary and Tom Poppendieck, authors of Lean Software Development, relate lean concepts to the practical work of…
Read articleLittle and Often
I still encounter a degree of confusion about one of the key mental models that gets in the way of…
Read articleMore Thinking About Lean Transformation
Recently we at the Lean Enterprise Institute have started a new research project trying to answer a simple question: “What…
Read articleWhat I’ve Learned About Planning and Execution
By the time I founded the Lean Enterprise Institute in mid-1997, I had been thinking for years about how organizations…
Read articleAsking Questions
It is always refreshing going to the gemba – actually walking a value stream all the way through an organisation.…
Read articleSell One, Buy One, Make One: Transforming from Conventional to Lean Distribution
Big batches. Long lead times. Infrequent deliveries. Large inventories to cover fluctuations in demand. These aren't characteristics normally attributed to…
View case studyFrom Lean Tools to Lean Management
I’ve been thinking about the challenge of lean transformation for 27 years now, since I started studying Toyota as part…
Read articleGross Domestic Product Verses Gross Domestic Waste
I’ve always been fascinated by how humans count, especially the way we always seem to count the wrong things. Recently…
Read articleExample A3: Textron – Lean Boot Camp (from Managing to Learn)
An example of an A3, included as a sample in some printings of Managing to Learn.
Read articleThe Value Stream Manager
Objectives of This Paper:The Lean Enterprise Institute receives many questions about how to select the right person to be the value-stream manager. In…
Read articleThe Lean Way Forward at Ford
I’ve been reflecting on today’s remarkable headlines about the latest retreat by the Ford Motor Company as part of its…
Read articleWhat is the Theory of Constraints, and How Does it Compare to Lean Thinking?
The following article reviews the Theory of Constraints (TOC), first published in The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff…
Read articleLean Thinking: A Look Back and a Look Forward
The meaning of lean thinking, how lean got its name, and an example of how it improved a grinding process…
Read articleThinking End to End
Every value stream runs from raw materials all the way to the end customer. And value for the customer is…
Read articleIsao Kato Interview on Shigeo Shingo’s Influence on TPS
Isao Kato believed that people development cannot be separated from production system development. During his career at Toyota he developed…
Read articleMura, Muri, Muda?
Twenty years ago this month, when my first daughter was born, the young men I supervised in MIT’s International Motor…
Read articlePurpose, Process, People
When evaluating your lean efforts, Jim Womack suggests that you examine your purpose first of all, and then your process…
Read articleFewer Heroes, More Farmers
I recently met with the chief executive of a very large American corporation organized by business units, each self-contained with…
Read articleBest in Healthcare Getting Better with Lean
The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN., is famous for the quality of its healthcare, but is using lean concepts to…
View case studyWhat Lean Thinkers Think About The Gold Mine
Questions and comments†from readers to co-author Michael BallÈ about his book The Gold Mine.
Read articleLeaning Healthcare
Healthcare is the next great industry to begin the Lean journey. The existing model in which the hospital doctor acting…
Read articleColumbus Public Schools Use Process Thinking to Improve Academic Achievement
Principals and staff at Columbus, Ohio, schools created current states and future states of a diagnostic testing process in order to identify students'…
Read articleMore Lean Leadership
In the nine years since its founding, LEI has acheived quite a lot. We've produced highly successful series of workbooks…
Read articleChange in Implementation Approach Opens the Door at EMCO to Greater Gains in Less Time
Many lean thinkers ask how they can accelerate the pace of a transformation or spread it to other facilities. EMCO…
View case studyDeveloping Problem Solvers
We traditionally see an organisation as a collection of departments or activities, each managed separately and each separated from the…
Read articleShifting to Value-Stream Managers:a Shop-Floor Revolution Leads to a Revolution in Plant Organization
Two years into a lean transformation, the low-hanging fruit has been plucked and progress has started to slow. Read how…
View case studyBuild Your “House” of Production on a Stable Foundation
Faced with downtime on key pieces of sophisticated equipment in a machine-intensive environment, Delphi's Plant 1 launched a successful improvement…
View case studyWhy Toyota Won
In an op-ed opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal, James P. Womack, founder and chairman of the Lean Enterprise…
Read articleA Tale of Two Business Systems
In the fall of 1990, The Machine That Changed the World forecast that 1991 or 1992 would be the moment…
Read articleBreaking Through To Flow
The other day I began a speech to a leading supplier of medical devices by congratulating them on the absolutely…
Read articleJust in Time, Just in Case, and Just Plain Wrong
Jim Womack responds the the January 12th Wall Street Journal headline “Just-In-Time Inventories Make U.S. Vulnerable to a Pandemic”
Read articleLean Lessons for 2006
This is the year when Toyota will almost certainly overtake General Motors to become number one in the global car…
Read articleMr. Ford’s Wrong Turn
In an op-ed piece in The Washington Post, James P. Womack, founder and chairman of the Lean Enterprise Institute, responds…
Read articleProcess Leadership
I first heard the term Kaikaku over ten years ago when travelling with a Toyota Sensei around Japan, while researching…
Read articleThe Big Opportunity
I started studying manufacturing performance††26 years ago this fall. We set out at MIT to perform the most exhaustive and…
Read articleNecessary But Not Sufficient
One of the hardest things in my line of work is seeing a company make enormous strides in getting lean…
Read articleCompeting with China
There are two sea changes going on in the world economy. The first is the rise of the “low cost”…
Read articleMassachusetts General Looks to Lean
Northeast Proton Therapy Center uses lean principles to increase capacity to treat life-threatening diseases.
View case studyValue-Stream Mapping in a Make-to-Order Environment
Tips from LEI author Mike Rother on applying value-stream mapping and continuous flow in high-variety, custom manufacturing environments.
Read articleLean Publishing and Lean Solutions
Normally I walk through other people’s industries. But today let me take a brief walk through my own: publishing. You…
Read articleThe Health Factory
This quote from the article applies to the ideas in Managing to Learn: What sets the non-health care leaders apart…
Read articleLean Consumption, Lean Provision, and Lean Solutions
Here’s some good news for the Lean Community. I was recently in Spain where I toured a facility belonging to…
Read articleCanada Post Puts Its Stamp on a Lean Transformation
A growing lean transformation at Canada Post's Calgary plant shows how lean principles can be implemented in environments other than…
View case studySupply Chain Walks
One of the most interesting things I do is to take a walk through a complete supply chain. I did…
Read articleThe A3 as a PDCA Storyboard
Thanks to Dave LaHote for sharing this PowerPoint that explains what an A3 is and how it can be used.…
Read articleFrontiers of Lean
It is eighteen years since the first western firm, Danaher in the USA, began its lean journey guided by disciples…
Read articleThe Truth Lies in the Lies of Fiction
Twenty years ago, while flying to a final vacation before the onset of children, I found myself reading Eli Goldratt's The…
Read articleThe Problem with Creative Work and Creative Management
Categorizing the existing steps is a great way to start lean thinking, and it’s pretty easy in a factory environment…
Read articleThe Dramatic Spread of Lean Thinking
Without question, lean thinking was born in the factory. Then lean thinking spread to logistics, to tie supplier production tightly…
Read articleLinking Lean Thinking to the Classroom
As team members sat down to discuss hiring a new production employee, the conversation gradually centered on the need to…
View case studyLean Consumption
"Lean Consumption" is the lead article in the March 2005 issue of the Harvard Business Review. It previews the breakthrough…
Read articleLean Leadership
On my gemba walks I often get comments and questions about leadership. “We can’t seem to get anywhere because we…
Read articleThe State of Lean 2005
As we enter the New Year, I find my attention turning from the history of lean (as described last month)…
Read articleLean Beyond Production
Read how Lean Thinkers, using the same lean tools that worked in production, now are making improvements and benefits off…
Read articleToothbrush Plant Reverses Decay in Competitiveness
Faced with competition from plants in China and Mexico, Oral-B's Iowa City plant was slated for closure. But the rapid…
View case studyA Lean Walk Through History
Most of us don’t realize that we are heirs to a remarkably long struggle in human history to see beyond…
Read articleLean Information Management
Recently I was walking through a manufacturing operation and found myself wondering about the principles of lean information management, in…
Read articleDeconstructing the Tower of Babel
As the years have gone by, we seem to be building a lean Tower of Babel. I hear the term…
Read articleThe Anatomy of Innovation
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Shadyside enjoys a reputation for innovation, due, in part, to its recognition that finding…
Read articleCompetition Equals Lean?
Those of us in the lean movement know that even in highly competitive industries like autos, companies can go for…
Read articleCreating Basic Stability
The lean movement's founder explains why you must achieve consistent operational availability before introducing continuous flow.
Read articleThe Backbone of Lean in the Back Shops
Learn why the lean concept of every part, every interval (EPEI) is the “backbone” of lean in this aerospace machine…
View case studyStandardized Worrying
Years ago when Dan Jones and I first visited Toyota in Japan, we were struck by something that seemed out…
Read articleHelpful Hints about Mapping off the Plant Floor in Support of Administrative Operations
Off the shop floor, the distinctions between material and information flows often blurs. Here are nine suggestions from LEI author…
Read articleAvoiding Common Pitfalls of Value-Stream Mapping
Mike Rother, co-author of Learning to See, offers some insights about the dos, don’ts, and maybes of value-stream mapping.
Read articleThe Wonder of Level Pull
Many years ago in Toyota City I first witnessed the twin concepts of level production and the smooth pull of…
Read articleLean Transformation Lives and Dies With Tools and Dies
The story of The Wiremold Company's lean transformation is familiar to many Lean Thinkers. But what isn't as well known…
View case studyLean Beyond the Factory
I've been thinking a lot recently about just what a business really is. As a lean process thinker, my best…
Read articleMisunderstandings 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…
Read articleAdding Cost or Creating Value?
I was out on tour this past week, listening to companies' stories as they try to achieve a "lean" transformation.…
Read articleLean Thinking Therapy Spreads Beyond the Shop
Medtronic Xomed expanded the lean transformation beyond the shop floor to areas such as international distribution, product development, and domestic…
View case studyWhy We Are a Nonprofit (And How You Can Benefit)
Every month I get calls and emails from folks thinking the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) is a consulting business and…
Read articleThe Prospects for Lean
As we all return to work in the New Year, I wanted to provide a few thoughts on the prospects…
Read articleIs Lean Mean?
I was recently asked a question that demanded an answer: “How can you advocate ideas that improve efficiency but destroy…
Read articleThe Beginner’s Guide To Lean
Toyota has just overtaken Ford as number two in the global motor industry, and at the Tokyo motor show confirmed…
Read articleIs Lean Green?
People often tell me that lean thinking must be “green” because it reduces the amount of energy, manufacturing space, and…
Read articleThe Lean Service Machine
The Harvard Business Review details how Jefferson Pilot Financial applied lean principles to its insurance business, not only to cut…
Read articleThe Power of a Precise Process
When I first started to study the Toyota Production System many years ago, I was struck by something very simple:…
Read articleDueling Sensei and the Need for a Standard Operating System
Recently I witnessed a sight I’ve seen too many times before. I was visiting a company when a new sensei…
Read articleBeach Reading
The second edition of Lean Thinking has been out two months now and at least a few members of the Lean Community…
Read articleJim Womack on how lean compares with Six Sigma, Re-engineering, TOC, TPM, etc., etc.
It amazes me, but I still get lots of questions about how “lean” compares with Six Sigma, Total Productive Maintenance,…
Read articleCreating the Course and Tools for a Lean Accounting System
A unit of Parker Hannifin used a financial kaizen and other lean accounting techniques to bridge the gaps between shop-floor…
View case studyWe Have Been (Lean) Thinking
In the many years since we launched Lean Thinking, events amply confirm our long-held view that managers will try anything…
Read articleLean Thinking for Air Travel
Recently I got a call from an aide to Don Carty at American Airlines (their Chairman who resigned this past…
Read articleLSG Sky Chefs Caters to New Market Realities
Business at airline caterer LSG Sky Chefs dropped 30% when airlines cut flights after the terrorist attacks on September 11,…
View case studyHere’s to Toyota
More than twenty years ago Dan Jones and I made an important discovery. On a trip to Japan we concluded…
Read articleTaking a Value Stream Walk at Firm A
I was out walking through a company this past week, something I often do. The firm I visited had asked…
Read articleLEI looks for success stories to share
I routinely end my talks by offering to give anyone 15 minutes of fame in my and Dan Jones’s next…
Read articleMove Your Operations to China? Do some lean math first.
I recently got a phone call from a reporter for The Wall Street Journal with a simple but provocative question:…
Read articleSeasoned Lean Effort Avoids “Flavor-of-the-Month” Pitfall
What comes first in a lean transformation? What comes next? Where do tools like six sigma fit? Here's an overview…
View case studyYear-end Message About the State of the Lean Community
As I've noted before with some sadness, economic distress is good for lean thinking. Taiichi Ohno said long ago that…
Read articleSubstituting Money for Value Stream Management
I've been traveling again since I last wrote, this time to visit a household-name American company trying to pursue perfection…
Read articleThe “Right Sequence” for Implementing Lean
One of the best things about leading the Lean Enterprise Institute is that I travel widely to learn how things…
Read articleWhat do you need from LEI?
August 1 marks the fifth anniversary of the Lean Enterprise Institute. In our first five years we've conducted Lean Summits…
Read articleA Great Time for Lean Thinking
I’ve just been reading the financial news and realizing that this is a great time to be a lean thinker.…
Read articleLEI Expands Global Network
When I founded the Lean Enterprise Institute in Boston in 1997, I wanted to create a global network of non-profit…
Read articleLEI’s indicator that can’t lie: Doing the math
Jim elaborates on the idea of using inventory turns as a measure of lean transformation
Read articleGetting Back to Basics
I recently had a request from a Detroit newspaper to write a brief piece for the Motor Show on how…
Read articleLEI’s new tool for seeing the big picture
We introduce the latest LEI workbook, Seeing the Whole, which provides a simple tool for mapping the extended value stream…
Read articleInventory Turns Charts
How can you tell if your firm is really getting lean — count the future state maps on the walls,…
Read articleLEI’s New Indicator That Can’t Lie
I’m often asked by operations managers how they can know if their firm is really getting lean. My answer is…
Read articleAn LEI New Year’s Resolution: No Wallpaper!
I've resolved that in 2002 no one in the lean community will turn their value stream maps into corporate wallpaper…
Read articleShopping for a Sensei
We at LEI have been getting a lot of requests recently to help companies find lean expertise for harder times.…
Read article10 Lean Steps for Surviving the Recession
Jim provides an action play for lean thinkers to think leaner to get through the recession and secure a strong…
Read articleThe Human Side of Hard Times
Harder times call for leaner thinking and presented an action plan, but what about the human side? Lean thinking requires…
Read articleAction Plan for Hard Times
Last week I pointed out that the big leaps in applying lean thinking have all been made in hard times.…
Read articleLeaner Thinking for Harder Times
So now we have the recession of 2001. Its time for all of us to marshal our energies, focus our…
Read articleNonsense about JIT
In almost every value stream, there will be some inventory at points where the product cannot flow. This inventory will…
Read articleThe Five Steps of Lean Implementation
Step 1: Specify ValueDefine value from the perspective of the final customer. Express value in terms of a specific product, which…
Read articleDecoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System
Steven Spear and H. Kent Bowen explain in the Harvard Business Review how the Toyota Production System can be tightly choreographed and supple. The key…
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