In the News
October 30, 2018
Don’t Let Knowledge Walk Out the Door
IndustryWeek picked up this Lean Post by Norbert Majerus on what steps companies should take to capture the knowledge of Babby Boomer employees before they retire.
Read moreOctober 11, 2018
Here’s the Skinny: For Lean Production Processes to Work, a Company Needs to Be All In
James Womack, PhD, founding CEO of the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute, tells The New York Times that the term "lean production" always referred to a complete business system. Since the term was coined in the 1980s by an MIT research team led by Womack to describe Toyota's business system, lean management has moved from automotive to other manufacturing and service industries, Womack noted.
Read moreOctober 4, 2018
What’s The Formula For A Successful Management System?
Designing the Future co-author and former product development executive Jim Morgan says the winning equation is the product of two elements.
Read moreSeptember 28, 2018
Are Monsters Lurking in Your Obeya Space?
IndustryWeek picks up Jim Morgan's Lean Post on "Traveling Hopefully."
Read moreSeptember 27, 2018
Target Online Newsletter
AME's newsletter picks up Lean Posts "Space to Think" video interview and "Traveling Hopefully."
Read moreAugust 22, 2018
Cardboard, Duct Tape, String and Toyota: The Do-First Lean Mindset
IndustryWeek picks up for its homepage a blog post by Mark Reich, senior coach at the Lean Enterprise Institute. He describes from personal experience why coaching advice isn’t enough if the workplace doesn’t change for the better. True lean practitioners know how to make physical changes quickly with the people who do the actual work.
Read moreJuly 2, 2018
Tesla Reaches Production Goal for Making 5,000 Model 3s
Lean Enterprise Institute founder and management expert Jim Womack tells The Wall Street Journal that Tesla was "a pioneer in temporary assembly, charting a course no one else will want or need to follow,” after the automaker built an assembly line outside under a tent to meet a 5,000-a-week car production goal.
Read moreJune 25, 2018
Tesla’s future hinges on this gigantic tent, Jim Womack, founder of the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute, tells Bloomberg News
Jim Womack, founder of the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute, talks to Bloomberg News about Tesla's attempt to hit Model 3 production goals by building an assembly line in a huge tent next to its car factory.
Read moreJune 19, 2018
Rivian Reveals ‘Skateboard’ Chassis At Michigan Conference
The electric vehicle startup Rivian emerged from its “extreme stealth” mode, revealing its “skateboard” chassis and a timeline for when its first truck will be available for pre-order at the Designing the Future Summit in Michigan, according to NPR radio at Illinois State University.
Read moreMay 3, 2018
Daily Walking Is a Healthy Activity in Lean Plants
Art Smalley, Dave Logozzo, Drew Locher, and Sammy Obara, all Lean Enterprise Institute faculty members, are among the lean practitioners quoted in this Assembly story about the dos, don'ts, and maybes of how to conduct effective gemba walks. Read their other articles in the Knowledge Center at lean.org
Read moreJanuary 8, 2018
Toyota Signs Amazon, Pizza Hut as Driverless-Delivery Partners
Jim Womack, senior advisor to the Lean Enterprise Institute, comments in this Bloomberg story on Toyota's announcement that it is developing driverless delivery vehicles with Amazon and Pizza Hut.
Read moreDecember 1, 2017
Shaping Workflow Competencies with Human Capital
Leading IT firms gradually are shifting focus from acquiring the right talent to developing talent and focusing on how to grow people's capabilities, says John Shook, executive chairman at the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute, on pages 34-35 in this special workflow section of CIO Review.
Read moreOctober 27, 2017
Musk’s plant makeover even more of a long shot as Model 3 lags
Lean Enterprise Institute Founding CEO Jim Womack comments on Tesla Founder Elon Musk's attempts "to launch a new product, a new manufacturing system, and a new company" all at once
Read moreSeptember 12, 2017
“The Work of Management” by Jim Lancaster Receives Shingo Publication Award
"Work of Management” by Lantech CEO Jim Lancaster, has received the Publication Award from the Shingo Institute, part of the Jon Huntsman Business School.
Read moreSeptember 7, 2017
The Secret Ingredient of American Manufacturing: Some Japanese Flavor
James Womack, PhD, founding CEO of the Lean Enterprise Institute, describes for Chief Executive the impact of Japanese continuous improvement methods in the U.S.
Read moreAugust 7, 2017
Toyota, Mazda to Spend $1.6 Billion on Joint U.S. Auto Plant
Bloomberg article cites LEI CEO John Shook on cooperation between Toyota and Mazda, following announcement to jointly build a $1.6 billion U.S. factory.
Read moreJune 8, 2017
Beating the ‘Silent Enemy’ of Continuous Improvement
IndustryWeek reports on how CEO Jim Lancaster revitalized the continuous improvement effort at lean management pioneer Lantech.
Read moreMay 1, 2017
Why All Your Manufacturing Processes Are “Sandcastles”
Deterioration in process performance is inevitable unless management goes to WAR to support the frontlines
Read moreApril 27, 2017
“We’re Different!” Overcoming the Challenges of Applying Lean Principles to Knowledge Work
In the GxP life sciences blog, faculty member Drew Locher explains 3 critical factors for successfully getting knowledge workers to adopt lean management principles.
Read moreMarch 17, 2017
Fueling the farm-to-table movement, with lessons from Toyota
A Boston Globe story examines how lean principles apply to farming with insights by Jim Womack, founding CEO of the Lean Enterprise Institute.
Read more