Lexicon Term

Basic Stability

Having essential capability, availability, and flexibility in the 4Ms — manpower, machines, materials, and methods. A lack of basic stability in a process prevents improvements…

Article

Follow-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 that CEO Jim Lancaster installed…

by Jim Lancaster

Article

Should value-stream mapping come before 5S?

Dear Gemba Coach: Shouldn’t VSM come before 5S so we see the whole picture first?

by Michael Ballé

Video

Lean 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 meet growing customer demand for…

by Lean Enterprise Institute

Article

Get 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.

Lexicon Term

Just-in-Time Production

Just-in-time is system of production that makes and delivers just what is needed, just when it is needed, and just in the amount needed. JIT…

Article

Ask 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 often have a hard time…

by Art Byrne

Podcast

Handling 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 to better performance outcomes in…

by John Cotter and Matthew Savas

Article

Being '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 learning than now, when we…

by Josh Howell

Article

Tesla 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 faces tough challenges in its…

by Jeffrey Liker

Article

How 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 about it, I find that…

by Michael Ballé

Article

What 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) to get there. Each situation…

by Deborah McGee

Lexicon Term

Heijunka Box

A tool used to level the mix and volume of production by distributing kanban within a facility at fixed intervals. Also called a leveling box.…

Article

Is 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?

by Michael Ballé

Article

Profit and Cost At Toyota

Fresh off a tour of Japan where she observed how Toyota talks about costs and profit on the shop floor, LEI Chairperson Jean Cunningham shares…

by Jean Cunningham

Article

Follow-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 the most-frequently asked questions (plus…

by Jim Lancaster

Article

Would you have a few tips about coaching on the gemba?

Dear Gemba Coach: Would you have a few tips about coaching on the gemba?

by Michael Ballé

Article

I’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 to get them solved faster…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Can 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?

by Michael Ballé

Article

How 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 management boards. The current estimate…

by Michael Ballé