Article

Why 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% and 80%. Weíve invested heavily…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Can Lean Boost Sales?

Dear Gemba Coach: Every one says that lean is not just about cost cutting. But I fail to see how lean techniques can influence the…

by Michael Ballé

Article

It'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 plagued by poor productivity levels.…

by Craig Stritar

Article

A 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 isolated points in order to…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

Standardized 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. This is not the case…

by Michael Ballé

Article

You 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 how powerful just a little…

by Leslie Barker

Article

The 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 emerged, such as lean leadership…

by Sami Bahri

Article

Transforming 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 the obstacles thrown in their…

Lexicon Term

Value Stream Mapping

Value-stream mapping (VSM) is diagraming every step involved in the material and information flows needed to bring a product from order to delivery. It is…

Article

How 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 at their approach. I expected…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Standardize 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 improvement as the old saying…

by Art Smalley

Article

Why 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 ñ I have been taught…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Working on the Management

Effective daily management is still hard to achieve for most organizations, says Jim Womack. But until line managers start tackling problems first hand as they…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Download

Creating-continuous-flow-part1

Article

Standardize Locally

A few weeks ago, during a day-long meeting with an executive management team, the topic of standardized work came up … again. It’s been popping up in…

by Josh Howell

Article

Why 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 of thoughts on the topic,…

by Lean Sensei Women

Article

Five 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 the role of the leader,…

by John Shook

Case Study

Leveraging 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 wells, repairing existing ones, and…

by Doug Bartholomew

Article

Why 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 most effective way of getting…

by Michael Ballé

Video

Videos 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 at hand.