Article

Are 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 apply ideas," Erin Urban writes,…

by Erin Urban

Article

What 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 instances of 'Fraud, Waste, and…

by William Journigan and James Phillips Jr.

Article

Mega Mura Bubble Trouble

I started writing my monthly e-letter in October of 2001 to speak to the worries of the Lean Community as the world economy slid into…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

Launching 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 in its lean journey," writes…

by Doug Bartholomew

Article

Beyond Lean: Towards Compression Thinking

"Lean thinkers make things better by framing issues as Problems," writes Doc Hall. "Yet today our great challenges transcend corporate Problems. The core Problems confronting…

by Robert W. (Doc) Hall

Article

Value Stream Management

As we emerge from the recession and look ahead old ways of thinking and action will not be enough to meet two big challenges ahead.…

by Dan Jones

Article

What 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 events, can the team you…

by Dan Jones

Article

I 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 who explained her young talent…

by Orest (Orry) Fiume

Article

6 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 in the work. This roundup…

by Tom Ehrenfeld

Article

How 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 enhances the other to help…

by Jeffrey Liker

Article

Are 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 mistakes and form better habits. 

by Tracey Richardson

Article

What 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 how to define your own…

Article

Lean 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 company requires a radically different…

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 in his latest book, the…

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.

Article

Small 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.

by Lean Leaper

Article

Small 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 found this out after creating…

by Lean Leaper

Article

Understanding 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 LEI's Lean Product and Process…

Article

How 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 “slow-thinking” process.

by David Verble

Article

Improving 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 technology. Bell is the author…

by Doug Bartholomew