Article

Coach'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 out of the obeya and…

by John Drogosz, PhD

Article

Ask 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 journey.

by Art Byrne

Article

Ask 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.

by Art Byrne

eBook

The Birth of Lean: Conversations with the Founders of TPS

Fascinating interviews with the founders of lean. Learn about the origins of the Toyota Production System from the people responsible for its creation. As its pioneers…

by Takahiro Fujimoto and Koichi Shimokawa

Article

Creating Basic Stability

The lean movement's founder explains why you must achieve consistent operational availability before introducing continuous flow.

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

Ask 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 and from push to pull.…

by Art Byrne

Case Study

Manufacturing 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: because the lean transformation has…

by Chet Marchwinski

eBook

Everything I Know About Lean I Learned in First Grade

Everything I Know About Lean I Learned in First Grade is a quick, fun introduction to lean principles. The book connects common lean tools and…

by Robert Martichenko

eBook

The Gold Mine

The Gold Mine deftly weaves together the technical and human pieces of implementing lean manufacturing in an engaging story that readers will find both compelling and…

by Freddy Ballé and Michael Ballé

Book

Mapping to See Workshop Participant Guide

The contents of the Mapping to See Workshop Participant Guide were developed to enhance active learning. The structure of the modules in the guide matches…

by Lean Enterprise Institute

Book

On the Mend

Lean healthcare does not mean less care. On the Mend shows that when care is truly re-designed around patients, waste and errors are eliminated, quality…

by Roger Gerard and John Toussaint

Training Kits

Training to See Kit: A Value-Stream Mapping Workshop

The Training to See kit enables you to take people through the exercise of value-stream mapping, from selecting a product family, to mapping its current…

by Mike Rother and John Shook

Article

The Problem of Sustainability

I recently got a call from an old friend who led one of the first lean implementation efforts in healthcare in the mid-1990s. He has…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

Why 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 the company’s management and production…

by Michael Ballé

Article

You 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 an excuse to avoid Lean.

by Orest (Orry) Fiume

Video

Seafood 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 belly.

Article

Why 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 Janice Brathwaite thinks we can…

by Janice Brathwaite

Article

How 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 controversy comparing lean management to…

by Michael Ballé

Video

How 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 from our work culture and…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Why implement lean when it fails so often?

Dear Gemba Coach: Is it true that lean often fails? What’s the point then?

by Michael Ballé