Article

Lead from the Front, Lead from Behind

In my last letter I alluded to a common view in the Lean Community – shared by the broader business community at large – that…

by John Shook

Article

The Human Side of Hard Times

Harder times call for leaner thinking and presented an action plan, but what about the human side? Lean thinking requires that everyone at every level…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

How is lean strategic?

Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been told by my senior management that there is no strategic vision in lean and they don’t see how to integrate…

by Michael Ballé

Article

How should I assess the success of our lean progress?

Dear Gemba Coach: My management is asking for an assessment of our lean progress. How should I do this?

by Michael Ballé

Article

How Do You Spread a Lean Transformation from One Site to Many?

Dear Gemba Coach: My CEO has asked me to spread lean to 30 other sites. How should I go about it?

by Michael Ballé

Article

We're working hard on problem solving so why don't I see any improvement in our problem-solving capability?

Dear Gemba Coach: We're working hard on problem solving, asking "why" repeatedly, and looking for root causes, but I'm afraid I fail to see any…

by Michael Ballé

Article

What’s your opinion on setting specific criteria before brainstorming countermeasures?

Dear Gemba Coach: What’s your opinion on setting specific criteria before brainstorming countermeasures?

by Michael Ballé

Article

Do CEOs Matter?

Journalist Jacob Stoller sits down with LEI's own John Shook to discuss just how important the role and support of the CEO is in the…

by Lean Leaper

Podcast

Exploring the Continued Relevance of Lean, A Best of Podcast

Lean offers a powerful and productive approach to today's problems, both large and small. This "best-of" podcast featuring talks with leading thinkers offers advice and…

by Lean Leaper

Article

Embracing Standard Work in Lean Accounting: An Interview with Mark DeLuzio

How standard work catalyzes continuous improvement in lean accounting and finance -- and any other work area.

Lexicon Term

Kaizen

Kaizen is a Japanese word that means “continuous improvement”. Kaizen aims to make small, incremental improvements in processes and systems, leading to significant long-term benefits.…

Lexicon Term

Takt Time

Takt time is a calculation of the available production time divided by customer demand. For example, if a widget factory operates 480 minutes per day…

Page

Operations

Fully grasp how lean thinking and practice transform operations, yielding workflows that require less human effort, less space, less capital, less material, and less time…

Article

Can Lean Succeed in a Strong Labor Environment?

Lean is all about people, says Art Byrne, regarding the question of making lean succeed in a union environment. He argues that if you treat…

by Art Byrne

Article

Tried and True Strategies for Leading Lean Practice

"In my 30 plus years of leading Lean in a wide range of companies, I’ve learned common practices that work in virtually every setting," writes…

by Art Byrne

Article

Kaizen Learning vs. Traditional Problem-Solving

"Lean offers a fundamentally different approach to problem-solving than most traditional companies practice," writes Art Byrne. "Most [traditional] companies delegate important problems to teams of…

by Art Byrne

Article

How Wiremold Reinvented Itself Through Kaizen

Art Byrne shares a seminal 25-year-old article recounting how Wiremold tapped Kaizen to support a complete lean turnaround that continues to inspire and instruct people…

by Art Byrne

Article

Key Traits and Behaviors of Great Lean Consultants

"If you want to accelerate your lean practice I highly recommend reaching out to a good lean consultant to serve as your coach, teacher, trainer,"…

by Art Byrne

News

How One-Piece-Flow Supports Quality

Manufacturing Engineering,published by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, picks up a Lean Post article by Art Byrne, who as CEO led the lean transformation at…

News

How Can I Engage Our Leaders to Learn (and Teach) Lean?

Lean Post contributor and former CEO Art Byrne explains that under lean management, understanding what you did is one thing, but understanding why is really…