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The Remarkable Chief Engineer
Last week I shared this principle quoted from an unexpected source, the U.S. Marine Leadership Manual: "An individual's responsibility for leadership is not dependent on…
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Article
Lean Transformation: "Shock and Awe" vs. "Slow and Grow"
When leading a lean transformation, is it better to use the "shock and awe" method or the "low and slow" method? It may not even…
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Students Take the Lead in JPW Fund Internship
A hands-on, gemba-based “lean internship” gives participants broad-based lean management experience backed by professional and academic coaches.
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Article
Ask Art: What's Wrong with Organizing By Function?
While you might be able to survive and be profitable using a traditional functional structure the fact is that you will be leaving a lot…
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Emerging Stronger
Learn how GE Appliances and Herman Miller leverage lean practice to design new standardized work for assembly to ensure a safe working environment for employees.
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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,…
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How Does Lean Apply In a Job Shop?
Dear Gemba Coach: In our job shop we make high precision modules and tools, work that involves a great deal of variety and very little…
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How Do I Plan for the Long Term?
Dear Gemba Coach: I don’t know how to plan for two or five years out. As a plant manager, my requirement is to be able…
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Heijunka: Mastering the Peaks and Valleys
Struggling to run different types of products down one line? Lean coach Jeff Smith explains the lean manufacturing concept of Heijunka (or production leveling) by…
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Don’t Just Do Lean; Be Lean
A lean transformation cannot be just one of 10 elements of your strategy, according to former Wiremold Company CEO Art Byrne, who has led more…
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Ask Art: How Much Time Does It Take to Complete a Lean Transformation?
Though you can never be "finished" with the essential work of creating a continuous improvement culture, here are a few ways to determine whether you're…
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Leveling to Build Capacity and Flexibility
Dear Gemba Coach: We manufacture a seasonal product and are working on leveling, but are having a tough time. Our peak sales occur in a four-month…
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The Second P in LPPD: Why the Future is About Lean Product and Process Development
Jim Womack, speaking at the Designing the Future summit in 2019, describes the thinking behind lean product and process development -- and why it's the…
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Ask Art: What Targets Should We Set When Launching a Lean Turnaround?
Here's why setting results-oriented targets instead of process-oriented targets will doom your lean improvement efforts, says Art Byrne.
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Launching a Lean Transformation: An Aerospace Manufacturer’s Journey with Purpose, Process, and People
Lean transformation at Re:Build Cutting Dynamics demonstrates the effectiveness of purpose, process, people and foreshadows a revival of U.S. manufacturing.
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Jay Johnson, president, Plumbers Supply Company
As part of a continuing series on leading lean transformations, the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) interviews executives from a variety of companies to explore the challenges that…
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Learning From The Sensei Way at Work
Seek perfection by cultivating a daily discipline of mindfulness, whether in lean practice or Buddhist training, writes John Shook in his foreword to a new…
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Beyond the Next Launch: How to Transform Product Development into a Powerhouse Learning Organization
In this edition of The Design Brief, James Morgan offers practical steps to close the knowing–doing gap in your organization.
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Video
Art of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 3: Lessons From Martial Arts
In part three of his problem-solving series, Art takes on the techniques (kata) and ways (waza) behind martial arts, revealing necessary coaching practices in the…
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Ask Art: Is there a balance between lean and full automation?
As a followup to his piece last month dealing with another aspect of lean and automation, Art Byrne now explores the oft-misunderstood balance between the…
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