Article
The Power of Ma in Creating Cognitive Space
When we lead with respect for people, we need to truly understand that people work in different ways, argues Jim Benson in this piece about…
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Article
Standards at workstations
Dear Gemba Coach: Our corporate production system asks us to post standard work at workstations, but we feel that the paperwork clutters the stations and operators…
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Article
How can I tell if people “get” lean thinking; what signs should I look for?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been training teams to do lean, intensively at first, and with paced-out coaching later. How do I know if they “get…
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Why do we hear less and less about lean in manufacturing?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why do we hear less and less about lean in manufacturing? Is it that most companies have implemented lean successfully or at…
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I’ve been improving process efficiency for years with value-stream mapping, why did you write that it is misleading?
Dear Gemba Coach: In your previous column you stated that value-stream mapping can be misleading. I’ve been using VSM for years to improve process efficiency…
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Still Faithful to Lean Thinking
"We wrote Lead With Respect to show just how central engagement and involvement is to lean success," says Michael Ballé. "As a sociologist, 'making people…
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Video
Art of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 1: Coaching Problem-Solving
Art Smalley is back and ready to teach all about problem-solving, this time with an emphasis on coaching. He starts broad and goes deep in…
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Article
Delivering Effectively on a Noble Mission: Community Servings Gets High-Quality Meals to the People Who Need Them
At the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), our partner organizations usually come to us, or a learning relationship develops over time due to an interest in…
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Diving Deep to Discover the Value of Lean Companies with Cliff Ransom
The following conversation drills down into the lessons learned from looking at public companies through lean-colored glasses.
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Article
ASK ART: “Why do you say lean is all about people?”
Lean is all about people, says author and former CEO Art Byrne, who has been successfully turning around companies for over 20 years. That means…
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Article
PDCA, Fitness Apps, and Using Social Media to Improve Our Health
"Health isn't about always being perfect," writes lean coach Tracey Richardson. "Just like in our organizations, we all have imperfect days. It’s how we change…
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Case Study
Landscape Forms Cultivates Lean to Fuel Growth Goals
With single-item orders 80% of the time, adopting single-piece flow and cellular production made sense to management at Landscape Forms, a low-volume, high-mix producer of…
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Article
Three Core Capabilities in Any Lean Product and Process Development System
"Good development leaders work in earnest to create a 'safe culture' for people to share issues. Working to [drive out fear] is both important and…
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Article
How To Get Out of the Habit of Telling
How do we get out of the habit of just “fixing” the immediate problem at hand ourselves (or telling others how we think they should…
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Article
How Do We Help Our Plant Managers Want to Do Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: We've just changed our divisional general manager and the new boss wants our lean approach to be less directive and more participative. That…
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Gemba and Quality
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve made good progress on quality with Six Sigma, but we’ve reached a plateau. I’ve met a lean consultant who tells me…
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Ask Art: Am I Showing Respect for People by Asking for Fast Action?
Lean is a “learn by doing” exercise not a classroom training approach. The best method I know to achieve this is through a sustained high…
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Article
My Lean Journey: The 5Ss
Do you remember the first time you realized the true potential of lean in improving work output? Lean newcomer Cam Ford does - here's his…
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Article
Why We Believe Questions Accelerate Learning
The key to achieving better outcomes over time is to develop the vital skill of asking questions designed to spur critical thinking, argue the Lean…
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