Article

PD C+ A+ In the Classroom

Looking back on her time as a teacher through a lean lens, the author suggests how the process of education might be improved by examining…

by Allison O'Neill

Article

Is lean problem solving different from regular problem solving?

Dear Gemba Coach: How is lean problem solving any different from regular problem-solving?

by Michael Ballé

Video

Understanding Lean Product and Process Development: An LEI Explainer Video

Learn what Lean Product & Process Development (LPPD) is, why it's critical in developing successful value streams, why companies struggle to implement its practices and…

by Lean Leaper

Article

Ask Art: Why do so few companies that implement lean do it successfully?

We've all heard the stories of failed lean implementations, as well as the hotly debated question of "Why did it fail?" In his many years…

by Art Byrne

Article

Improving a Complex Process that Saves Lives: Lean Transformation at LifeShare Donor Services of Oklahoma

"This is a model, like a lot of good leadership models, where you teach people the thinking and then need to get the heck of…

by Lex Schroeder

Video

Art of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 4: Military Science and Leadership

Art takes a look at the military and their methods of teaching to see what lean can borrow, giving the coaching side of lean even…

by Art Smalley

Article

From Agile Fatigue to Experimentation: Finding a Better Way in Development

In this issue of The Design Brief, LEI explores the limitations of agile and how Lean Product and Process Development can close its gaps.

by James Morgan, PhD

Article

Ask Art: Why Does Boosting Inventory Turns Matter So Much?

If you want to deliver more value to our customers such that you can grow and gain market share then you should certainly focus on…

by Art Byrne

Article

What Finance Teams Can Learn from the Lean Practice of ‘Go See, Ask Why, Show Respect,’ - Part 2

A "lean accounting" coach illustrates what "go see, ask why, and show respect" means for Finance and Accounting professionals.

Video

Art of Lean on Situational Leadership, Part 4: Supportive Style, from Basketball to Toyota

Part four continues the series' trajectory of further contextualizing situational leadership and lean thinking. By picking personal examples from his life, Art Smalley guides you…

by Art Smalley

Article

Hoshin Kanri as a Foundational Piece of a Lean Management System

Hoshin kanri is more than a strategic planning tool—it’s a dynamic, socio-technical process that aligns organizations at every level through shared purpose, problem-solving, and continuous…

by Jeffrey Liker and John Shook

Article

The Chief Cause of Problems is Solutions

"In complex organizations, we [oversimplify] problems, try to fix them as painlessly as possible, cross our fingers, and move on to the next fire," writes…

by Brent Wahba

Article

Avoiding Dashboard Wallpaper

Build a system of dashboards up and down the organization, says Leslie Barker. Connect them so ideas flow upward and support flows to the idea.…

by Leslie Barker

Article

Anatomy of a Lean Leader (Introduction)

For 30 years, Jerry Bussell studied leadership while bringing lean practices to companies such as Medtronic and becoming a passionate, well-known advocate for lean. In this…

by Jerry Bussell

Article

The Lean Farm: Better Food, Productivity, and Profits -- with Less Work

Farming may be the next industry ripe for disruption. For example, Ben Hartman grew up on a 500-acre corn and soybean farm where success meant…

by Ben Hartman

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

Video

The Art of Lean: Use These Tools to Help You Improve a Process, Part 2

Take a closer look into this four-step approach that will help you "pinpoint the tricky parts" of a process as you work to improve it,…

by Art Smalley and Art Smalley

Article

Why a Plan for Every Part Is Essential to Lean Transformations

“What’s needed instead is system kaizen in which the material-handling system for an entire facility, supplying every value stream, is redesigned to create a bulletproof…

by Doug Bartholomew

Article

Why Coaching is a Core Skill of a Lean Leader

If "learning by doing" at the gemba is the best way to learn lean thinking and practices (and it is), coaching is THE skill leaders…

by John Shook

Article

GM Veteran Lou Farinola Responds to, “Why hasn’t GM learned from NUMMI?”

John Shook discusses how GM learned from NUMMI with a former GM executive

by John Shook