Article

Everyday Kaizen

"With the right teaching and guidance, a good process, and a target of one kaizen activity per day, team leaders should develop [problem solving] skills…

by Emmanuel Jallas

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Developing Your Obeya, Stage-by-Stage

In his years as a LPPD coach, John Drogosz has seen that "most teams do go through several stages of evolution before obeya becomes an…

by John Drogosz, PhD

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The Case for Lean Thinking in Retail and Service Organizations

Josh Howell, senior coach at LEI, recently joined Ron Pereira at Gemba Academy for podcast conversation on coaching, lean thinking for retail and service organizations,…

by Josh Howell

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The Question All Healthcare Leaders Should be Asking Themselves

Lean healthcare expert Mark Graban takes a common problem he sees again and again in hospitals (errors with hourly rounds or inconsistent hourly rounds) and…

by Mark Graban

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The Hard Work of Making Hard Work Easier

We persevere by struggling to overcome the challenges of hard work, argues Mark Reich. And, he says it is also our responsibility, as coaches and…

by Mark Reich

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Is Your Improvement Project Headed Down the Road to Nowhere?

"The scientific method applied consistently [can mean] beginning a continuous improvement journey that lasts, well... forever," writes Tim Kane. Read Kane's reflections on how to…

Article

A Lean Leap of Faith

Michael Ballé reflects on a core assumption of Lean that is often disregarded and explains why it is worth taking a lean leap of faith.

by Michael Ballé

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What Role Should a Quality Department Play in a Lean Organization?

Dear Gemba Coach: How can you improve quality overall while reducing the number of people who are developing policies, supporting training, and doing their best…

by Michael Ballé

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Method vs. Tool

Dear Gemba Coach: I think that TPM, JIT, SMED, Heijunka are methods and the 5S, VSM Kaizen are tools.  Perhaps we could use the expression…

by Michael Ballé

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TPS Fundamentals in a Knowledge Work Environment

A recent LEI cleaning project reminded Business Editor Cam Ford of something he learned in a recent workshop - that TPS principles, even those that…

Article

Apples & Oranges: Value-Stream Mapping in a Low-Volume/High-Mix Environment

Here's how one LVHM company mapped its complex value streams — and discovered the path to next-level productivity that enabled it to transform the business…

by Aaron Hunt

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Lean Lessons from Cobra Kai(zen) and the Karate Kid

The unexpected wake-up call of the modest perfection of the original Karate Kid movie was that we need to move beyond defending this or that…

by Michael Ballé

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Why We Believe Micromanagement is Worth A Deeper Conversation

The Lean Sensei Women explore how poorly-focused micromanagement destroys trust--while well-placed micromanagement supports Lean fundamentals and delivers exceptional results.

by Lean Sensei Women

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What are the biggest obstacles you are facing in your lean journey?

Company culture, weak management support, lack of lean knowledge – even federal budget sequestration – were among the answers you gave when we asked, "What…

Article

How Respect for People Animates the Lean Spirit

Practicing respect is an animating force of lean leadership that colors how one coaches and develops people. This roundup of articles from our archives shares…

by Tom Ehrenfeld

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What is Lean Leadership and How Do You Get it?

Jeff Liker, author of The Toyota Way, describes what organizations need to do to develop their leaders' lean leadership capabilities.

by Jeffrey Liker

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How Lean Thinking and Practices Helps Manage Rapid Growth

The cofounders of a successful digital startup share their experience navigating uncertainty.

by Michael Ballé and Nicolas Chartier

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What Will Be the New Social Contract for the 21^st Century?

The current volatility in tech employment portends a shift from the sector’s earlier people-centered visions — and that’s concerning.

by Jeffrey Liker

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Starting Points for Different Value Streams

No lean transformation story is the same. Read Dan Jones's take on gaining traction for lean learning within your organization and industry.

by Dan Jones

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What do you think are the pros and cons of merging lean and TOC?

Dear Gemba Coach: In the DevOps movement, the amalgamation of agile, lean, and IT service management practices, there is a new entry that is making…

by Michael Ballé