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Customers Should Determine the Businesses of the Future, Not the 1%

"We set up entrepreneurs to fail when we put all the emphasis on pitch day and the amount of money raised, instead of rewarding companies…

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Why Mass Training In Anything Doesn't Work

So you’re excited about Lean and want to show your commitment by training all of your people. LEI’s Director of Education Olga Flory says there…

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Board Responsibilities and the Lean Management System

"A board needs to go far beyond checking performance measurements and actually hold senior leaders accountable for management systems and behaviors," writes Steve Leuschel. "As…

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Thinking About the Why of the What of Problem-Solving

When we talk about problem-solving, what we’re really talking about here is creating adaptive capacity, the deep capability of an organization to tackle anything that…

by John Shook

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PDCA at the Plate

We know that "lean" is all about plan-do-check-act (PDCA). The challenge we all face in our everyday work is to answer the question, How do…

by John Shook

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Making Everyone Whole

While observing lean value streams across three continents, I encountered common resistance to process improvements, often attributed to "bad people." However, a deeper look reveals…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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Jim Womack on how lean compares with Six Sigma, Re-engineering, TOC, TPM, etc., etc.

It amazes me, but I still get lots of questions about how “lean” compares with Six Sigma, Total Productive Maintenance, Business Process Re-engineering, Demand-Flow, the…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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LEI's indicator that can't lie: Doing the math

Jim elaborates on the idea of using inventory turns as a measure of lean transformation

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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LEI Expands Global Network

When I founded the Lean Enterprise Institute in Boston in 1997, I wanted to create a global network of non-profit institutes working horizontally to advance…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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The Mind of the Lean Manager

Moving beyond lean tools to embrace lean management techniques requires a shift in mindset—one that prioritizes problem-solving, experimentation, and continuous improvement at every level of…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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Book Value: Jim Womack on Ford Methods and Ford Shops

Jim Womack, author of Lean Thinking and founder of The Lean Enterprise Institute, reflects on one of the books that greatly influenced his thinking.

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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LEI looks for success stories to share

I routinely end my talks by offering to give anyone 15 minutes of fame in my and Dan Jones’s next book if they will do…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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It Takes 2 (or more) to A3

No one can create a useful A3 in isolation. It takes at least two individuals and often many more. Developing an A3 involves an organizational…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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Gemba Walk Checklist

Jim responds to this question from his Gemba Walks webinar: “Do you find it easier to complete your Gemba Walk if you have a pre-defined…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

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What lean concepts are most difficult to teach?

Dear Gemba Coach: In your experience of teaching lean, what do you find most difficult to teach?

by Michael Ballé

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The Five Poisons of Big Company Disease

What's "big company disease"? The tendency of any large company to worry about clearly defined territories, rules and procedures, and integrated systems more than a…

by Michael Ballé

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Why does my team resist multi-skilling?

Dear Gemba Coach: I’m trying to introduce multi-skilling in my team but am surprised by the amount of resistance I encounter from my team members.…

by Michael Ballé

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Do I have the right attitude during gemba walks?

Dear Gemba Coach: How do I know if I have the right attitude during gemba walks? We’ve started doing those systematically, but I realize how…

by Michael Ballé

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What can we do to instill some passion in leadership about our lean implementation?

Dear Gemba Coach: I’m in a company that is trying to implement lean but sees it simply as a series of rote steps to iterate…

by Michael Ballé

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What Does Problem-Solving Look Like? Part 2 of 2

Dear Gemba Coach: Thank you for explaining the different types of problem-solving that distinguishes lean. But how can I tell that we really are learning…

by Michael Ballé