Articles
Learn more about your selected topics.

Lean Without Daily Management? Here’s What Happened at Starbucks
An early lean effort at Starbucks cut coffee waste and improved service—but didn’t stick. The lesson: improving work isn’t enough…
Read article
A Personal Pursuit of Problem-Solving
In this episode of the Management Brief, Sal Sanchez, Toyota veteran and TPS coach, joins Josh Howell and Mark Reich…
Listen to podcast
In the Arena: Grit, Teams, and Value Streams in Lean Entrepreneurship
In this edition of the Design Brief, we explore what it takes to lead a lean start-up—from building the right…
Read article
Reflections on Lean Transformation and Management: Introduction
Real stories from Starbucks, Kroger, and Legal Sea Foods reveal what it takes—and what gets in the way—of real lean…
Read article
Management System Surfaces Problems
In this edition of The Management Brief, discover how MillerKnoll’s daily management system (MKPS) drives frontline problem-solving, builds capability, and…
Read article
Problem-Solving Primer
In this edition of The Management Brief, LEI’s Josh Howell, Mark Reich, and Art Smalley explore how the four types…
Listen to podcast
Lean Product Development for Tech Entrepreneurs: A Conversation with Sandrine Olivencia on Building Smarter Startups
In this edition of the Design Brief, Sandrine Olivencia, author of Build to Sell, discusses the importance of Lean Product…
Listen to podcast
Daily Management Connects an Organization’s Actions to Strategic Targets
Daily management isn’t just about tracking metrics—it’s how organizations connect day-to-day work to long-term strategic goals. This edition of The…
Read article
Executing Strategy through Daily Management
In this edition of the Management Brief, José Ferro and Robson Gouveia explain how daily management closes the gap between…
Read article
Lean Improvements Lead to Improved Lean Planning and Management
Viwinco President Michael Duncan shares how connecting daily management to hoshin kanri helped the company manage complexity, improve performance, and…
Listen to podcast
How Lean Product and Process Development Can Help Entrepreneurs Design Sustainable Businesses
In this edition of The Design Brief, discover how lean product and process development helps entrepreneurs design innovative, sustainable, and…
Read article
Go Fast, Learn a Lot: A Conversation with Phil Green on Product-Centered Entrepreneurship
In this episode of the WLEI Podcast, we speak with product leader and angel investor Phil Green about product-centered entrepreneurship…
Listen to podcast