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Reflecting to Learn: Takeaways and Reflections on the A3 Process
In the wake of yesterday's interview with Mr. Isao Yoshino on the roots of the A3 process at Toyota, LEI…
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How the A3 Came to Be Toyota’s Go-To Management Process for Knowledge Work (intro by John Shook)
A3 thinking is synonymous with Toyota. Yet many often wonder how exactly this happened. Even if we know A3 thinking…
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Do we need more research to understand what works and what doesn’t when implementing lean healthcare?
Dear Gemba Coach: There are controversies over whether lean/TPS works in healthcare or not. Authorities in lean practice suggest conducting…
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Lean Accounting Summit Impacts Dissertation
Since 2008, the Lean Enterprise Institute has sponsored the Excellence in Lean Accounting Award to fund scholarships helping pairs of…
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CLean and Green: How SunPower Used Lean to Address Sustainability
After years of lean practice, solar-device manufacturer SunPower wanted something more. They wanted to continue their journey of continuous improvement…
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You Need More Smoke Detectors: Countering Firefighting with Leader Standard Work
Excessive firefighting is a major threat to lean transformations - it may seem easier to time-strapped managers, but it does…
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The Crucible of Innovation
Innovation is key to a successful successful development project, we always read. But innovation is a fickle term that gets…
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How do we pass the baton from one lean leader to the next?
Dear Gemba Coach: What are your thoughts about ensuring that a lean transformation persists past a leader’s tenure at an…
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Waste in Process: Squeeze Before You Lean
"It seems intuitive to start applying lean to our processes, right?" writes Andrew Quibell. "Maybe so, but all that says…
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It’s About the Tools, Not the Terms
"I’ve never been a big fan of lean lingo," says John McCullough of Crayola. "It may sound expert-like, but I’ve…
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Ask Art: Is There More to Becoming Lean than Conducting Kaizen Events?
Kaizen events may be a key part of lean transformation, but they're certainly not the only aspect of it. They're…
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We’re installing an andon system – what should we expect?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re installing an andon system – what should we expect?
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