Articles
Learn more about your selected topics.
Standards at workstations
Dear Gemba Coach: Our corporate production system asks us to post standard work at workstations, but we feel that the paperwork…
Read article How can we remain positive?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am a kaizen coach in a large company, and it never seems to get any easier. We’ve…
Read article Philosophy Helps Start-Ups Move Faster
"Lean isn't about being cheap [but is about] being less wasteful and still doing things that are big," says Eric Ries,…
Read article How lean should a lean line design be?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m in manufacturing engineering and have been asked to design a lean line. I’ve participated to several kaizen…
Read article What are you going to do about your plant’s ‘cats and dogs’?
Dealing with "cats and dogs,” parts or products that are typically small volume, high variety, hard to make, or all of the…
Read article When should I push and when should I praise?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am in charge of a service activity and have started a lean approach with a sensei. In…
Read article Q & A with the Authors of Building a Lean Fulfillment Stream
A Conversation with Robert Martichenko and Kevin von Grabe, authors of Building a Lean Fulfillment Stream: rethinking your supply chain and…
Read article Value-Stream Mapping at FAA Office Improves Information Flow
Lean management principles and tools originated on the shop floor to improve manufacturing processes but in its first value-stream mapping…
Read article Should I pursue waste elimination or lead-time reduction?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re having a heated debate in our company over whether to pursue cost reduction through waste elimination by…
Read article How Do You Find – or Develop – the Right Sensei to Lead Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: We have become skilled at indicating what goes wrong, but solving the problems is not our strength.…
Read article Toyota the Bad Guy
Recently I am cornered frequently by beleaguered lean change agents eager to show me their scars inflicted by re-energized resistors.…
Read article How Do I Keep My Lean Team Motivated for the Long Term?
Dear Gemba Coach: My team often feels that they are alone in their improvement efforts. Even after all our work…
Read article