The software and hardware systems used in manufacturing fall under Information Technology (IT) if they only interact with humans, and Operational Technology (OT) if they also interact with machines and facilities. Industry 4.0 is mostly OT, but manufacturing has traditionally focused more on IT. IT produces reports on delivery performance; OT issues alarms when a […]

CASE STUDY – This Shared Service Center in Poland has leveraged lean, technology, and automation to completely transform itself and provide an ever-better customer experience. Words: Krzysztof Drozd, Senior Project Manager, Service Management, Clariant Services Poland Piotr works for a global corporation that has centralized almost all production-related processes in one global services center, including […]

Last year, as many of you know, we were busy creating and testing our new Lean Toolkit App SempaiGuide with 6 manufacturers and 20 Team Leaders. The results were great (see below) and we’ve taken on our first couple of clients. Our co-founder, Russell, kicked off with another 6 Team Leaders on Monday. Exciting times […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) Been reflecting about each of these lately, and how they relate. But what’s Ethics got to do with anything? We’re in a proverbial knowledge economy. The market caps of, say, Google, Facebook and Apple, dwarf that of Toyota. Google, Facebook and Apple have comparatively little in physical capital. ‘All’ they have […]

I’ve long been a fan of Ed Schein, and his book Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling is one of my favorite leadership books.  I wrote about Schein several years ago and a colleague recently pointed me to a recent interview where he discusses the ramifications of humility on leadership and strategy.  He begins […]

Recently I was on The Lean Effect Podcast with Mark De Jong. I’ve been following Mark and his podcast for a few years and enjoy his insightful interviews with global lean thinkers. He and I connected personally for the first time after he shared one of my articles on LinkedIn and he invited me to […]

This is the back story to the book The Aesthetic Compass. This book represents the endpoint of a line of work that I began more than 15 years ago. Simply put, it is to understand why, as Jean-Baptiste Karr said more than 150 years ago, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” […]

A project manager is responsible for the overall planning, execution, and delivery of a project. They work with a team of people to ensure that the project is completed on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. Some specific duties of a project manager might include the following: Developing and managing project plans, […]

The proper implementation of OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) can help you enable successful strategic execution. But before that, there are questions that need answering.  Even if you’ve written the perfect OKRs, a common dilemma is how to structure them at scale across the company. Should you cascade your OKRs from top to bottom? Or […]

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on […]

Successful material delivery often requires a combination of solutions that work together as an efficient, cohesive material flow system. If you’re planning to invest in a material handling cart system, there are factors to consider that will ensure the end solution improves your facility’s efficiency and productivity and provides the full potential ROI. Here are […]

I recently spoke at Lean Frontier’s Lean Leadership Week Summit, which focused on lean people development and lean accounting. This summit traditionally attracts a lot of HR professionals working in organizations undergoing a lean journey. During a concurrent session, I shared some of the ways that I’ve exercised with clients to engage HR early in […]

Leading with Outcomes’ updated Foundation module is 26% shorter, much better paced, and today it leaves beta. Academy subscribers who joined before today will still have access to the old one for the next few weeks, but for most people, the new Foundation is where Leading with Outcomes starts. Today I recorded a new welcome […]

The Lean management methodology was first developed based on the management techniques of Toyota and other Japanese automakers. While it was initially used in manufacturing, the approach has been embraced by almost every industry. Along the way, improvement management software has been developed to support the methodology. When we get the opportunity to talk with […]

Question: Can a PO postpone the start of a Sprint?  Does the PO have the power to do that? *** Answers: First, why would the PO want to do that? It is important to keep the Team and others (esp the Business Stakeholders) on a regular, consistent rhythm.  Do not let them get used to […]

During the Van-of-Nerds Tour de France, in 9/22, one of our hosts said, “It’s one thing to collect data, but it’s another to make simple and usable summaries for people.” Some of the visualizations we saw at several sites, however, showed that our hosts underestimate what it takes to generate “simple and usable summaries.” Contents […]

FEATURE – In an excerpt from his new book, the author discusses the importance of building collaboration in your teams and explains why this is the only way to consistently deliver value. Words: Jim Benson Like all process geeks, I started out as an angry punk rocker in Grand Island, Nebraska. In the late 1970s […]

I’ve been thinking ahead to summer holiday season. Here’s a picture and list of books that (in my opinion) entertainingly explain and illuminate other people’s gembas (far from manufacturing!). There are takeaways for lean people and change agents from all of them. Hopefully you’ll NOT be reading one during an extended stay, in a UK […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) Let me build on my earlier blog on Lean, Leadership & Ethics The ancients defined Four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Temperance, Justice and Courage. Courage — the capacity to overcome fear — is perhaps the most admired. In Getting the Right Things Done, I defined True North, our strategic and philosophical purpose, […]

Apologies to people who subscribe to this blog as this is not my traditional type of content! In June 2021 we visited Iceland for 11 days, driving the famous Ring Road and seeing a variety of sights.  I did considerable research on multiple websites and guide books, and with a couple exceptions it worked out […]

I’m excited to bring you my 10 top books (or rather, 10 of my top books…as there are so many great ones) on the history and foundations of lean management, lean production, and the Toyota Way! If you’re a leader or continuous improvement practitioner who is committed to improvement and you’re trying to create a […]

During most private Zoom conversations over the last three years, people ask me: “So what do they [e.g., Ballé, Jones, Liker, Rother, Shook, Womack, etc.] think about your work? What’s their reaction?” They are referring to these four books (especially the first book): The Triumph of Classical Management Over Lean Management: How Tradition Prevails and […]

To create and issue a maintenance work order, follow these steps: Identify the problem or issue that needs to be addressed. This could be something that a building tenant has reported or something that you have noticed during a routine inspection. Determine the scope of the work that needs to be done. This might include […]

NOTE: This article is a “shorter” version of the same post by Lilian Mateu, which was originally published on LinkedIn on 18.09.2022. You can read the full version here. Special thanks to Lilian for agreeing to republish her original content on the Kanbanize blog! The pace of changes in the world is accelerating, and technology […]

Image Source: Pixabay You want your employees to always be growing — in their roles, within their personal lives, and toward the company’s goals for the future. Consistent growth in your employees can result in great things for your business, including more productivity, innovation, and loyal customers. Unfortunately, many company leaders stifle employee development. Many […]

This week’s guest is Billy Taylor. We caught up with Billy at the recent AME conference in Dallas, where he and Ron discussed his book The Winning Link and the concept of governance. Billy also shared some powerful anecdotes we think you’ll enjoy. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. […]

This past July (2020), Geolean USA conducted a brief State of Manufacturing survey to better understand the unique production challenges manufacturers are facing as a result of the Covid-19 virus. Surveys went out to nearly 4,000 contacts across 800 diverse North American manufacturing companies, with the assumption that we are all asking very similar questions […]

Circa 2005, one of our employers, who had adopted Lean in the early 90s, decided to make Six Sigma mandatory for salaried employees. As a Lean zealot, I went kicking and screaming down the path of my Green Belt Certification. The only thing that made the experience fun was that a dear friend and colleague […]

Team Leader Skills – Team Brief I wasn’t sure he was being serious so asked James to repeat what he just said. James, by the way, is both an Airline Pilot and my next door neighbour. “Have you ever heard of N.I.T.S?” came the reply, with little facial indication that a punchline was imminent. As I stood in my kitchen […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) A colleague of mine is launching a small business – a comic book, craft & memorabilia store in Toronto’s West end. John is a splendid artist and draftsman, as well as, a gifted renovator of houses. But he wants to do something a little different. Over a drink the other day […]

I recently finished one of the more remarkable books I’ve read in a long time: The Extended Mind – The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain, by Annie Murphy Paul.  This is a well-researched (over 250 journal citations) yet very approachable book that goes far beyond the usual self-help advice to improve blood flow and […]

The podcast episode that inspired Larry Culp, CEO of GE, to read and recommend my book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning. Earlier this year I was invited to be a guest for an internal General Electric (GE) podcast (with the fabulous name […]

After spending 15 years in consumer products (engineer) and aerospace (engineer and manager roles), I again changed industries in 1999 and joined higher education. By 2010 I was promoted to tenured full professor and awarded the emeritus professor title soon after my retirement in May 2022. What did I learn in those 23 years of […]

Shadow boards are tools which help organize workstations, setup carts, tool cribs and practically anything that needs organizing! Let me take you through an example of how a company increased their productivity by 35% just by installing a simple shadow board. Shadow boards help find a home for every object; in other words, they help […]