A friend of mine–with a long history of Lean and Toyota Production System knowledge practice–recently shared a troubling story about a relative who works at a manufacturing plant. I’ll call this factory team member “Guy.” Call me cynical, if you must, but I totally believe this story, so I’m sharing it here. And my friend […]

Overview: “Document Everything” by Rick Hermanussen is a comprehensive guide designed to help quality management professionals understand the importance of meticulous documentation within their organizations. The book emphasizes the significance of documentation in ensuring business continuity, enhancing quality management systems (QMS), and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Key Points: The Importance of Documentation: The […]

In May 2024 A Lean Journey Blog turned 15 and as I look back on how I got started and who influenced my journey I wanted to revisit a previous series I started in 2012 called the Meet-up. One of the things I am so fond of in the Lean community is the general wiliness […]

I’ve been writing about learning from mistakes for a long time, including my previous books before my latest, The Mistakes That Make Us. This idea isn’t new, but it’s essential–especially in fields like healthcare, where the stakes are incredibly high. From Lean Hospitals: “Mistakes are a reality in healthcare, and while we strive to prevent […]

On Forbes: Underutilized Ideas In Strategic Thinking   Strategic thinking is all around us, not just what happens when in the middle of a strategic planning process. Many decisions we make, both individually and organizationally, have strategic consequences. Things move fast, and more decisions are rightly distributed, and this requires more people to harness sound […]

As part of my Grand Tour of German Automotive, I visited the two Audi plants in Germany, the headquarters in Ingolstadt and the second plant in Neckarsulm. In my last post I showed you Ingolstadt, in this post you will see Neckarsulm, which makes (among other things) the ultra-luxurious Audi A8 and its variants. Both […]

You guys are talking the same old nonsense. We got to think differently. Brad Pitt in the film Moneyball I have never been a Lean consultant, nor do I aspire to be one. My role has always been that of a practitioner, educator, researcher, author, and trainer. I also like to carefully observe what is […]

According to a study by McKinsey & Company, hospitals in the United States could save $130 billion annually by improving their operational efficiency. This staggering amount represents about 16% of total healthcare spending in the country. This statistic underscores the critical need for healthcare organizations to focus on operational excellence to enhance patient care and […]

Every four years, the Olympic Games bring a spectacular display of sporting prowess to the world. They also showcase the power of human endeavor and the importance of teamwork, along with a host of positive role models. Like millions of others from around the globe I have been glued to the TV watching the Olympics […]

In writing The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, I wanted to challenge the way we think about mistakes, leadership, and organizational culture. Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand how the traditional responses to mistakes–punishment, fear, and blame–can stifle growth and innovation. The ideas I present in the book are […]

I would tell you that pumping out almost thirty books in under twenty years on a wide range of subjects was a very poor move — it diluted the marketplace for your presence and positioned you as a generalist in a world where specialists are key. It suggests that you are more driven to just […]

Compare these two equations. Yikes, what a difference! The finiteness of Lean and the infinite nature of Toyota’s production system. This is not a simple “apples-to-oranges” comparison. The two equations illustrate incomparables — a moped (Lean) to a jet airplane (Toyota production system); grass to a sequoia tree; an ant to an eagle; Earth to […]

In today’s world, waste is a significant byproduct of consumption. Customer opinions and the standards required for producing goods and services heavily influence the perception of what constitutes waste. Six Sigma methodology aims to increase customer satisfaction while ensuring sustainable improvements, preventing a return to pre-improvement stages. Waste reduction and quality improvement are central to […]

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 […]

Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. News, articles, books, podcasts, and videos about how to make the workplace better. Operational Excellence, Improvement, and Innovation Rethinking Productivity As AI and other technologies continue to […]

Operational excellence is a management philosophy that continuously improves an organization’s processes, efficiency, and effectiveness. It involves optimizing workflows, reducing waste, and enhancing quality to achieve better performance and deliver more customer value.  A study by the Aberdeen Group found that organizations that adopt operational excellence practices see a 5% to 10% improvement in revenue […]

Kaizen management can give your company a significant edge over your competitors. It involves lean operations and continuous improvement, two vital factors to be effective in today’s economy. Another essential component is empowering your team members to participate in finding the opportunity to improve. Following a kaizen management style involves a shift away from many […]

Many intelligent people get quite upset when top business leaders are criticized, principally because those who get upset subscribe to two fallacies: “argument from authority” and “appeal to accomplishment.” In the former, an opinion is believed to be correct simply because someone in authority (high in status) said it. For example, when a CEO says […]

In May 2024 A Lean Journey Blog turned 15 and as I look back on how I got started and who influenced my journey I wanted to revisit a previous series I started in 2012 called the Meet-up. One of the things I am so fond of in the Lean community is the general wiliness […]

 How do you Build a Winning Culture? What does “winning” mean to you as a leader? And what is your leadership role in creating a winning strategy and organizational culture? According to Billy Ray Taylor, CEO and President at LinkedXL and former Goodyear Tire executive, winning is not only about defining a clear strategy […]

Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guests for Episode #512 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Steve Pereira and Andrew Davis, authors of the new book Flow Engineering: From Value Stream Mapping to Effective Action. Steve Pereira has spent over two decades improving workflow across various organizations. His experience spans […]

Audi is a maker of higher-end vehicles and part of the Volkswagen group. As part of my Grand Tour of German Automotive, I visited their plants in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. This first blog post looks at their main plant in Ingolstadt. My next blog post looks at the second plant in Neckarsulm. Disclaimer: The following […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) My last blog (“Beware Prizes, Belts & Self-Appointed Experts”), begs the above question. What indeed is a sensei? You’ll have heard the most common definitions: teacher, mentor, ‘one who has gone before’, and these are all fine. I’d like to illuminate elements of the sensei mindset, at least in so far […]

Further to last week’s roundup, two announcements: Advance warning of service disruption tomorrow (Tuesday, August 6th) Foundation 3.0 release Advance warning of service disruption tomorrow As I mentioned in the roundup, I intend to complete the consolidation of the Agendashift Academy’s two learning platforms onto the newer this week. Fingers crossed it will all be […]

For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips.  It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to […]

Why do many CEOs show support for Lean when they have little interest in Lean? In the 36 years that Lean has been around, many top business leaders have shown interest in Lean management to varying degrees. Their interest leads others — employees, consultants, trainers, and the organizations that promote Lean management — to conclude […]

Understanding and optimizing product performance metrics is crucial for any business aiming for growth and success. These metrics provide valuable insights into customer behavior, product effectiveness, and overall business health. Let’s explore some essential product performance metrics and how to calculate them with real-world examples. 1. Conversion Rate: The conversion rate measures the percentage of […]

Maybe it works for people too? 🤯 Comments from LinkedIn: Liked it 👍🏻👍🏻 actually I feel this makes more sense 😊 situation itself is not simple or complicated, it’s person’s expertise and personality decides whether situation is simple or complicated or… 👍🏻 All trapped by their senses. Fascinating perspective! The Cynefin framework is such a […]

Manager’s chair means manager in office. Manager in office means manager does not know what is going on. Manager does not know what is going on means manager unaware of problems. Manager unaware of problems means manager gets lots of surprises. Manager gets lots of surprises means manager blames people for problems. Manager blames people […]

In today’s economic environment, a CFO must be very conscious of capital structure—particularly if you’re managing a portfolio company. Why? Because with rising interest rates, cash is no longer abundant and inexpensive. Debt payments are higher, and securing cash is more difficult, especially when operating in a private equity environment with higher debt leverage. To […]

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 […]

  In this episode of the People Solve Problems podcast, host Jamie Flinchbaugh engages in a captivating conversation with Russell Watkins, Co-founder of Sempai. Russell, an expert in lean transformation, shares his extensive experience across various sectors, including Automotive, Aerospace, and Construction Equipment. His journey has taken him from the shop floors to the boardrooms […]

[to add picture later] Yesterday I gave a webinar on “Velocity and Story Points”.  The deck is on this website. Pooya asked a longer question, but I’ll start with this simpler question: “Can you use Velocity to compare 3 Teams to each other?” Some Basics Let’s make some easy observations first. The first principle is, […]

I recently purchased a book titled Album of a Management Revolution written by Setsuo Mito with photographs by Iku Hirose. The book was published in 2007 by Seiryu Publishing Co., Ltd. This book is interesting because it contains many photographs of Taiichi Ohno unseen elsewhere, a few of which are reproduced here. Additionally, the book […]