As leaders and continuous improvement practitioners, we’re committed to creating a people-centered learning organization. But how? Most importantly, by creating the right culture – one that is connected through systems and human behavior. Culture is the accumulation of learned and accepted patterns of behavior, within a system, that can either be intentionally created through thoughtful […]

In this edition: My SEACON talk; Next week; Coming to Berlin; 15-minute FOTO in Danish; Allan Kelly’s Writing OKRs masterclass; Upcoming; Top posts My SEACON talk It was my first in-person conference talk since Covid and I was the first speaker up at SEACON Global 2022 Part 2 (there was a Part 1 earlier this […]

Go for it! If the main purpose of your standup is to make sure that everyone is keeping themselves properly busy, then the questions “What did you do yesterday?” and “What will you do today?” are without doubt the basis of a great meeting format. But be careful what you wish for. If your goals […]

Manufacturers and warehouses everywhere are looking for methods to implement greater efficiencies without adding cost. Automation is at the forefront of all of our minds here, but implementing tech-heavy automation is easier said than done, and calculating ROI can be a moving target.  Flexible material handling solutions can help your facility realize improvements sooner, building […]

The automation race has taken a firm hold on the manufacturing industry. Production facilities and warehouses everywhere are looking for ways to implement robots, automated storage and conveyor processes, often regardless of ROI, to minimize the inefficiencies associated with product storage, assembly, personnel challenges, packaging, and more.  But automation — from robots to autonomous vehicles […]

Manufacturers across the nation are looking for faster, more efficient ways to streamline processes and production. While automation seems to be top of mind for most, it’s also an expensive investment that some may not be ready to take on. Luckily, there are other solutions you can implement to improve your manufacturing facility’s efficiency.  Karakuri […]

Air-conditioner has a power system which is known as a compressor. This compressor puts the refrigerator under a higher temperature. Before putting it under the high temperature, it pumps it under the condenser. It changes from gas to liquid. The compressor is compulsory for the air conditioner system, which provides you higher performance. You should […]

Defining lean is useful, lean definitions are useless Starting a conversation on Twitter or LinkedIn about the definition of “lean” is a little like taking the top off a beehive. Many in the lean community fiercely defend entrenched positions around the differences between Lean, TPS and OpEx. This isn’t an article in that vein, it’s […]

It’s all about the strings, not the puppet show Becoming a great lean manufacturer is a long term game, but, there are ways to harness serious external expertise without paying a fortune; entering ‘useful’ awards. We’ll explore the word ‘useful’ a little later. Once upon a time, a lean training & coaching company (spoiler alert: […]

A recent blog “2 lean skills your Team Leaders should have: Change Points” covered the first of several simple skills that make a real difference to the life and effectiveness of a Team Leader. This second skill covers the much underrated ability to think like a dead Italian economist. More formally, how to peer out onto your manufacturing […]

,5S ACTIVITY 1.Sort 2.Straighten 3.Shine 4.Standardise 5.Sustain What is 5s? 5s is an interesting and often misunderstood building block of lean. Understanding ranges from the ill-informed:,“it’s a fancy way of saying – clean up and do your housekeeping” to the deeper understanding of:,“it’s how we organise the workplace to support safety, quality cost and delivery” […]

In lean manufacturing there’s a lot of talk and focus on Team Leaders mastering tools like 5s, Standardised Work and the 7 Wastes. These “Kaizen skills” are really important but will be of little value if your Team Leaders haven’t got the fundamental “Control Skills”. The 4 key control skills are: 1. ,,Start of Shift […]

Here at Sempai we’re lucky in more ways than we have fingers and toes to count. One of those ways is the fact that we get to coach people, and coaching is by far the most interesting aspect of this business. It’s not easy though and can be mentally tiring because it’s the polar opposite […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) A while back I had read a fine piece by Jack Welch in an issue of Fortune magazine. He would effortlessly get to the heart of complex issues. I’ve encountered each of the four groups of business-haters that Welch cites. Sadly, they are all too prevalent among our media, academic and […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) Lean Iceland recently – keynote talk and a number of workshops. Thanks to Viktoria Jensdottir and Lísa Ævarsdóttir for their kind invitation, and splendid conference organization and management. Thanks to the 400+ Icelanders who attended – a superb turnout. Some impressions of Iceland: tenacity, humility, humanity, curiosity and toughness. Icelanders have […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay […]

Developing and executing business strategy is a large undertaking involving dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people. Consequently, it is very important to make sure the strategy is both sound and executable to avoid the many hidden pitfalls and errors. And when hidden pitfalls and errors are encountered, as is almost always the case, there […]

A humorous blend of business and physical science.

Here is what you should do: Learn from other Lean professionals’ experiences. Think about what you are getting yourself into. Learn what you are up against: Classical management. If you decide to become a Lean professional, then learn and practice Lean management every day at work (kaizen). And never losing sight of what stands in […]

In this year-end edition: How far we’ve come; Top 10 new posts of 2022 and most recently; Still going strong, our most-read classic posts; Updates to events, self-paced training, and media How far we’ve come It hardly seems possible, but Leading with Outcomes: Foundation only came into being this year. It launched in February, and […]

A strategy that ignores the obstacles is liable to fall at the first hurdle. That’s if it even gets that far – who will take seriously a strategy that ignores the issues? Turn those obstacles into outcomes Agendashift-style, and organise them so that you can establish a sense of direction, identify places to focus your […]

My friend Kjell Tore Guttormsen persuaded ChaptGPT – OpenAI’s AI chatbot – to produce a post about Agendashift. With some caveats, what it came out with was pretty impressive! Agendashift is a framework and set of tools for helping organizations to adopt and adapt practices from the Lean, Agile, and business agility communities. It is […]

Episode 36: “Guest Chris Kauzmann, and Design Thinking’s Relationship to Lean Thinking”  In Episode 36, Jamie Flinchbaugh is joined by Chris Kauzmann, Adjunct Faculty, and Innovator in Residence at Lehigh University. Chris, a self-described “bottom shelf” whiskey drinker, joins Jamie to sample some Nikka Coffee Malt Whiskey and Blue Run High Rye Bourbon.  We explore […]