In this edition: Into the fourth quarter; Ten years and more; Top posts (and book 5 clues) Into the fourth quarter Earlier this month I posted Clearing the decks and several people were kind enough to reach out in response. As I said at the time, nothing bad was happening, but I did feel the […]

Business transformation is a crucial journey that strategically revamps an organization’s processes, technologies, and business models to boost efficiency, competitiveness, and customer value. In today’s fast-paced environment, embracing business transformation enables organizations to achieve sustainable success. This article provides straightforward and actionable steps any organization can take for successful business transformation.

It’s inspiring to hear a CEO talk about Lean and continuous improvement concepts, as Larry Culp, Chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace, did recently on CNBC. “We just need to get a little bit better every day.” In Japanese (and in Lean management), we often refer to that as kaizen. Watch the video He also […]

Whenever I visit a factory where manual work is done, I try to estimate the percentage of value-adding time. This brings up an interesting question: What factors do affect the percentage of value-adding time? Let’s dig through my data to see what matters. The Question Whenever I visit a factory where manual work is done, […]

I’m happy to be hosting and moderating this webinar that will be presented by Melissa Sherman, a friend of mine from the Michigan Lean Consortium: Embedding Change Management into your Continuous Improvement Initiatives – click to register! It’s free and open to all! Melissa will share her extensive experience in both continuous improvement and change […]

Let me quickly mention that last week’s post, Clearing the decks, prompted some subscribers to get in touch. Thank you, I was touched! Sincerely, all is well here – I’m just glad of some extra headspace and flexibility. If I can be nerdy about it, it’s always good to open up options – to improve […]

Narrow Your Focus to Find Your Ideal Customer Every company, product manager, sales leader, and CEO should be thinking about their target market. Who would make their best customers? I believe that the parameters used to define target markets are too broad and vague and that efforts to significantly narrow their focus would be tremendously […]

Are Your Charts Leading You to the Wrong Conclusions? Data is everywhere in today’s organizations, but are we using it in the most effective way? Many businesses rely on traditional bar charts and color-coded dashboards to monitor their performance. But what if these visuals are giving us a false sense of security–or worse, distracting us […]

As the business environment rapidly evolves, management training is now more essential than ever for staying competitive. To stay competitive, managers need to continuously adapt to new tools, techniques, and approaches. This post dives into the essential trends shaping modern management training, providing valuable insights for those looking to elevate their leadership capabilities. 1. Embracing […]

As the saying goes, “You can’t please everyone.” While I appreciate the people who buy my books, sometimes my work triggers very strong emotions about Lean, harsh criticism, and even vitriol. I find it this reaction by some customers fascinating and it always prompts me to think deeply about what was said. And, as a […]

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 How About a Nice Hot Cup of Basics I’ve […]

People have been trying to convince top business leaders of the merits of progressive management for over 100 years. There is no data on the many different ways that have been tried. Nevertheless, one can easily imagine that the vast majority highlight features that would seem to be of greatest interest to CEOs such as […]

Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #515 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Jim Morgan, senior advisor at Lean Enterprise Institute and a board member at Adrian Steel. Jim’s most recent industry experience was as Chief Operating Officer at Rivian, an electric vehicle manufacturer. He was previously a […]

How Stories Can Revolutionize Your Leadership Approach Want to inspire action in your presentations and transform your message from boring to unforgettable? The secret: it’s not data and facts that create impact — it’s your stories. As humans, we’re wired to remember and respond to stories because they connect with our emotions and drive our […]

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 […]

Most of us have never been a CEO. We only have a vague understanding of what it is really like to be a CEO. But we do have a clear understanding of what it is like to “work for” CEOs based on our employment experiences, and as followers we have clear thoughts on what the […]

Introduction Maintenance is a critical component of any organization’s operational strategy. Keeping equipment and systems running efficiently without unnecessary interruptions requires a well-thought-out approach. This is where Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) steps in. RCM helps organizations determine the most appropriate maintenance strategies based on the importance and operational requirements of each part of a system. The […]

For reasons I can’t yet go into (don’t worry, nothing bad), I find myself needing to clear the decks for the next few weeks. In particular, the in-person training in Southampton in October and the online TTT/F in November need to go. That would seem to create a problem for those looking to gain access […]

As AI continues to gain momentum within companies, it’s important to distinguish between two main categories of AI usage: stationed, strategic projects, and the personal, often hidden, use of AI by individuals in their workflows. One challenge in the latter category is that people are hiding the fact that they are using AI in their […]

As part of my Grand Tour of German Automotive, I also visited the Volkswagen Transparent Factory Dresden (Gläserne Manufaktur). This plant is something of an oddball in automotive manufacturing, very different from all other automotive plants I have seen. Its purpose is quite different from “normal” car plants, and hence it cannot really be compared […]

This is a much-requested topic. Here are some resources.  I will try to add comments on all of them.  They each give you a different angle, a different picture.  At bottom a few of my tips.  20 Ways to Split Stories.  By Bill Wake.  https://xp123.com/twenty-ways-to-split-stories/ Bill is a smart guy, and you can talk to […]

By Pascal Dennis I owe this gem to our friends & colleagues in the great state of Alabama. Our partners there have a way with words, and a fine appreciation of Lean fundamentals. Lean is ‘simple’, is it not? Define Purpose clearly Make problems visible at all levels Treat people with respect – team members, […]

Something magical happens in September. The air is crisper and clearer; the trees start to turn from pine green to an array of gold, copper, and bronze; and the sense of something new and exciting happening lingers around every corner. The start of fall feels like a new beginning – a fresh start. The long […]

Here’s part of a video that I recorded for a Lean healthcare event in Asia. I sound congested from seasonal allergies. I’m sorry about that, but there was a deadline to hit. Creating Psychological Safety for Continuous Improvement: A Leadership Imperative One of the most important, yet often overlooked, foundations for successful Lean and continuous […]

Working smarter, not harder, is the key to achieving long-term success in today’s fast-paced world. While hard work has its place, it’s essential to adopt strategies that maximize productivity and results without exhausting yourself. Here, we explore four powerful strategies to help you work smart and achieve more quickly. 1. Leverage Your Resources Leverage is […]

Improving your facility’s operational efficiency can have a significant impact on your bottom line. However, it can take a long time to see and feel real results. Why? Because many lean manufacturing providers spend too much time in the sales process. You may experience a delay in turning around your proposal, design, and products or […]

  In this episode of the People Solve Problems podcast, Jamie Flinchbaugh sits down with Crystal Y. Davis, CEO of The Lean Coach, Inc., a boutique consulting and coaching firm that partners with mid-to-large cap companies to enhance operational excellence and drive cultural transformation. Crystal, also known as “Your Corporate Confidante,” brings her vast experience […]

In a recent blog post, CEOs, Lean, and Preference Falsification, I answered the question, “Why do CEOs support Lean when they have little interest in Lean?” In this blog post, I answer the question, “Why don’t CEOs publicly proclaim their dislike of Lean?” There is ample evidence to support the claim that they “dislike Lean.” […]

My four earlier blog posts about the Japanese language books Album of Management Revolution, Taiichi Ohno’s Records: Founder of the Toyota Production System, The Origin of Toyota’s Strength: Taiichi Ohno’s Kaizen Spirit, and Taiichi Ohno and the Toyota Production System, offer much to reflect on about Taiichi Ohno’s thinking and his work as a genba […]

I’ve blogged about this before, but I’m going back to the problems at Starbucks again with today’s post. Starbucks has a new CEO who is talking about how the coffee shop experience is broken. Many aspects of the Starbucks mobile ordering process are broken. Most of the time, after I order from a location a […]

In August and September of 2024, I spent a great deal of time translating and reading four Japanese language books about Taiichi Ohno and writing blog posts that highlighted key passages from the books and provided critical commentary on each passage. The four blog posts, combined, are a lengthy 32,000 words comprising 58 pages. The […]

Production team members discovering opportunities and trying solutions during a Kaizen. Image Source: Tim McMahon An essential element in Lean thinking is Kaizen.  Kaizen is the Japanese word for a “good change” (Kai = change, Zen = good) or change for the better.  It’s a continuous improvement tool to make work easier, safer, and more productive by […]

The Volkswagen plant in Osnabrück is actually the plant of the former cabriolet specialist Karmann, which went bankrupt in 2009 and was bought by Volkswagen. It is the specialist plant for the Volkswagen brand for cabriolets… but the Volkswagen brand will stop making cabriolets in 2025. It is also the overflow plant if other VW […]