Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #472 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Mit Vyas, managing director for Gemba Automation. He started his career at Toyota and worked for other large corporations. He founded Gemba Automation, a company that has helped customers in software, medical devices, fashion, […]

Introduction Maintaining operational efficiency and delivering top-quality products are essential in the highly competitive pharmaceutical industry. One crucial factor that significantly contributes to these goals is equipment reliability. Ensuring that machinery and equipment consistently function at peak performance can improve product quality, efficiency, and overall operational excellence. In this article, we will explore the benefits […]

Introduction: An email has become an essential tool for communication in today’s fast-paced work environment. To stand out and create a positive impression, it’s crucial to master the art of writing concise, professional, and practical emails. Here, we’ll explore tips and strategies to help you email like a boss and maximize productivity. Image Source: Investing […]

Effective leadership in healthcare organizations requires open lines of communication between caregivers working directly with patients and hospital administrators who seek to protect the interests of all stakeholders. In addition, operationally excellent healthcare organizations engage in nimble, data-driven decision-making and foster a culture of respect and value.

FEATURE – In this in-depth, insightful analysis, the authors explore the essence of bureaucracy and explain why, with Lean Thinking, it can be leveraged as a force for good. Words: Michael Ballé and Klaus Beulker How can the fish be aware of the water in the fishbowl? How can we be aware of the bureaucracy […]

In my last two posts I talked about the qualification matrix, where you match the skills of your people to the skills needed for your business. This can be expanded with another axis, as for example the skills needed for certain products. This connects your people to your products through skills. It is also more […]

Managing project costs is a critical part of project management. As a project manager, you must ensure you can deliver the project within the allocated budget. This article will look at the overall process for managing a project’s cost. The Cost of the Project Before estimating the project cost, we need to develop the project […]

Navigating the business landscape can be a daunting task. With countless factors to consider and seemingly endless competition, staying ahead of the game is crucial. This is where a solid business strategy comes in. Today, we will delve into a practical approach known as the 8-Step Strategy Map. This framework will help you understand your […]

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 […]

In today’s ever-changing business landscape, transformational leadership has emerged as an integral approach to inspiring and motivating teams. Here, we explore the five key pillars that define this leadership style, helping organizations thrive in the face of change. Vision: A transformational leader clearly understands the organization’s current direction and has a well-defined idea for where […]

Leadership is a skill that requires a blend of various qualities like decision-making, confidence, and assertiveness. But, not all successful leaders have the ability to work collaboratively. Often, these leaders may struggle to adapt to positions where their commanding decision-making style isn’t as effective. Leaders used to make decisions without much input from others may […]

Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. Insights about improvement, innovation, and leadership… Operational Excellence, Improvement, and Innovation Lean taking root at General Electric GE Marketing proves again that Lean principles and […]

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 […]

FEATURE – Mental schemas help us to process information, but they often lead us to blindly jump to solutions without understanding the problem. Here, the author explains how Lean Thinking mitigates that risk. Words: Tshepo Thobejane Psychologists tell us that our brains use shortcuts and frameworks, called schemas, to make it easier to organise our […]

In today’s blog we’ll be discussing the principles of total quality management (TQM), but first, let’s go over what total quality management is and the benefits of implementing this approach. What is Total Quality Management (TQM)? Total quality management is a management approach that encourages organizations to continually analyze its production processes to reduce or […]

How can organizations create cultures of continuous improvement? How can we overcome the reasons many lean and agile transformations fail? How can individuals come together in alignment to create value for customers? The answer: collaboration! In his latest book, The Collaboration Equation: Strong Professionals Strong Teams Strong Delivery Jim Benson highlights the solution to the […]

Improving quality is about more than just finding and fixing problems. You need to architect an effective system to help you contain, control, and improve quality. I call this framework the 4 loops of quality, and we’ve used it for a long time for the assessment, design, and improvement of a quality system, both within […]

Introduction Effective goal-setting is a critical component of business success. To ensure that goals are achievable and impactful, organizations can turn to the SMART criteria: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. By adhering to these principles, businesses can increase their chances of meeting objectives and propelling growth. This article will explore the SMART criteria and […]

Being an effective manager is not just about achieving goals and meeting targets. It is about leading your team toward success by empowering them to be their best selves and inspiring them to grow and develop professionally. To achieve this, it is important to master three key skills: giving your people a voice, leading with […]

Positive work environments bring out the best in employees. They not only help them work safely and effectively, but they also promote mental wellness. But toxic workplaces are certainly like cancer. They deplete work energy, cause division, and hinder organizational progress. Unfortunately, many modern workplaces are like that. They are filled with nepotism, and unsupportive […]

I recently hosted a webinar on habits and “habit loops” as presented by Dr. Greg Jacobson and Morgan Wright from KaiNexus. That recording is available now. On Thursday, I’m hosting a deeper dive on habits that Morgan and Greg will be presenting on: How To Design Organizational Habits That Propagate a Culture of Continuous Improvement […]

SOSTAC® is a comprehensive planning framework that helps businesses develop effective marketing plans. The framework comprises six components: Situation analysis, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action, and Control. Each of these components plays a critical role in the development and execution of a successful marketing plan. Situation Analysis. The first step in creating a marketing plan using […]

Here at KaiNexus, we get the opportunity to chat with organizations across all industries and write about many different continuous improvement tools and techniques they use. Lately, I’ve been thinking about two things that most have in common. First, the tools they use are generally simple but not easy. And second, the key to success […]

Hi all, We talked through the Scrum Guide. Some questions came up: Q: Will you tell us exactly how Scrum works? Hmm.  The Scrum Guide kind of does that.  And I added to  that.  Still I am not sure it was “exactly” or “completely”.  There is always a lot more to add and you all […]

FEATURE – Based on her experience at Lean Institute Colombia, the author lists five common mistakes hindering a lean transformation. Take note! Words: Angélica Gutiérrez No matter where you are on your lean journey, you have surely made some mistakes. They might have caused one or more false starts or stopped you in your tracks […]

In my last post, I described how to build a qualification matrix (also skill matrix, competence matrix, or Q-Matrix). In this post I will go into more detail on how to use a qualification matrix. By itself, the qualification matrix is a pretty simple but useful tool. This post will help you to get the […]

From delivery challenges to operational or cultural transformation, organizational roadblocks can be found everywhere. Knowing how you generate value is essential, but finding what’s preventing delivery is key to enabling lasting improvements and greater efficiency. In this line of thought, constraints, and bottlenecks are the main limiting factors of every process. Having said that, reading […]

Announcing Adaptive Organisation part I (00:01:53) Out now: chapter 3 of Adaptive Organisation, the fourth and final module of Leading with Outcomes. This latest chapter, Mutual Trust Building, completes part I, for which a certificate of completion applies. Part I, Business agility at every scale covers the three overlapping “spaces” of the Deliberately Adaptive Organisation, […]

Change is inevitable in both our personal and professional lives. In organizations, it is essential for growth and improvement. However, it is common for individuals to resist change, which can hinder progress. The image we analyze today presents a comprehensive overview of the reasons for change resistance and potential responses to overcome it: Image source: […]

The words “enable,” “empower,” and “encourage” can also have significant implications for improving organizational performance and promoting continuous improvement in the context of quality management. Enable: In the context of quality management, to enable is to make available the tools, resources, and procedures required to assist individuals and teams in improving their performance and achieving […]

Image Source: Unsplash Burnout is an unfortunate reality for many business leaders and their teams. We’re living in a time of high stress in the workplace, with nearly 3 in 5 employees saying they have experienced negative impacts of workplace stress in the last month. If you’re a leader at your company, burnout can wreak […]

[Updated 2022-03-20 – dates changed to accommodate block bookings!] London, UK, venue TBC. Three days, each available separately, each certified. Buy two consecutive days and save 20%. Buy all three together and save 30%: Day 1. Tuesday, June 20th: Leading with Outcomes: Foundation Day 2. Wednesday, June 21st: Adaptive Organisation (I): Business agility at every scale […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) I wrote a book about it – (The Remedy). Why did I bother? Because Lean is about reducing waste & variation — and most of it is outside of the factory. The past few decades, factories, and Operations in general, have gotten better and better. There’s still much opportunity, but in […]

An Internal Process SOP is a crucial tool for businesses of all sizes. It provides a set of guidelines and steps to follow for specific tasks or processes within an organization. A well-documented SOP ensures that team members know the procedures and can complete tasks efficiently and effectively. This article will discuss the essential elements […]