Lean Archives | Page 38 of 67

Appreciation of a System

By Jon Miller - November 21st, 2016

I’ve gained a renewed appreciation for systems as a result of reading an interesting book, The Invention of Nature, about the life and influence of the nineteenth century German celebrity scientist Alexander von Humboldt. Whi

Lean Virtual Collaboration

By Steve Kane - November 18th, 2016

By Steve Kane In my previous role in the medical device manufacturing industry I was involved in Job Instruction and Job Relations. Both were incredibly valuable to the organization. A few months ago Gemba Academy took on the proje

GA 137 | How to Approach TWI with Roger Bilas

By Jessica Bush - November 17th, 2016

This week’s guest is Roger Bilas, a lean practitioner who specializes in TWI. Ron and Roger discussed the three components of TWI, the order they should be learned in, and more. An MP3 version of this episode is available for dow

When the Possible Trumps the Likely

By Jon Miller - November 14th, 2016

About a decade ago I was invited to help mentor the productivity and quality improvement teams at a large consumer electronics manufacturer. During the first visit there were three things that immediately struck me about this company

The Pursuit of Perfection

By Kevin Meyer - November 11th, 2016

Five months ago I called my painter, who happens to live all of three doors away, to see if he had time to do some touchup on the house. He was able to fit me into his schedule starting a couple weeks ago. I knew I was going to ha

GA 136 | How to Create Value with Michael Mindes

By Jessica Bush - November 10th, 2016

This week’s guest is Michael Mindes, Founder and CEO of Tasty Minstrel Games. Michael shared his experiences with lean thus far, and how he applies what he learns to his business. An MP3 version of this episode is available for

For a Culture of Innovation, Turn Board Meetings into Cardboard Meetings

By Jon Miller - November 7th, 2016

Not long ago a friend of mine from a compay not too far away called me for advice (hopefully that is vague enough provides enough plausible deniability for him and/or her). My friend was told to remove a large quantity of cardboard fr

GA 135 | Lessons Learned in the Mud with Steve Kane

By Jessica Bush - November 3rd, 2016

This week’s guest is Steve Kane, our Director of Customer Success. Steve recently participated in a Tough Mudder challenge and learned some lessons that have great applications to lean. An MP3 version of this episode is availabl

A Five-letter Recipe for a Non-Fail Presidency

By Jon Miller - October 31st, 2016

Barely eight days remain until the American voters elects the adult human who will serve as the next President of the United States. It has been an ugly process to narrow it down to the two major candidates, with all due respect to th

GA 134 | How to Apply Lean to Finance with Tiago Salgado

By Jessica Bush - October 27th, 2016

Today’s guest is Tiago Salgado, a lean practitioner from Portugal. Ron and Tiago talked about the intersection of lean and finance, and about Tiago’s personal lean journey. An MP3 version of this episode is available for d

For Continuous Improvement, Think Like a Child

By Jon Miller - October 24th, 2016

Listening to a Freakonomics Radio episode titled Think Like a Child reminded me of the words of a TPS sensei. When a kaizen team was faced with puzzling process failures, complex problems, or a need for innovative designs, sensei

Lean Lessons from Tough Mudder

By Steve Kane - October 21st, 2016

By Steve Kane May 2016 I had the bright idea that I’d register for the Michigan Tough Mudder Mud Run, then find a way to get in shape (ready, fire, aim). I had seen ads and social media posts from finishers and thought t

GA 133 | How to Create a Visual Workplace with Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth

By Jessica Bush - October 20th, 2016

Today’s guest is Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth, an author and consultant who specializes in the visual workplace. Gwendolyn shared her fascinating background with us and explained the importance of visuality. This in-depth conversati

How Lean Thinking Can Relieve Traffic Jams

By Jon Miller - October 17th, 2016

Seattle owns the dubious distinction of having one of the 10 worst traffic experiences in the United States. This is due to a combination of geography, lack of long-term transportation planning, population growth, and driver behavi

Designing a Lean Home

By Kevin Meyer - October 14th, 2016

I’ve received several comments on The Simple Leader, with some of the most unexpected having to do with the section where I discuss my desire to design and build a home with Lean principles in mind. If I hadn’t studied chem

GA 132 | How to Apply Lean to Puzzle Manufacturing with Don Scott

By Jessica Bush - October 13th, 2016

Today’s guest is Don Scott of Buffalo Games, a puzzle and board game company. Don described his take on continuous improvement as well as the challenges that pertain to this unique industry. An MP3 version of this episode is

Five Thoreau Quotes to Reflect on Continuous Improvement

By Jon Miller - October 10th, 2016

Nineteenth century American poet, agitator for social change and champion of simple living Henry David Thoreau had a lot to say about continuous improvement. Here are five quotes that will help us reflect on how we improve. “Man

GA 131 | How to Develop a Well-Rounded Approach to Lean with Chad Vincent

By Jessica Bush - October 6th, 2016

Today’s guest is Chad Vincent, a Lean Leader with an extremely diverse background and a lot of coaching experience. Ron and Chad discussed Chad’s work applying lean in several different industries, and what he has learned

Learning the Wrong Lessons from Failure

By Jon Miller - October 3rd, 2016

In the early days of lean it was all about imitation. People looked at Japanese factories and said, “They have quality circles, let’s have quality circles.” Or TQM, or kanban or JIT or kaizen. Lean factories work in

GA 130 | How to Succeed at Every Stage of Your Lean Journey with Greg Williams

By Jessica Bush - September 29th, 2016

Today’s guest is Greg Williams, Chair Elect of AME and Director of Enterprise Excellence at Aera Energy LLC. Greg shared some of the stories and valuable wisdom he’s accumulated from his impressive lean background. There i

Better Decisions through Headspace Mapping

By Jon Miller - September 26th, 2016

When I was just getting started in business twenty years ago, one of my mentors had the habit of asking me, “Are you making an emotional decision or are you making a business decision?” A business decision, of course, I wou

GA 129 | How to Apply Lean to Agriculture with Jeff Duarte

By Jessica Bush - September 22nd, 2016

Today’s guest is Jeff Duarte, of Duarte Nursery. Located in Hughson, California, Ron and Jeff discussed Duarte Nursery’s lean journey and what they’ve learned so far. An MP3 version of this episode is available for do

Why We Don’t Correct Mistakes Right Away

By Jon Miller - September 19th, 2016

The 10 commandments of continuous improvement are a set of precepts that guide lean behavior. One of the commandments is “if it’s a problem, stop and fix it”. This is also phrased “correct mistakes right aw

Protect the Process

By Steve Kane - September 16th, 2016

This article is a continuation of the series based on best practices from the Gemba Academy community. Part 1: Don’t Let Perfect Get in the Way of Good Part 2: Create a Learning Path It’s easy to get consumed with KP

GA 128 | How to Implement Lean Efforts That Last with Amanda Culver

By Jessica Bush - September 15th, 2016

Today’s guest is Amanda Culver. Amanda has over 10 years of experience with Lean and Six Sigma, especially as it applies to Pharmaceuticals. She shared a lot of valuable insight with us, including her take on why organizations

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