What books should I read first when starting out in Lean? The first and best answer is, of course, Whaddaya Mean I Gotta be Lean? Building the Bridge from Job Satisfaction to Corporate Profit. It is a great place to start. It was written by Jeff Hajek. The first half of the book Read more…
Should I believe the hype about Lean? As you research what to expect from Lean in terms of specific performance increases, you will undoubtedly come across a glut of claims. The thing to keep in mind is that many of these claims come from sources that benefit from the improvement Read more…
How successful are companies at Lean? When researching Lean, it is easy to find examples of companies that are extremely successful at Lean, but it is harder to find information about what the chance of being one of those companies is. In all the years of researching about Lean, I Read more…
How long does it take to become Lean? First, let’s define “becoming Lean” as creating a culture and system that is generally recognizable to other companies as being “Lean.” It’s a vague description, but Lean will mean different things to different people. The second complicating factor is that the pace Read more…
How important is it to report cost savings for every individual improvement event? Let me start by telling you a little story. I once had a vice president of operations who, while talking to a group of leaders from the company, said something to the effect that if all of Read more…
How do I determine cost savings in Lean? Cost savings can be a tricky thing. It is especially challenging when we are talking about reporting cost savings after a kaizen event, or when consultants make claims in marketing information. It is easy to get an inflated system of reporting, where people Read more…
Do financial incentives work in Lean? Yes, financial incentives work, when done right and for the correct things. When I have this discussion with people, I always start the conversation by asking what happens if you stop paying your employees. Obviously, the financial incentive of a paycheck makes the person Read more…
Can a single department implement Lean on its own? The short answer is yes, but only to a degree. Many of the problem-solving tools and leadership activities work within a group’s own boundaries. You can do 5S and implement Standard Work. You can install poka yokes, and manage with KPIs, and daily management without a whole Read more…
We’ve got a load of free content for you, available at our CI Central training platform. There is also an extensive Lean Encyclopedia (The Continuous Improvement Companion) available for free on this site.
One of the best ways to teach your team about Lean is to give them hands on training using Lego sets. This gives them the opportunity to try out concepts without the risk of making errors in actual work areas. We offer three different Lean Lego training packages, available in Read more…
I see a lot of talk in Lean circles about blaming the process and not the person. The truth is, people fall on a spectrum for most skills and characteristics. I’m not sure if it is a bell curve or some other distribution, but with nearly all traits and skills, Read more…
I recently heard a quote on a TV show. “Trust those who seek the truth, but doubt those who say they found it.” Read more…