Lean Management

Management’s Expanded Role in Lean Thinking 0
- Lean Management
- November 10, 2015
Most often when people hear the term management it connotes a specific hierarchical structure of an organization. According to Wikipedia, management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively. I prefer to use the metaphor of a bus
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10 Common Lean Implementation Mistakes 0
- Lean Management
- October 21, 2015
Lean has been around since the late eighties/ early nineties, but despite the enormous popularity of Lean, the track record for successful implementation of the methodology is spotty at best. Companies still make mistakes when implementing Lean. These mistakes are generally due to simple misunderstandings of the Lean principles, but when something goes wrong, you
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Improvement Doesn’t Come from Focusing on Tools 0
- Lean Basics, Lean Management
- September 21, 2015
We all have stories of those who try to use Lean as a tool to improve their business but fail. Those of us who have experienced the true power of Lean understand that it is more than that. Lean is not about the tools it’s how they are applied. A large number of organizations have
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10 Factors to Avoid Plateaus and Sustain Improvement 0
- Change Management, Lean Management
- August 19, 2015
The other day while visiting a local company regarding continuous improvement the question of how to sustain improvement and avoid plateaus came up. Thinking that this is a very common question many wrestle with I thought I would share my thoughts on the matter. Since the mid-1990’s many US manufacturers have benefited from implementation of
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Focus on “Quick Wins” to Stay Motivated With Transformation Goals 0
- Lean in Practice, Lean Management
- August 3, 2015
When adopting new habits, it’s always a good idea to start with small changes, and work your way up over time. For example, instead of starting an intense paleo-diet, start drinking a glass of water before every meal to increase metabolism. Or, instead of beginning a rigorous workout plan, start walking around the block a
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Tell-Tale Signs Your Employer is Focused On Employee Development 0
- Lean Management
- June 15, 2015
It is hard to think of a more important and most neglected management aspect than employee development. Unfortunately, many organizations do not plan properly for the development of their people and teams. People development without proper planning in place normally results in internal and external conflict, which leads to confusion, low productivity, less motivation, and
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