Lean and Continuous Improvement
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SEEING the Lean Path: The Power of VISUALIZATION in Operational Excellence
The concept of visualization stands out as a powerful tool for driving efficiency, accountability, and continuous improvement in lean thinking. By creating visual controls within processes, organizations make standards and abnormalities visible and foster a culture of transparency and adherence to standardized work. There are so many different ways to implement visual controls that there…
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Lean Beyond Limits: Unleashing Lean Thinking Across Industries
The misconception that Lean principles are exclusive to manufacturing or production environments is a significant oversight. I first learned about Lean thinking while working at Toyota in 2001. From then on, Lean has been a part of my life professionally and personally. Lean thinking went with me and contributed to my success at BlackBerry. It…
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Continuous Improvement: The Heart of LEAN Philosophy
Continuous Improvement lies at the core of LEAN philosophy, serving as the driving force behind its principles and practices. I worked at TMMC (Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada) for 10 years, and no one takes Lean as seriously as they do at Toyota! Although we never referred to or called it lean. It was TPS or…
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Gemba Insights: Exploring Best Practices & Success Stories
With a renewed appreciation for Gemba, a powerful practice in continuous improvement, we review the power of Gemba. An example highlights a Gemba where stakeholders walked the process together, gaining a customer-centric perspective and understanding each other’s roles and challenges. Gemba not only revealed opportunities for process enhancement but also uncovered previously unknown issues requiring…
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Prioritized Leader Actions are for, well, EVERYONE!
All leaders have regular actions that they must or want to take on an ongoing basis. Examples include budget reviews, team member 1:1s, Gemba (go to the workplace), submitting your monthly business expenses, and many others. Prioritized Leader Actions is a tool that will help you get and stay in control of your priorities. Regardless…