Lean Thoughts

Going to See with a purpose. In lean management, we call this "going to gemba"—the actual place where value is created. Not to inspect, but to understand, support, and coach.

whether a product or service should be dual sourced. Before we explore the merits of both let us first place the provider in the proper context.

I LOVE my Suppliers, I mean really LOVE them, so much so I am constantly wanting to hire them .

Never forget: Your employees are a top asset, but if you botch your relationships with them, you could create a work environment with low morale and little productivity.

Duties or Tariffs were first initiated to create a level playing field for external competitors coming onto your home turf.

Some people are placed into Leadership positions but that does not make them a Leader until they have amassed a group of loyal followers.

A poka-yoke device is any mechanism or method that either prevents a mistake from being made or makes the mistake obvious .

No equipment, No parts, Hardly any buildings and no cash but still a lot of people. As a business what are going to do?

They were not just filling positions. They were preparing people. Slowly. Thoughtfully. Thoroughly.

The observer as a simple role made a huge impact to every diner's experience. I quickly concluded that we need more observers and we could use observers everywhere.

Sustainability relies on the importance of checklists. Although simple, checklists work! Even the most specialized professionals like pilots and doctors can rely on this simple tool to improve their performance .

Everyone does it all of the time. When you arrive at work without even knowing it you are mentally conducting a "Situation Appraisal"

Undercover Boss makes for good television. Imagine if you incorporated this methodology within your business operations, it would be the ultimate Continuous Improvement idea generator.

A Non-Lean environment is where ... Mediocre Processes are managed by Amazing People Whereas a Lean Environment  is where ... Amazing...

Team had purchased a container of Green Sofas from Asia. This was a direct assault on our core competency,

Toyota needed to procure parts assemble them and sell the final product before the supplier's invoice was due ... It is all about Velocity ... Period !!!

There are two basic paths to achieving quick changeover. I call them, organizational and mechanical

In this article, I share 5 5 Toyota principles that turn businesses around like clockwork and how to apply them to your business.

If their organizations is not working at a fever  pace nothing is being accomplished.  This can be a significant error of judgment.

EBITDA, It's simply your business performance without the noise.