Any chance you will be contributing to the print publication (IE Magazine)? After reading this month’s issue I think they could sure use you and your fellow blogger’s help in lean related content. When I saw this month’s Manufacturing perspective (“Faltering Lean”) in the contents I was hoping to see a column on how companies and leaders are missing the bus on lean as a business philosophy in contrast to taking a toolbox approach to lean efforts. Instead it painted a very narrow picture of lean, in saying that lean lacks “an overriding Big Idea” and focuses mostly on inventory turns as measure of lean performance. While the author does make some legitmate points (noting that cherry-picking lean practices is a reason for lean efforts to struggle), he also lists Wal-Mart as a “lean standout.” Not sure, but last I checked Wal-Mart wasn’t doing to well on the respect for people (or suppliers) aspect of lean. I find many of the columns in IE Magazine to have a very limited and even inaccurate view of what lean is. I am glad that you and other bloggers are associated with IIE and hope that you can get IEs to think and understand what lean is really all about.

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