In 2007, I sat down virtually with James P. (Jim) Womack, founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute, for Episode #24 of the Lean Blog Podcast. At the time, Toyota was continuing its march toward becoming the world’s largest automaker, General Motors was still struggling with legacy costs, and Ford was reeling from a culture that often prized appearances over reality. The conversation touched on all of those issues, but one segment stands out almost 20 … Continue reading Jim Womack on the Origins of ‘Lean’ and Why It’s Often Misunderstood