The WSJ Overgeneralizes about The “Japanese Model,” Not All Companies…
Not all Japanese companies are the same. "Lean isn't easy" if you're a Japanese company. Toyota has created…
2nd Post for the Deming Institute Blog: The Failed “Livonia…
Yesterday, the W. Edwards Deming Institute published the second in my series of three posts for them: "The Failure…
“My Best Mistake:” Working for General Motors
As a LinkedIn "Influencer," I was invited to contribute a story to the "My Best Mistake" series. I wrote about…
Livonia’s not Lean-vonia
As Auto Prosperity Shifts South, Two Towns Offer a Study in Contrasts - New York Times
Here's a free Detroit…
Alternative History: GM Uses Lean to Remain #1 in the Auto Industry
ChatGPT is still all the rage. It's one thing to treat the chatbot like Google. But I recently learned about some…
The One Where I was Interviewed on a Detroit Radio Station
I was invited to be a guest on a Detroit radio talk show that's hosted by Dr. Paul Reeves, a show called "Dr.…
20+ Years Ago at GM: The Quality Death Spiral of Bad Management & Blaming…
My first job out of college was as an Industrial Engineer at the General Motors Livonia Engine Plant. Blogging…
Reader Question: Why I Got into Lean Healthcare
A reader asks why I got involved with Lean in healthcare. In this post, I share what I wrote about this in the…
Lessons Ford & the UAW Learned in Japan in 1981 Still Apply (Even in…
I continue sharing documents from the Don Ephlin library archive. What did Ford and the UAW learn when they visited…
My Post for the Deming Institute Blog: Why Dr. Deming’s Work is So Important…
I'm extremely honored that The W. Edwards Deming Institute published my first blog post in a series of three that…
“The reign of the king-leader is gone” at GM? What about healthcare?
I was happy to see an engineer (Chemical Engineering) and a General Motors leader, Alicia Boler Davis, on the cover…
Podcast #259 – Steve Bera, Reflections on NUMMI and #Lean, Part 2
Today's episode #259 is Part 2 of a discussion I started with Steve Bera in episode #256. Steve was one of the…
GM’s CEO Roger Smith Thought Toyota Had Magic, But This Was the…
Thanks to this post by Bruce Hamilton (aka "Toast Guy" or "Old Lean Dude"), I was reminded of the old General…
Throwback Thursday: “This American Life” on NUMMI Lessons,…
Episode #403 of the public radio program "This American Life" originally aired in 2010, telling the story of the…
The Day I Thought I’d Get Fired from “The Old GM” –…
Following up on yesterday's post that talked about "the old GM" putting cost ahead of quality, I sometimes I get…
Breaking: GM Dumps NUMMI Partnership with Toyota
After 25 years, GM ditches NUMMI tie-up with Toyota
In the news this afternoon:
PRESS RELEASE:
2009-06-29
GM…