All posts from Mark Graban’s LeanBlog.org, including podcasts, announcements, articles, and more.
Lofty Promise of Saturn Plant Runs Into G.M.’s Fiscal Reality – New York Times This is so sad. It also reminds me of when EDS was supposed to make GM fast and nimble. It turned out that slow and bloated…
Hello, blog readers, just a quick update here. It’s been an exciting week on the Lean Manufacturing Blog. Thanks to being included on the Lean Enterprise Institute email blast, blog traffic really spiked, with over 2,000 visitors in the last…
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean – Lessons from the Road Jamie Flinchbaugh and Andy Carlino have a newly released book. I haven’t read it yet, but will post a review as soon as I can. But, based on my experience with…
Bob Nardelli is Watching Update Jan 4 2007 — I really had it wrong on Nardelli, see the latest news and post. They don’t call it a “gemba walk”, but in the new Fast Company magazine, there is a profile…
Bloomberg.com: Bloomberg Columnists The writers continue to pile on GM. I know Doron Levin has been covering the auto industry in Detroit for a long time. Some highlights: The pre-holiday bombshell dropped Nov. 21 by Rick Wagoner, General Motors Corp.…
TL;DR: In Part 2 of this interview, the late Norman Bodek explains why Lean fails when leaders cling to control. Drawing on Toyota examples and “Quick & Easy Kaizen,” he argues that long-term success comes from developing people, trusting teams,…
Look for Part 2 of my interview with Norm Bodek, coming later today. I’ve enjoyed his recent book, Kaikaku. It’s written as a series of essays and short vignettes, very powerful stuff, especially Mr. Bodek’s writing about working with the…
BLACK, BLUE & BOOTED-Mooch out, Jauron in; why is Millen still here? I grew up a Detroit Lions fan, as difficult as that could be (thankfully, we had Barry Sanders to enjoy). The Lions have fired yet another coach. Who…
The Manufacturer.com – Merck to cut jobs, close plants, get lean Merck was in the news quite a bit today, but this is the first article I’ve seen that mentions any claim to a “lean” strategy. If Merck thinks they…
Article Link This is a great Q&A with Seizo Okamoto – president of Toyota’s truck plant in Princeton Indiana focusing on the challenges of teaching the Toyota Production System to US workers. The focus on teaching as the best method…
TL;DR:The late Norman Bodek argues that Lean fails not due to poor workers or missing tools, but because management systems prioritize short-term results over developing people. Toyota’s real advantage, he says, is its long-term commitment to respect, learning, and empowering…
I love the show “Made in America” with John Ratzenberger (of Cheers fame) that airs on the Travel Channel. Ratzenberger tours the country visiting factories and American-made products and you get to see a sincere sense of pride and wonder…