Podcast Episode #51 is the first part of a two-parter (listen to part 2 here) with retired Lt. Randy Russell of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, an innovator in the use of Lean methods for improving law enforcement. Starting in 2004, the…
The ‘Brick’ is… | 9 to 5 Mac There’s news that Apple is going to announce new laptops. I love my MacBook that I just bought earlier this year, but I’m not an Apple “Fanboy” (this was my first Mac…
Ok, so I’ll combine a mish-mash of Ford related topics into a single post here. First off, it’s the 100th anniversary of the Model T, introduced in 1908. Yesterday’s USA Today has an article about the anniversary and some interesting…
Obama Promises To Stop America’s S***ty Jobs From Going Overseas | The Onion – America’s Finest News Source Replace “some” in my post headline with a word that rhymes with “witty” but starts with an “sh.” OK, by now, you…
The Associated Press: Toyota lays off 800 line workers at Japan plant I’m starting to cut Toyota less slack for their claims of not having laid off employees in over 50 years. Japanese automaker Toyota has laid off 800 people…
Export Boom Fuels Factory Town’s Revival – WSJ.com: It’s more a story of exchange rates (weak dollar) than Lean, but manufacturing isn’t dead yet, especially in Wisconsin. As someone who re-opened a closed factory says: “America got tired of manufacturing,”…
I’m proud to report that I survived driving in the U.K. for the first time today, driving about an hour to Cambridge. I’m working in a town without a direct rail link (would have to go down to London and…
A returning guest (episodes #30 and #38), Bob Emiliani is again featured in episode #48 of the LeanBlog Podcast. Since the mid-1990s, Bob has focused on de-mystifying what he calls the “black art” of Lean leadership. In this conversation, he…
Norman Bodek is once again back for episode #47 of the LeanBlog Podcast. Today, he shares insights from his 68th study trip to Japan. Norman reflects on decades of visiting Toyota and contrasts what he saw there with Canon’s groundbreaking…
Stung by Soaring Transport Costs, Factories Bring Jobs Home Again – WSJ.com Lean thinkers have long advocated the benefits of having a shorter supply chain — faster response, keeping jobs at home, being close to the customer, and better quality.…
I’ve often done posts titled “A Lean Guy Reads the WSJ” — I would create a link to them, but I’m currently suffering a bit of an internet glitch (can anyone help?) I’m in the UK, but my hotel’s internet…
The Open Secret of Success: Financial Page: The New Yorker I’m not normally a reader of The New Yorker, but I thank Norman Bodek for pointing this out as we recorded a new podcast episode (to be released in a…