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…
The Challenge From China – WSJ.com: The above linked article is pretty wide-ranging, written by a political guy, mostly about the growing military threat from China. He dabbles a bit in long-term (China) vs. short-term (U.S.) thinking… how China’s economic…
Episode #43 of LeanBlog Podcast is a very special one. My guest is Mike Mickleright, writer, consultant, and performer — most interesting to me is his impersonation of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. As I wrote about before, I’ve seen his…
Medical Leave — Offshore Medicine — Fast Company Interesting read here in the latest issue of Fast Company about a hospital in Thailand and one of the visionaries, Ruben Toral, who wants to globalize healthcare. The idea of patients flying…
The Associated Press: FAA tries again to fix cover-up of air safety errors: It’s always disturbing to hear about cover ups and systemic problems related to aviation safety, whether it’s airplane maintenance or air traffic control. In this case, it’s…
