Home of the Range – WSJ.com Part 2 of the WSJ series (Part 1 here) focuses on Viking, the high-end cooktop and grill manufacturer, based in Greenwood Mississippi. I’m glad that the WSJ is focusing on U.S. manufacturing, but the…
Here is LeanBlog Podcast #7, a new discussion with our friend Norman Bodek, President of PCS Press and the author of many books, including Kaikaku: The Power and Magic of Lean. In this Podcast, we discuss Toyota’s response to recent…
By Mark Edmondson, LEAN Affiliates I made a day trip to the Assembly Technology Expo in Chicago last week. What an adventure. After all, here’s an event dedicated to the latest automated innovations for manufacturing: Over 600 leading suppliers were…
Landmark Study Investigates Root Causes of Profitability Gap Among North American Automotive Manufacturers Here is a Harbour Report study which claims the key to American Competitiveness is “beyond lean.” I always hate it when people talk about what is beyond…
This is an incredibly sad, and completely preventable, situation. Three babies are dead, and three more injured, because the wrong drug was administered to them at an Indianapolis hospital. Let’s keep in mind, first, this quote from the World Health…
The Lean Library Here is a long overdue review of the book, The Toyota Way Fieldbook. I wrote the review following the format of The Lean Library and have also gotten the review published over there. The Fieldbook is an…
WSJ.com – Ford and Chrysler Show Dark Outlook For U.S. Car Makers I received an email from a blog reader, Jack, from Tampa FL. I assume he’s from outside the auto industry and he wrote: In light of Mr. Womack’s…
Jim Womack sent out one of his emails today, this time focused on Ford, with their termoil. Either he writes quickly or he already knew Ford was in trouble and was inspired to write by the appointment of new CEO…
Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association union website Ok, here’s some positive balance after my crabby posts from earlier (the timing is right to dig this up after typing it — as part of a blog batch — over the weekend). I’ve…
Got Boondoggle?: Japan Day 1 – Toyota Motor Kyushu Boondoggle indeed, Mike! I am really looking forward to reading more of Mike’s posts from Japan. He is traveling with a Gemba Research “Kaikaku” Tour of Japanese lean factories. Notice, you…
Here is LeanBlog Podcast #4, again featuring Dr. Jeffrey Liker, My guest for episode #4 of the Lean Blog Podcast is Dr. Jeffrey Liker, professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. This is part two of…
My guest for episode three of the Lean Blog Podcast is Dr. Jeffrey Liker, professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan and author of The Toyota Way. Liker has spent decades studying how Toyota actually works,…
