Back in 2007, I published a post about the disparity in pricing for blue plastic bins that are often used for Lean “5S” practices or just for general shelf storage. In 2007, the SAME plastic bin was $4.55 in the…
I guess that, considering last year’s blog post, this Lean thinker couldn’t really root for Notre Dame and Coach Brian Kelly Monday night in the BCS National Championship Game. Just before kickoff, ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi asked Saban, “Coach, you love…
TL;DR: Many “Lean Six Sigma” programs misrepresent Lean as a set of tools layered onto Six Sigma. Lean is not a toolbox–it’s a management system and culture rooted in flow, quality, and respect for people. When Lean is reduced to…
I didn’t have a post yesterday because it was the Labor Day holiday here in the U.S. While I’m not a “worker,” in the sense of an hourly employee or union worker anymore, I still enjoyed the day off with…
It’s been a month now since my wife and I moved to San Antonio. I’ve been on the road most or all of the last four weeks… so my home office is still very unsettled. Today, I’m working on that…
You might already know about the charity auctions that are running this week, ending Sunday May 6, to benefit Friends of the Orphans. I’m happy to announce four more auctions that also end on Sunday night: 2 Books: Autographed Lean…
You might also have seen the first video animation that I did last week about the waste of getting new recycling bins. I've created a new video that shows what a "bad office 5S" scene might look like... something that's "L.A.M.E." not Lean.
Mark’s Note: Today’s post is a guest post that’s written for manufacturing settings. But, I’d challenge healthcare readers to think about how the impact of wasted motion and time for nurses and other healthcare professionals running around to get their…
In prep for our move to San Antonio, my wife and I have been applying “5S” principles to our lives and possessions. We have gone through an intense “sort” process – deciding what to move and what to donate or…
The country’s largest public health system, the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation has two Lean healthcare jobs available and they’ve asked me to post them here. Carlos Scholz writes: We have 2 open positions for Lean Facilitators/Trainers at…
This time of year, every publication under the sun (print and web) has a “Holiday Gift Guide” to share. In that spirit, I am happy to present the first Lean Blog Holiday Gift Guide. This guide is a mix of…
I saw the following in a submission for a session at the 2012 Society for Health Systems conference, where I’m the Lean track chair. One submission said the following: “Lean efforts often succeed but do not always provide meaningful benefits”…