Reader Question: Would You Call This a “Lean Burial”? Mark Graban Jun 27, 2022 0 Blog I try not to use the word "Lean" as an adjective that means "better." We see this a lot online, the so-called!-->…
Inside Toyota’s Takaoka #2 Line – Flexibility and Kaizen Mark Graban Jun 11, 2019 2 Audio This is an interesting article: Inside Toyota's Takaoka #2 Line: The Most Flexible Line In The World I!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
Three Doctor’s Appointments, Three Cases of Technology Problems & Some… Mark Graban Feb 7, 2019 7 Blog Thankfully, I'm relatively healthy. I have occasional doctor visits for a few minor conditions. Some visits go!-->…
Value is Defined by the Customer (and not all Customers are the Same) Mark Graban Jan 9, 2019 2 Blog It's said in the Lean methodology that "value is defined by the customer." Value can be defined as, in most!-->!-->!-->…
This Organization Chose Not to “Deploy #Lean” Because a Leader Thought… Mark Graban Sep 12, 2017 10 Blog I posted an article on LinkedIn last week as a companion article and summary of my podcast with Dean Gruner, MD,…
The State of This Restaurant’s Suggestion Box Didn’t Really Surprise… Mark Graban Jul 25, 2017 5 Blog Last week, I was in Austin for the annual Lean Coaching Summit, where I took a full-day class on "Motivational…
This Apple Store Sign Seems to be a Sign of Apple’s Broader Troubles Mark Graban May 31, 2017 18 Blog Why the sign on the Apple Store door reminded me of their poor problem solving and inelegant solutions to my broken…
The United Flight 3411 Mess, Holding Individuals Accountable vs. Fixing the System… Mark Graban Apr 10, 2017 37 Blog I posted this on LinkedIn earlier today and am re-posting as a blog post to get your thoughts... and then, as I…
My Visit to Cleveland Clinic: Seeing Leaders Engaging Staff in Meaningful… Mark Graban Jan 3, 2017 3 Audio I had a chance to visit one of their community hospitals, Hillcrest Hospital, as well as the main campus. It was a…
A Radical Idea in Healthcare: Refunds for Dissatisfied Customers Mark Graban Apr 27, 2016 0 Audio I love stories of humility and customer focus in healthcare. Let me share two such stories with you today. Oh, and,…
#FrontierFail & Frontier Lies… Why Competence is Required Before Lean Mark Graban Apr 25, 2016 5 Blog I think I'm done complaining about Frontier Communications on Twitter. It's been a very frustrating week, as I'm on…
How Many Exam Rooms Do You Need? Tony Milian Apr 22, 2016 0 Blog Mark's note: When I first started in healthcare, I worked for a team called ValuMetrix Services, a part of Johnson…
Transparency in Healthcare: Patients *Can* Handle the Truth Drew Locher Mar 29, 2016 0 Blog Mark's Note: Here is another guest post from Drew Locher. I'm hoping that he'll contribute occasionally to the blog…
What Virginia Mason’s CEO Dr. Gary Kaplan Warns Against With #Lean Mark Graban Mar 7, 2016 10 Audio Dr. Gary Kaplan is the CEO of Seattle's Virginia Mason Medical Center, considered one of the world leaders in the…
Weekend Fun: Toast Kaizen or Coffee Kaizen? Mark Graban Mar 5, 2016 0 Blog I like to do some fun and lighthearted posts on the weekends... a blog segment I call "Weekend Fun" (not so…
#Lean: The Toyota Production System is Mainly About the Philosophy Mark Graban Feb 24, 2016 12 Blog There's a triangle diagram on the TSSC webpage that describes an "integrated system" that consists of: technical…
Take Care of Employees, They Can Take Care of Customers Mark Graban Sep 15, 2015 6 Blog As my breakfast platter was being rung up, I saw this sign behind the register (and came back to discretely take a…
How this Kaizen Prevents New Moms From Feeling Like They’re Being… Mark Graban May 4, 2015 1 Blog I wanted to share a recent Kaizen improvement story that I heard from a hospital. Great things can happen when…