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!-->…
What’s Going on at Whole Foods? It Doesn’t Sound Like #Lean Mark Graban Feb 13, 2018 3 Blog The chain Whole Foods is reportedly having inventory shortages and morale problems. It sounds like a real mess, but…
Part 2: More From the Original 1984 NUMMI Team Member Handbook: Unions, Teams,… Mark Graban Dec 5, 2016 2 Blog Here's Part 2 of a post about the original NUMMI Team Member Handbook from 1984 (see Part 1 here). This, and…
Podcast #264 – Tyrone Butler on Lean, Six Sigma, ITIL & More Mark Graban Sep 26, 2016 1 Blog My guest for Episode #264 is a friend from here in the Dallas / Fort Worth area, Tyrone Butler. He is LSS!-->!-->!-->…
Throwback Thursday: 23 Tweets I Might Have Sent in 2002 Mark Graban Apr 9, 2015 1 Audio I have been going through some old papers recently and I found two sheets of paper with hand-written thoughts or…
Overcapacity and Overproduction in the Auto Industry (and Healthcare) Mark Graban May 21, 2014 11 Blog "Where the World's Unsold Cars Go To Die." The photos are dramatic. Note: The Jalopnik automotive blog!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->!-->…
The Day I Thought I’d Get Fired from “The Old GM” –… Mark Graban Apr 4, 2014 11 Blog Following up on yesterday's post that talked about "the old GM" putting cost ahead of quality, I sometimes I get…
Parallels Between Philadelphia Eagles’ Coach Chip Kelly & A Lean Leader Mark Graban Jan 4, 2014 7 Blog The Philadelphia Eagles are playing in an NFL playoff matchup tonight against the New Orleans Saints. I'd…
Google Nexus Q – Made in the USA Mark Graban Jul 2, 2012 8 Blog I'm not sure Google has much of a market for a $299 media player (with the AppleTV and Roku players being under…
Mental Models and How We View the Gemba & Workers: GM & Dell Mark Graban Feb 14, 2012 4 Blog Regular readers know I started my career at General Motors from 1995 to 1997. After graduate school at MIT, I took!-->…
“The speed and flexibility is breathtaking” – But in a good way? Mark Graban Jan 27, 2012 34 Blog There has been a lot of buzz over last Sunday's New York Times article "How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work." It's…
Your Thoughts on Recent Articles about Apple, Foxconn, and China? Mark Graban Jan 26, 2012 Blog This week, I've been reading and listening to a lot of articles about working conditions at the Foxconn facilities…
Waste & Respect for People in Hospice or a Dell Factory Mark Graban Aug 25, 2011 2 Blog I've recently had an email exchange with a retiree who is volunteering in a non-profit hospice care facility. I'm…
Guest Post: Lean Leaders Conference, Part 2 – To Centralise or… Mark Graban Aug 12, 2010 2 Blog Mark's note: You may recognize the author of this guest post, Andrew Castle, as a previous contributor and frequent…
NY Times on How The U.S. Needs to Manufacture Again Mark Graban Nov 21, 2009 1 Blog Op-Ed Columnist - An American Catastrophe - NYTimes.com:This article caught my eye since I grew up outside of…
Airbus "Violated Key Tenet of Lean"? Mark Graban Apr 13, 2009 2 Blog Airbus Aims to Pull Back Without Stalling - WSJ.com:This recent article about Airbus talks about facing a challenge…
Jeff Bezos at the Amazon Gemba Mark Graban Mar 29, 2009 1 Blog Curious at Amazon, but Not Idle - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com This piece about Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos made me think…
Eliminating Waste through Direct Communication Mark Graban Nov 23, 2008 1 Blog Eliminating He Said, She Said « Sharing thoughts, ideas and suggestions on hardwiring successI really like Quint…