Guest Post: How to Have a Lean Party Mark Graban Jun 20, 2010 5 Blog Mark's note: Today's guest post is from a Michigander (I prefer that term over Michiganian, but I digress). Jon…
A Curious Lack of Error Proofing in the Air Mark Graban Jun 5, 2010 9 Blog About a week ago, I was flying and the passenger next to me knocked his water over right into my lap. Argh! I…
Error Proofing the Hotel TV Mark Graban May 18, 2010 9 Blog Error proofing (aka "poka yoke" or mistake proofing) is such a powerful Lean method. Some people, unfortunately,…
Lean Thoughts During Saturday Errands Mark Graban May 10, 2010 4 Blog I was running errands around Boston last Saturday, preparing for our move back to Texas (as my wife finishes her 12…
Everyday Lean (or Not): Whole Foods and an Herbal Near Miss Mark Graban May 3, 2010 2 Blog Saturday morning, as part of my preparation to cook for a brunch gathering (I really enjoy cooking as a hobby, for…
Life Without Tap Water in Boston – New Standardized Work Mark Graban May 2, 2010 11 Blog I'm sitting here on a Sunday morning, drinking a cup of coffee I made at home with bottled water. Why bottled…
How a Simple Office Kanban System Works at the Lean Enterprise Institute Mark Graban Apr 9, 2010 19 Blog One of the things I like about working at the Lean Enterprise Institute might seem like a silly thing -- it's that!-->…
No Joke: Lean Methods Applied by a Hockey Coach in Ontario Mark Graban Apr 3, 2010 1 Blog Unlike Thursday's joke, this is real. It's a video posted by the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME),…
Apple & Microsoft – Please Move “Control-W”!!!! Mark Graban Mar 26, 2010 12 Blog I'm a very frequent computer user and I'm pretty good with the ole' shortcut keys, on both Mac and Windows (I'm…
Standardized Work for Home Appliances Mark Graban Mar 17, 2010 8 Blog Stepping away from serious issues, let's talk about things that can really get heated -- like washers and dryers…
A Coffee Machine that’s Mistake Proofed Mark Graban Feb 5, 2010 9 Blog When I was in Sweden, the one hospital I visited had an automated coffee machine that made a variety of drinks. In…
UPS: Disrespect for People? Dan Markovitz Oct 23, 2009 11 Blog by Dan Markovitz I took this picture of a UPS truck recently in NYC. (The orange signs say "SAFETY.") At first I…
5S the Coffee Pots Mark Graban Oct 6, 2009 3 Blog It's time for some coffee talk other than Starbucks... afternoon coffee break here. In Philadelphia last week!-->!-->!-->…
Au Bon Pain is not French for "Stop the Line" Mark Graban Sep 24, 2009 6 Blog I had an interesting encounter at the Kendall Square Au Bon Pain yesterday morning. Not a bad customer…
Lean Out Your Communications, the Next Lean Frontier Liz Guthridge Sep 2, 2009 1 Blog Mark's note: I'm happy to introduce a new guest blogger, Liz Guthridge. She is very active on Twitter and does a…
Jerry Jones is NOT a Lean Thinker, Apparently? Mark Graban Aug 24, 2009 5 Blog Giant video board in new Cowboys stadium causes problems for Titans punter - The Huddle - USATODAY.com Are you…
Defining "Value" at a Jazz Club Mark Graban Aug 8, 2009 0 A little weekend lightness... serious stuff to come this week...When I was in the UK last month, I was able to…
My Daily Workaround: Deleting Commercial Emails Mark Graban Jun 2, 2009 6 I had an epiphany the other day. It was one of those moments where I was pretty ashamed and was ready to turn in my…