Manufacturing is where many Lean ideas were first developed—but lasting results never come from tools alone. This archive explores manufacturing through the lens of leadership, safety, culture, and systems thinking, drawing lessons from real plants, executives, and frontline experiences that still matter today.
From Toyota and NUMMI to modern aerospace, appliance, and industrial operations, these posts show how manufacturing excellence depends on respect for people, learning from problems, and designing systems that make the right work easier.
Friday, I blogged about a WIRED Magazine piece by Joel Johnson that was pretty disrespectful of manufacturing, in general, as he wrote that “every single manufacturing job ever” was “repetitive, exhausting, and [an] alienating workplace over which you have no…
Those of you who know my background know that I spent the first 10 years of my career working in various manufacturing sectors (including GM, Dell, and Honeywell). I moved into healthcare in 2005, part of the wave of people…
I really like Seth Godin’s writing – his blog on marketing is one that I have followed regularly for years and his book Purple Cow is a fun read about creating a service or product that delights and wows your…
In an era where it was a “no brainer” to move factories to China, chasing cheap labor, the Lean world has often spoken out loudly against this. Back in the day, people said “Nobody ever got fired for choosing IBM,”…
Episode 84 is audio from Video Podcast #10 (available on YouTube). This is a conversation with Karl Wadensten, President of VIBCO, a manufacturer in Wyoming, R.I. and host of the now-retired radio program The Lean Nation. Karl shares the remarkable…
Episode #10 is a conversation with Karl Wadensten, President of VIBCO, a manufacturer in Wyoming, R.I. Here, we talk about his radio show, “The Lean Nation,” which (formerly aired) on AM 790 in Rhode Island. This is the same discussion as…
Podcast #83 is an in-depth conversation with Jim D’Addario, the CEO of D’Addario, Inc., a manufacturer of guitar strings, drum heads, and other musical accessories. Jim and his family company were featured on CNN late last year, highlighting how lean…
U.S. industry going lean to compete with China | Reuters Yesterday, I recorded a podcast with Jim D’Addario, CEO of the namesake multi-generational family company that was featured recently on CNN. I’ll release that podcast in a few weeks. We…
Hat tip to blog reader Steven H. for sending this video my way. It’s always nice to see Lean featured in the mainstream media, including CNN. Click here for the video at cnn.com. The story says that the company, a…
Eve Yen, founder and CEO of Diamond Wipes, is our guest for episode #79 of the podcast. In this podcast, Eve discusses her company and how manufacturing in the United States provides a strong competitive advantage. While not explicitly “Lean,”…
I am amazed that as long as we’ve talked about 5S, it still gives companies fits and trouble. Many companies start with 5S because it’s simple. It may be simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. This isn’t a tool…
Lean gamble has paid off for United Southern Industries I hate to criticize anyone who’s been really successful with Lean. The worst thing I can say about United Southern is to ask, “What made you think Lean was such a…
