A Lean, Sign-Making Machine
Century Sign Builders is a Lean, green machine – MSNBC.com Here is a nice case study news story about a small sign making company that has used Lean, working with the New Mexico MEP program, to help grow their business.…
Tag Manufacturing
Manufacturing Leadership, Lean Systems, and Continuous Improvement
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.
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Lean Suits Story on NPR
NPR : Suit Maker Goes ‘Lean’ to Keep Jobs in U.S. I’ll comment more on this later, but this was on NPR this morning. Overall, positive mentions of lean, although there was a common complaint from a worker about having…
A Wisconsin Lean Story
Metal expands when it’s hot Here’s a story from a small company that’s grown from $3m to $10m in revenue, in part due to Lean methods, but also due to apparent notions of “respect” for employees and customers. There are…
How Specific an Example Do You Need?
From the Northwest Lean Network email listserv, about a week ago: ” I am looking for experiences using lean practices and tools in fruit juice businesses.” I’ve seen a lot of this, people asking for very specific examples of lean…
WSJ is STILL Shocked We Build Stuff Here
For Some Manufacturers, There Are Benefits to Keeping Production at Home – WSJ.com This really is a recurring theme in the WSJ, this article starts: “It has long been an axiom that U.S.-made consumer goods such as TV sets and…
New Dave Gleditsch IW Column
IndustryWeek : Transforming Your Business To Lean: Lessons Learned Here’s the latest column by Pelion Systems CTO Dave Gleditsch, featured here in an earlier LeanBlog Podcast, with some case studies of lean success at American Standard and Husqvarna. Dave’s main…
Calling DFW or Texas Lean Companies
Personal request — I’m looking for a Dallas/Fort Worth area company that is in an advanced state of lean implementation. (that’s quite a flexible definition of what “advanced” means, obviously). West Texas (Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Abilene, El Paso) or Central Texas…
Hiding Defects in the Ceiling
USA’s only breast implant factory adjusts to silicone approval (USA Today) First off, shame on the journalist for using the “everything is bigger in Texas” cliche in her story. About my headline… yes, that’s not referenced in the USA Today,…
Boeing Still Improving with Lean
Manufacturing overhaul will help Boeing avoid bottlenecks – MarketWatch Here’s a Wall St. analyst who is actually high on their lean efforts: “The key behind lean manufacturing is not just the margin improvement, but the fact that you can produce…
Searching the Shopfloor Investment Value
Wilbur Ross moves into the auto-parts industry – December 11, 2006 I referenced this article from FORTUNE a few days ago, but here’s an individual post. Wilbur Ross and his team walk shop floors looking for opportunities. Does anyone know…
TV’s Made in the USA
Olevia opens U.S. LCD and LCos Assembly Plant at Digital Pipeline I was reading an article in the NY Times today about a downturn in manufacturing orders. What shocked me was the photo that accompanied the article. The caption showed…
Enlightening Top Leadership on the Benefits of Lean: A Conversation with Lean Pioneer Norman Bodek – LeanBlog Podcast #11
Here is LeanBlog Podcast #11, once again with Norman Bodek of PCS Press and the author of many books, including Kaikaku: The Power and Magic of Lean. In this Podcast, we discuss a topic posed by a podcast listener, Bruce…
