Why are Factories in Value Stream Maps Drawn That Way? What’s That Shape?
Typically, the customer (or supplier) icon in classic Lean "Value Stream Mapping" looks like a factory.
Well,…
Browsing Tag
Value Stream Mapping
#Lean Healthcare Trip to China, Day 1, Part 1: Familiar Themes at the Beijing…
After arriving at the hotel in Beijing at about 8 pm the night before, I participated in a day-long Lean…
Donald Trump’s Red Hat (and Other Politicians’ Hats) Brought to You by…
These Donald Trump hats (and hats for other candidates including Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush) are made by a Newark…
Rhode Island’s Governor Announces Lean Initiative, Declares…
You might know my friend Karl Wadensten, the president of VIBCO, a small manufacturer in Rhode Island. I've…
This Date in Lean Blog History: August 6
My blog will turn 10 years old in February 2015. You're probably either thinking, "Wow, that's awesome!" or "Get a…
Podcast #190 – Karen Martin, Author of “Value Stream Mapping”
My guest for episode #190 is a returning guest (from episode #151) is my friend Karen Martin, talking…
‘Lean and Green’ is Free
Mark's note: What follows is a guest post by Keivan Zokaei about the necessary and unsurprisingly overlap between…
Podcast #179 – Judy Worth & Tom Shuker, “Perfecting Patient…
My guests for Podcast #179 are my friends Judy Worth and Tom Shuker, two of the co-authors of the book…
Reader Questions: Lean and Process Improvement in Healthcare
I received some really good questions from a reader, Nick, who has recently crossed industries to bring his Lean…
Webinar Recording from a University of Michigan Health System Lean Leader
Yesterday, the MIT SDM program hosted a webinar by Dr. Jack Billi from University of Michigan. I had the good…
Problems like This Should be the Focus of “Lean Government”
The "Strong America Now" initiative has proposed there are opportunities to save $500 BILLION a year from our U.S.…
Lean Healthcare “Success” Without Benefits? What?
I saw the following in a submission for a session at the 2012 Society for Health Systems conference, where I'm the…
Warning: You Can’t Even Draw a Map with this “Value Stream…
If you are a Twitter user and follow the #Lean hashtag on Twitter, you might have seen a lot of noise from a…
Denver Health’s Lean Patient Safety Improvements on PBS’ NewsHour
On June 30, the PBS NewsHour program did a 7-minute story on healthcare improvement (featuring Lean and Toyota…
“Kaizen” Mentioned in Dilbert Cartoon, but in a Warped Way
The word "kaizen" appeared in last Friday's Dilbert strip. It's a funny portrayal of how some might misinterpret…
Guest Post: The Chain of Improvement
Mark's note: Today's guest post is from Dr. Mark Jaben. I first met Mark in person at Cindy Jimmerson's Lean…
Audio Story w Pictures: Lean at Virginia Mason Medical Center & Barnes-Jewish
Here is a video from the St. Louis Beacon (actually, an NPR-style audio story with pictures) about Lean healthcare…
From SHS: Ohio Health Reduces Surgical Site Infections Using Lean
A few weeks back, I attended the Society for Health Systems (SHS) Conference in Orlando, where I chaired the…