A pillar of Toyota is "Respect for People." This concept is explained well in the Toyota Code of Conduct. This is not new to students of Lean
Jacob’s Oven and Lean
My family and I are supporters of the Jacob's Oven Project, which is a charity to help mothers and families in Africa become more self-reliant. It's
Genchi Genbutsu Communication and Communication Breakdown
Genchi Genbutsu Communication is one way to prevent communication breakdown. I've written previously about team dynamics and team size. I've since
Deming’s 14 Points and Home Building
While at the doctor's office sometime back, I picked up a copy of a local Utah business magazine. In that magazine, there was an article that
Ask Why’ Five Times About Every Matter
Taiichi Ohno is known to have said that "having no problems is the biggest problem of all." He viewed problems not as a negative but as a "Kaizen
How Many Kanban Cards are Needed: Kanban Types and Analytical Sizing
Unlike traditional "push" systems, where material is moved downstream according to a schedule, or simply "shoved" downstream even when the downstream
Qualitative Variation Grid Example
There are outputs and the processes that produce those outputs. This article shows a way to measure qualitative variation via a simple experiement.
Attacking Business Complexity at Heinz Corporation
Many have argued that there is an inverse relationship between business or product complexity and customer satisfaction: the more complex a product or
Lean for Hospitals: Allegheny Medical Center From Factory Floor to the Hospital
I found this wonderful piece on the Toyota Production System and Healthcare. Another example of Lean in a Hospital is Virginia Mason Medical Center.