Lean Resources

Most Lean initiatives start with energy and optimism. At the beginning, organizations will pour resource after resource into Lean endeavors, confident that training, tools, and programs will deliver results. Gemba boards go up, teams get trained, offices get staffed....

It’s become increasingly clear that Lean, as a whole methodology, has a branding problem in the executive suite.  Many leaders and decision-makers see it as a toolbox, or else a performance program tied to productivity and cost reduction. When viewed this way,...

Table of Contents Thinking Before Doing in TPS Putting the Pillars of TPS into Motion Building Blocks That Keep TPS Standing Practical Takeaways for Lean Leaders The Toyota Production System is often misunderstood, even by those who claim to “know Lean.”  They’ve...

Table of Contents 1. Productivity Is a Lagging Indicator 2. Traditional Productivity Metrics Reinforce the Wrong Behavior 3. Misguided Cost Systems Create Noise, Not Insight What to Measure Instead (and Why It Works) Redefining Performance at the Leadership Level Is...

Table of Contents When Good Metrics Drive Bad Behavior Compensation Systems That Reward the Process, Not Just the Results Cross-Functional Alignment and Breakthrough Goals CFO and HR Leadership, Plus Its Cultural Implications Reinforcing Lean Through Strategic...

Table of Contents The Executive Questions That Matter The Lean Trilogy: Aligning Employees, Customers, and Shareholders Employees and Customers – Cornerstones of Purpose-Driven Lean Shareholders and the Five Ps: Linking Purpose to Sustainable Value Purpose,...

Table of Contents Culture Before Tools Learning Through Experimentation Enterprise-Wide Lean and Urgent Problem-Solving The Five Ps of DBS Why This Matters for Your Business, Too You’ve likely heard the Danaher Business System (DBS) being cited as a gold standard for...

Table of Contents Are Output-Based Metrics Rewarding the Wrong Behavior? Avoiding Changeovers Degrades Flow Metric Pressure Causes Local Optimizations TAKT Time Aligns Work to Real Demand Transitioning from Absorption Costing and Overall Equipment Effectiveness...

Table of Contents The Real Purpose of Manufacturing Lines and Cells The Cross-Functional Nature of Problems Organizational Structure Must Match Problem-Solving Needs True Value Stream Organization Unlocks Problem Solving Building Cross-Functional Teams for Real-Time...

Table of Contents What Is Free Cash Flow, and Why Does It Matter? Free Cash Flow vs. Cash Flow: What’s the Difference? Free Cash Flow as a Lean Metric Lean Metrics That Actually Drive the Business Bringing Lean Practices to the Bottom Line Your profit might look great...