Lean Resources

Operational metrics — like absorption costing and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) — shape behavior not just in theory, but on the floor, hour by hour. They tell teams what to prioritize, signal when something’s “working,” and often determine which efforts get...

When organizations talk about problem solving, they often assume everyone agrees on what a problem actually is in the context of Lean principles. That’s not always the case. Effective Lean problem solving, then, begins with a simple but critical foundation: A clear...

Your profit might look great on paper, but it’s free cash flow that signals your company’s true financial health. After a company covers all its operating costs and invests in capital assets, free cash flow is what remains, and it is this cash that can be used to fuel...

When it comes to serving customers effectively and efficiently, few metrics are as universally tracked as on-time delivery (OTD).  It’s the number that shows up again and again in reports, dashboards, and review meetings. But behind many green OTD scores lies a...

Many organizations today proudly claim they've used value stream mapping to map the value streams throughout their organization, yet these same organizations continue to face operational inefficiencies. The reason? Value stream mapping alone is not enough when...

Manufacturing leaders understand the critical role of and approach to inventory management and resource planning can make or break a company’s operational efficiency. For decades, Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems have dominated this space, promising...

In manufacturing, Lean productivity metrics often overshadow more meaningful measures of operational excellence. But what does this mean? While productivity remains important, industry leaders at Lean Horizons Consulting argue that this narrow focus often misses...

When Taiichi Ohno and his team of engineers developed the Toyota Production System (TPS), they built a precision machine where every component worked in perfect harmony. Today, that finely-tuned system has been dismantled and reassembled countless times, with each new...

Performance metrics can act as silent saboteurs within manufacturing operations, systematically destroying value while appearing to drive improvement. What begins as well-intentioned measurement often evolves into a complex web of competing indicators, misaligned...

The 7 Flows of Manufacturing are critical components of advanced Lean thinking, yet many manufacturers overlook their transformative potential. This comprehensive methodology offers a fresh perspective on production processes, challenging traditional views of...