Steve Kane, Author at Gemba Academy | Page 4 of 9

Steve Kane

Steve is responsible for Gemba Academy's lean coaching and certifications. Prior to Gemba Academy, Steve had a diverse career ranging from being responsible for a large medical device sales territory, plant manager where he leveraged lean methods to drive improvement, and VP Operations at Specialty Silicone Fabricators where he led the lean efforts of the company. He has served on the western region board of The Association for Manufacturing Excellence and has worked with the Michigan Lean Learning Consortium and the California Central Coast Lean Forum.

82 Articles

Lessons Learned as a Kata Coach

By Steve Kane - May 24th, 2019

I first learned about Toyota Kata many years ago by attending a one-day workshop presented by Beth Carrington. A short time later, I read Toyota Kata and I began practicing. The practice as a new kata coach was difficult for me.

What’s the Follow Up Plan?

By Steve Kane - March 22nd, 2019

Covey said it best: “Begin with the end in mind.” The adoption of a lean practice sometimes starts with a problem to solve. Other times it starts with a new tool (“To a man with a hammer everything looks like a nail&#

Vision, Values, and Principles

By Steve Kane - February 20th, 2019

Labor and work environments have continually changed since the dawn of employment. These topics are like just about any other aspect of the human experience in that they have changed more rapidly over the past century than any other pe

What’s the Thinking Behind the Tools

By Steve Kane - January 25th, 2019

I have a small hobby business I run on the weekends. It involves some simple assembly and kitting, which I do in my basement. I’ve come to the point where flow has become the next problem to solve. What’s the Convention

Small Improvements Instead of Resolutions for the New Year

By Steve Kane - December 28th, 2018

We’re closing in on the new year, a time when big ideas about improving our lives come to mind. It’s common knowledge that new year’s resolutions typically abandoned by Valentine’s Day. Taking on too much

Applying Job Relations to Job Instruction

By Steve Kane - November 23rd, 2018

A customer I collaborate with from time to time is responsible for continuous improvement in several factories here in the US. For the ease of telling the story, we’ll call this customer Joe. Joe’s organization is begin

Disrupt Your Thinking

By Steve Kane - October 26th, 2018

Learn Something New Autumn seems to be conference season in the Lean community. I’ve attended events hosted by the Colorado Lean Network and the Michigan Lean Consortium in the past few weeks. Conferences are great opportunitie

Constraints Are Opportunities

By Steve Kane - September 28th, 2018

I started my lean journey many years ago while working in the motorcycle industry. I was a parts and accessories manager for a BMW Motorcycles dealership in the Monterey Bay area of California. This dealership had been in business

You Want Me to Do What!?!

By Steve Kane - August 24th, 2018

I coach a variety of teams in diverse industries in the area of continuous improvement. A common struggle is overcoming an obstacle that is often perceived as resistance to change. Improvement is Inherent Change for the better s

Set Full Sail

By Steve Kane - June 22nd, 2018

Getting started with lean in an existing organization challenging on many levels. Often some of the most important steps in a lean journey are not recognized. A common place people think they start is with 5S. It’s an

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