Learning by Writing… by Hand

By Kevin Meyer • Updated: May 18th, 2017, • 5 Comments

By Kevin Meyer I’m an early adopter tech geek at heart, and generally am among the first to embrace a new technology. I may not go to the extreme of standing in line for a new iPhone, but I will pay to upgrade to the latest model even when I

Just Own It

By Kevin Meyer • Published: February 24th, 2015 • 1 Comment

By Kevin Meyer In addition to having implemented lean in several companies, I’ve been fortunate to have been able to visit a large number of unique organizations where continuous improvement methods have taken root. Although for the most part they’re all different, they also have a few things in common: A

The Engaging Value of Risk

By Kevin Meyer • Published: February 3rd, 2015 • 1 Comment

By Kevin Meyer Humans tend to abhor chaos, and love to invoke rules to supposedly create order. We like rules because they make us feel protected, aligned, and perhaps operating on a fair playing field. At the same time we dislike rules because they can protect us to the point of being

The Mindful Ohno

By Kevin Meyer • Published: January 13th, 2015 • 1 Comment

By Kevin Meyer Mindfulness has become all the rage in personal and professional leadership these days, which is good and bad. Understood and done right, it is a very powerful concept. But as with most concepts it is also often misunderstood, therefore sometimes maligned, and even misapplied. Somewhat similar to lean,

The Best of LSS Academy – 2011 Edition

By Ron Pereira • Updated: January 19th, 2012, • 3 Comments

Well, friends, another year has come and gone. As always, I’d like to sincerely thank each and every one of you for taking the time to visit LSS Academy. We now have more than 16,000 subscribers which is simply mind blowing! I remember sitting on my couch a few years

5S Isn’t About Cleaning, Straightening, or Standardization

By Ron Pereira • Updated: December 7th, 2017, • 13 Comments

Quick question for you… what’s the true purpose of 5S (or 6S)? Go ahead and answer in your head or out loud. Now, if you’re close enough to some colleagues ask them the same question. Go on, I’ll wait. Great. Now that we have some “data” let’s see how your

The Long and Winding Road

By Ron Pereira • Updated: January 11th, 2011, • 6 Comments

As I come up on the 90th day of my P90X workout program I can’t help but compare the situation to the continuous improvement journey. You see, by definition, the P90X program is meant to get you into top shape within 90 days. And, let me tell you, it’s worked

Value Stream Mapping Overview

By Ron Pereira • Updated: March 2nd, 2021, • 18 Comments

One of, if not the single most powerful lean tool available to us is value stream mapping (VSM). The reason it’s so powerful is because of its relevancy. You see, it doesn’t matter if you are an accountant who sits behind a desk, or a nurse caring for the sick,

Shadows or Reality?

By Ron Pereira • Updated: April 1st, 2013, • 10 Comments

One of my passions in life is to learn. As such, I have begun the year by ditching books about leadership, lean, and six sigma (for now). In their place I have decided to study philosophy which may make you want to yawn… but I would be less than truthful if I