Lean Manufacturing Archives | Page 45 of 54

What is Jishuken?

By Jon Miller - August 27th, 2006

For people who have worked at Toyota or companies strongly influenced by Toyota, the term “kaizen” is used more in the general sense, closer to philosophy than activity. The term jishuken is used to describe the intentional

The Kaizen Turnaround Kings at Danaher

By Jon Miller - August 21st, 2006

If the U.S.A. needed a poster-child for kaizen and Lean manufacturing success, $20 billion industrial holding company Danaher Corporation would be a good candidate. As this Investor’s Business Daily article details, they have bee

The Environment Where Takt Time is Ideal

By Jon Miller - August 17th, 2006

The topic of takt time and specifically “how does it apply to me?” seems to be a popular one, based on comments left by readers at this blog entry. The latest from John asks for advice on the environment where TAKT time is

One Key to a Lean Culture: Be Dissatisfied in the Work You Do

By Jon Miller - August 3rd, 2006

We met today with a long-term client of ours who has a small fabrication shop near our office. They make prosthetics (artificial limbs) which are each truly “one of a kind”, custom fit to the individual. As a small, growing

One Definition of Lean Manufacturing

By Jon Miller - July 31st, 2006

During a conference call to plan the agenda for a global meeting of Lean manufacturing leaders at one of our clients, they identified their desire to establish “one definition of Lean manufacturing” at their company. This m

Lean Manufacturing, Chicken Knife. Six Sigma, Cow Knife.

By Jon Miller - July 29th, 2006

I learned a new Chinese expression this week from a Six Sigma Master Black Belt from Taiwan. We were discussing how Lean manufacturing and Six Sigma fit together, and how sometimes there can be misunderstandings and conflicts between t

Standard Work is Kaizen Instruction for Managers

By Jon Miller - July 21st, 2006

Standard Work may be the most important Lean manufacturing tool that you don’t know enough about. Built on the three elements of takt time, work sequence, and standard work in process (standard WIP), it is the cornerstone of the

What’s Next After Lean?

By Jon Miller - July 18th, 2006

When I saw the article I thought surely one of the other Lean bloggers would jump all over it. Perhaps it was too easy. So I let it slide for a few days. Then I changed my mind. What’s next after Lean? Asks the interview with aut

How Toyota Used IT to Cut New Product Development Time in Half

By Jon Miller - July 5th, 2006

This is a follow up to a previous post on How Toyota Uses Information Technology (IT) for Kaizen based on an interview with Toyota CIO Amano in the Nikkei BP magazine. This one is titled The Role of the CIO is to Change the Way We Work

No One Does Lean Like the Japanese

By Jon Miller - July 1st, 2006

Or at least that’s the title of an article in the July 10, 2006 BusinessWeek. It’s good to see Lean production being featured in mainstream business magazines like this even if it’s likely to stir up the emotions of q

Lean Manufacturing

Start your Lean & Six Sigma training today.