Lean Manufacturing

590 Articles

GA 355 | The Relationship Between Machines and Humans with Prasad Akella

By Jessica Bush - January 21st, 2021

This week’s guest is Prasad Akella. Prasad shared his take on the relationship between machine intelligence and human intelligence, and how they can work together in harmony. Prasad also stressed the importance of data and data l

GA 354 | Avoiding the Continuous Appearance Trap with Patrick Adams

By Jessica Bush - January 14th, 2021

This week’s guest is Patrick Adams. Patrick recently released a new book all about the concept of “continuous appearance.” He explained what it can mean for your organization and its culture, and how it can be prevent

GA 353 | Creating the Jeep with Paul Bruno

By Jessica Bush - January 7th, 2021

This week’s guest is Paul Bruno. Paul doesn’t have a traditional lean background, but the fascinating research he shared on the story behind the creation of the Jeep is full of lean parallels and lessons. A MP3 audio versio

GA 352 | Defining, Executing, and Aligning Winning with Billy Taylor

By Jessica Bush - December 31st, 2020

This week we’re sharing the audio of our recent Billy Taylor livestream. Billy is a lean powerhouse and his presentation is packed with practical and profound wisdom. If you’re looking for some New Year’s inspiration,

GA 351 | The Biggest Truth and Lie in Life with Lili Boyanova

By Jessica Bush - December 24th, 2020

This week’s guest is Lili Boyanova. Lili shared some of what she’s learned about lean so far and her vision for the future. Lili also asked Ron some pretty profound questions about life and lean. A MP3 audio version of this

GA 350 | Emphasizing the Process with Cristian Goyzueta

By Jessica Bush - December 17th, 2020

This week’s guest is Cristian Goyzueta. Cristian is relatively new to continuous improvement but had a wealth of knowledge to share. Cristian and Ron covered quite a few different topics, ranging from ISO to visual management and

GA 348 | Communicating Respect in Lean with Tejas Munot

By Jessica Bush - December 3rd, 2020

This week’s guest is Tejas Munot. Tejas shared what he learned during his time at VIBCO Vibrators, the importance of respect, and more. Tejas also interviewed Ron about HIS lean journey thus far. A MP3 audio version of this episo

GA 347 | Leveraging Deliberate Practice with Billy Taylor

By Jessica Bush - November 26th, 2020

This week’s guest is Billy Taylor. Formerly the Director of Manufacturing at Goodyear, Billy has an impressive amount of lean knowledge. From the value of diversity, to performance maps, to deliberate practice, you won’t wa

GA 346 | Navigating the Gemba with Jay Hodge

By Jessica Bush - November 19th, 2020

This week’s guest is Jay Hodge. Ron and Jay discussed the confusion around the word gemba and how gemba relates to kaizen. Jay has worked at GM, Toyota, and Caterpillar, to name a few, so he shared what it’s like to make th

GA 345 | Hearing for the First Time with Adam Alamade

By Jessica Bush - November 12th, 2020

This week’s guest is Adam Alamade. Adam works for a cochlear implant manufacturer and he described how they use continuous improvement. He and Ron also discussed dealing with resistance, owning problems, developing habits, and mo

GA 344 | Learning Lean Lessons From Powerful Stories with Steven Jackson

By Jessica Bush - November 5th, 2020

This week’s guest is Steven Jackson. Steven shared some incredible stories that have clear parallels to continuous improvement. This episode really demonstrates the effect this kind of thinking can have on human lives, past, pres

GA 341 | Exploring Quantum Lean with Sean Fields and Michael Sanders

By Jessica Bush - October 15th, 2020

This week’s guests are Sean Fields and Michael Sanders. Together with Ron they discussed the concept of quantum lean and how it can be used to streamline processes. They also explored how quantum lean compares to value stream map

GA 340 | Modernizing TWI with Ryan Weiss

By Jessica Bush - October 8th, 2020

This week’s guest is Ryan Weiss. Ryan, a lean consultant, shared his approach to optimizing performance. He and Ron also discussed the modernization of TWI, and how different learning styles play a role. A MP3 audio version of th

GA 339 | Applying Lean and Six Sigma to Human Resources with Michael Parent

By Jessica Bush - October 1st, 2020

This week’s guest is Michael Parent. Ron and Michael discussed the role of continuous improvement in HR and the challenges Michael faces. Michael also shared his take on applying these principles in untraditional contexts. A MP3

Lean Certification

5 Tips for Choosing a Lean Certification Course

By Steve Kane - September 25th, 2020

There are many Lean certification courses available from a wide variety of organizations. Choosing the right one to suit your specific needs can be a bit tricky. Here are some tips and considerations to help you find the right one for

GA 338 | Gamifying Lean with Bruno Pesec

By Jessica Bush - September 24th, 2020

This week’s guest is Bruno Pesec.  Ron and Bruno discussed innovation strategy, the intersection of respect for people and innovation, and how Bruno has been involved in gamifying lean. A MP3 audio version of this episode is ava

GA 336 | The Process of Process Improvement with Karen Friedenberg

By Jessica Bush - September 10th, 2020

This week’s guest is Karen Friedenberg. Karen, who has a diverse career background, broke down all the different ways she approaches process improvement. From DMAIC to change management, this episode is full of practical knowledg

GA 334 | The Benefits of System Integration with Danny Bradford

By Jessica Bush - August 27th, 2020

This week’s guest is Danny Bradford. Danny described the power of system and B2B integration, what goes into a successful integration, and how these concepts apply to different industries. A MP3 audio version of this episode is a

GA 333 | The Five Skills for Effective Leadership with Hugh Alley

By Jessica Bush - August 20th, 2020

This week’s guest is Hugh Alley. Ron and Hugh discussed the five core skills to being a good leader and boss, how it all relates to TWI, Hugh’s book, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download h

GA 331 | Leading and Learning at Toyota with Katie Anderson

By Jessica Bush - August 6th, 2020

This week’s guest is Katie Anderson. Ron and Katie discussed Katie’s new book, the roles of a leader,  joy versus happiness, and much more. Katie also shared some special stories about esteemed Toyota leaders like Isao Yos

GA 330 | The Power of 3P with Adam Lawrence

By Jessica Bush - July 30th, 2020

This week’s guest is Adam Lawrence. Ron and Adam talked all about 3P, including the steps involved and how it can be used for product innovation. Adam also shared a very interesting anecdote involving cat litter, corn flakes, and

GA 329 | Gathering Lean Stories with Dewey Mauldin

By Jessica Bush - July 23rd, 2020

This week’s guest is Dewey Mauldin. Dewey, who works for Daimler Trucks, shared some of the experiences that have stuck with him over the years. Dewey specifically touches on takt time, purchase processes, and more. A MP3 audio v

Pivotal Hubris Moments – Architecting, Detecting, or Preventing Your Demise

By Jessica Bush - June 19th, 2020

The following article was written for Gemba Academy by Mohamed Saleh, PhD Do you ever look back at an event and think, “Oh, there are so many things that I would have done differently? If only I would have known what I know now while

GA 324 | From Software Engineers to Face Shield Manufacturers with Radek Pietruszewski

By Jessica Bush - June 18th, 2020

This week’s guest is Radek Pietruszewski. To help fight COVID-19 in Poland, Radek and his software engineering colleagues figured out how to quickly manufacture thousands of face shields. He and Ron discussed the details of this

Respect for Humanity: To Be Lean or Not to Be, That Is the Question

By Jessica Bush - June 12th, 2020

The following article was written for Gemba Academy by Mohamed Saleh, PhD Many of us grew up admiring figures like Gandhi, King Arthur, Michael Jordan, figures of faith, and our own parents for how they inspired us. They gathered follo

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