The 5S

68 Articles

GA 356 | How Standards Prevent Turnover with Jason Haines

By Jessica Bush - January 28th, 2021

This week’s guest is Jason Haines. Ron and Jason discussed the importance of having a visual workplace, and how it, along with standard work, can actually help you retain employees. A MP3 audio version of this episode is availabl

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 349 | Lean and Sports with Richard Henderson

By Jessica Bush - December 10th, 2020

This week’s guest is Richard Henderson. Richard has applied lean in various settings, and he shared some of what he’s learned over the years. Richard also plays and coaches soccer, and he and Ron discussed how lean relates

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 312 | Practicing Kata in Secret with Tracy Defoe

By Jessica Bush - March 26th, 2020

This week’s guest is Tracy Defoe. Ron and Tracy discussed why people practice Toyota Kata and continuous improvement in secret, and why it’s problematic. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. I

GA 304 | The Different Approaches to Training Leaders with Brent Weichers

By Jessica Bush - January 30th, 2020

This week’s guest is Brent Weichers of The Lighthouse for the Blind. Ron and Brent discussed the various approaches to training leaders, including the different hard and soft skills involved. A MP3 audio version of this episode i

GA 293 | Approaching the Certification Process with Craig Johnson

By Jessica Bush - November 14th, 2019

This week’s guest is Craig Johnson. Ron and Craig discussed the learning and development realm of continuous improvement, as well as the pros and cons to various certification approaches. A MP3 audio version of this episode is av

GA 292 | The Financial Impact of Continuous Improvement with Ron Pereira

By Jessica Bush - November 7th, 2019

This week, Ron Pereira reflects on a blog post by fellow Gemba Academy Co-Founder Jon Miller. Ron reads the blog post, which centers on the financial benefits of continuous improvement, and then adds some thoughts of his own. A MP3 aud

GA 288 | Adapting to Industry 4.0 with Luke Mullins

By Jessica Bush - October 10th, 2019

This week’s guest is Luke Mullins. Ron and Luke discussed the concept of Industry 4.0, including the challenges both current and future leaders may face as lean evolves. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for downlo

GA 284 | Continuous Improvement in the Fast Food Industry with David Reid

By Jessica Bush - September 12th, 2019

This week’s guest is David Reid. David is a Principal Team Leader at Chick-fil-A, and he shared some of the many ways they’ve incorporated lean into their day-to-day operations.  A MP3 audio version of this episode is avai

GA 283 | Leveraging the Spirit of Learning with Ryan McCall

By Jessica Bush - September 5th, 2019

This week’s guest is Ryan McCall. Ryan shared some of what he’s learned so far on his lean journey and got Ron to weigh in on some of the interpersonal issues that can arise when experimenting with new lean approaches. A MP

GA 272 | The Role of Lean in Empowering People with Disabilities with Brent Weichers

By Jessica Bush - June 20th, 2019

This week’s guest is Brent Weichers of The Lighthouse for the Blind, a non-profit that employs people who are blind, DeafBlind, and blind with other disabilities. He explained the inner workings of this unique organization, and h

GA 270 | The Simplicity of Lean with Philip Holt

By Jessica Bush - June 6th, 2019

This week’s guest is Philip Holt. Philip discussed the books he’s written, the concept of “mosquito leadership,” and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you

GA 262 | The Next Generation of Lean with Tyler Athey

By Jessica Bush - April 11th, 2019

This week’s guest is Tyler Athey. Tyler is at the beginning of his career but has accomplished a lot in just a few years. Ron and Tyler touched on a lot of different aspects of lean, including kanban systems, flow, culture, and m

GA 251 | Lean in New Hampshire with Heather Barto and Tommy Lencki Jr.

By Jessica Bush - January 24th, 2019

This week’s guests are Heather Barto and Sergeant Tommy Lencki Jr. Heather and Tommy both work for the state of New Hampshire, and they described their involvement in the state’s continuous improvement initiatives. An MP3 v

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

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

GA 215 | How to Reflect on Lessons Learned with Brian Buck

By Jessica Bush - May 17th, 2018

This week’s guest is Brian Buck. Brian reflected back on his journey thus far and shared some of the lessons he’s learned, including the importance of defining and maintaining standards. An MP3 version of this episode is av

GA 207 | How to Define the Role of People in Lean with Jon Miller

By Jessica Bush - March 22nd, 2018

This week’s guest is GA Co-Founder Jon Miller. Ron and Jon discussed the people side of lean, specifically why stating that lean is “all about people” can be problematic. An MP3 version of this episode is available fo

GA 206 | How to Sustain Your Lean Success with Geoff Cox

By Jessica Bush - March 15th, 2018

This week’s guest is Production Manager Geoff Cox. Geoff and Ron discussed the key role of culture, and why lean really is all about people. An MP3 version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’

GA 199 | How to Understand Your Current Condition with Drew Locher

By Jessica Bush - January 25th, 2018

This week’s guest is Drew Locher. Drew explained a huge issue in continuous improvement…rushing into countermeasures before taking the time to investigate and understand the current condition. An MP3 version of this episode

World Peace through 5S

By Jon Miller - July 2nd, 2012

Congratulations to Kaizen Institute Romania, KI Japan for the 2nd successful “5S in the City” event. In cooperation with the Japanese non-profit organization 日本を美しくする会 (Organization to Clean Up Japan), a t

Never Start with 5S!

By Jon Miller - May 4th, 2010

“Oh no,” some of you are thinking. “Too late! Why didn’t you tell us earlier?” Jamie Flinchbaugh started a thought-provoking discussion today on his blog where he says don’t do 5S and gives good reas

A Tracking Method for 5S Programs

By Jon Miller - April 20th, 2010

David asked: I’m having a difficult time coming up with a tracking method for our 5S program. We are running a program with a scoring value but no real tracking method. Any suggestions? We have to pause every time we hear the wor

What You May be Missing About 5S

By Jon Miller - March 11th, 2010

Paul left a couple of comments recently that caught my attention: HELP! My company has been “attempting” 5s for several years now,and have recently begun rolling it out once again after stopping it a few years back. My prob

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