Condolences to the family of Mr. Norman Bodek (obituary). I had many wonderful phone and e-mail conversations with Norman over the last 18 years. He was a beloved figure, always accessible and always helpful. A humble man, life-long learner, and earnest in his life's mission to help humanity … [Read more...] about Norman Bodek (1932-2020)
Tired of Hearing About Toyota?
I know I am. But that is because we have been hearing the same old things about Toyota -- their production system, obeya, coaching, gemba walks, A3 reports, value steam maps, LPPD, and so on. All the stuff that is easy to package and sell by various parties. You don't hear much about Just-in-Time, … [Read more...] about Tired of Hearing About Toyota?
Akio Toyoda’s View of TPS: A Critical Analysis
A recent article in Toyota Times described Akio Toyoda's view of Toyota Production System in the context of: "bring[ing] back what makes us Toyota" "completely redesigning Toyota for the future" and [a] "training program is for Toyota’s management leaders who don’t work at manufacturing … [Read more...] about Akio Toyoda’s View of TPS: A Critical Analysis
What Comes After Lean?
One of the foundations of Lean management is to think -- to be a Lean thinker. That means more than thinking only about Lean and how great Lean is. It means thinking about evolving and adapting to changing times based on needs. It means changing Lean and building upon Lean if the need exists, … [Read more...] about What Comes After Lean?
Love for Ohno, Hate for Taylor?
Poor Frederick Winslow Taylor. Almost everyone hates him these days. Yet, just about everyone loves Taiichi Ohno. Why? What Taylor started -- the application of the scientific method to management (Scientific Management), the field of industrial engineering, and ensuring non-zero-sum outcomes for … [Read more...] about Love for Ohno, Hate for Taylor?
The Back Story – Eliminating Waste in Teaching
This is the back story to the book Eliminating Waste in Teaching. For more than 15 years I have been a dedicated student of the history of management. The particular years of interest are 1890 to the early 1930s, a time known as the Progressive Era. It was during this era that a new system of … [Read more...] about The Back Story – Eliminating Waste in Teaching
How Many Genbas are There?
When the world became aware of Toyota's production system in the mid-1970s, there was one genba -- the shop floor. I call this Genba 3. When Lean arrived in 1988, there remained just one genba -- the shop floor. Within a few years, office work became recognized as another genba (Genba 2) where large … [Read more...] about How Many Genbas are There?
Are You a Lean Expert?
A lot of people say they are Lean experts. But is there such a thing as a Lean expert? Let's assume there is. The next question is, what does "Lean expert" mean? Is a Lean expert someone who has comprehensive knowledge and skills in some Lean methods and tools? Or, is a Lean expert someone who is … [Read more...] about Are You a Lean Expert?
Toyota’s Free Riders
Sometimes this is how I think about things -- hitching one's derivative TPS product/service to Toyota. This is not necessarily a bad thing. The free riders shown in the image below can indeed be useful in certain circumstances. It is not as if they are without merit. You may agree or disagree with … [Read more...] about Toyota’s Free Riders