One of the ongoing arguments that people have is that Lean is a system, while other things which have borrowed from Lean or attached themselves to Lean are somehow the same as Lean (and thus, a system). The image at right is an imperfect conceptual model featuring a 1971 Toyota Corolla that … [Read more...] about Lean, Agile, and Six Sigma
Lean and the Burning Platform
Corporate financial distress -- the so-called "burning platform" -- has long been cited as the crisis necessary to propel a management team to adopt Lean management. Is it? In my book, Triumph of Classical Management Over Lean Management, I said: "Even Lean’s supposed savior, 'the burning … [Read more...] about Lean and the Burning Platform
Reimagining Lean
After more than three decades, we know one thing for sure: Lean management (as well as TPS) has proven itself to be inadequate as a replacement for Classical management. Why? Because Lean has failed to offer business owners and corporate executives the things that they want and need most: The … [Read more...] about Reimagining Lean
The Seven Laws of Lean Disillusionment
I have spoken to many people in recent years who have become disillusioned with Lean management in one way or another. In most cases, disillusionment does not lead to a complete abandonment of Lean thinking and practice. Rather, it greatly suppresses enthusiasm and limits the scope of practice to … [Read more...] about The Seven Laws of Lean Disillusionment
The Role of a Professor in the Lean Movement
What is the role of a professor in the Lean movement? Is it to mindlessly cheerlead Lean and accentuate only the positive? Or, is it to think critically, carefully analyze the product (based on experience using the product), and identify practical improvements? My involvement with Lean management … [Read more...] about The Role of a Professor in the Lean Movement
The Back Story – Conversations with Taiichi Ohno
This is the back story to the book Conversations with Taiichi Ohno. Why write a fictional account of conversations with Taiichi Ohno (1912-1990)? There are a several reasons for doing so. The first reason is that people are losing touch with Taiichi Ohno. They don't know who he was. They don't … [Read more...] about The Back Story – Conversations with Taiichi Ohno
Learning to See
It's obvious Lean and TPS are not the same. If you had to pick one, which would you choose and why? (Click on image to enlarge). … [Read more...] about Learning to See
How Would You Answer These Questions?
What standard do you hold yourself to when someone asks you questions about Lean management or Toyota management? The standard could vary as widely for a person as it can from person-to-person. There are at least eight possible standards to choose from: Say "I don't know" Guess at the … [Read more...] about How Would You Answer These Questions?
Why Aren’t You Solving Ohno’s Problem?
The Lean Enterprise Institute's Lean Transformation Framework encompasses five questions. The first question is: "What problem are we trying to solve?" For most people, it is a reasonable first question to ask. But there are two other important related questions: 1. Who … [Read more...] about Why Aren’t You Solving Ohno’s Problem?