If your days are anything like mine, it feels like the alarm goes off and it’s 900 miles per hour for the rest of the day.   If you manage to squeeze in a 5 minute lunch and GOD forbid a bathroom break, it feels like you’re winning.   Adding one more thing to the proverbial […]

It’s pretty unlikely you just woke up in the morning and decided hey I’m gonna take my company on this lean adventure, I should tell everyone today. Probably you read a bunch of books, mentioned it to your leadership team and spoke to a few key employees. Then undoubtedly that disseminates through the ranks and […]

Although times are changing and there could probably be a case made for YouTube and social media, however most of our information still comes from Books. There are countless volumes written on the subject of manufacturing and or lean manufacturing. I’m sure as you’re reading this a few titles are popping into mind. As manufacturers […]

Since it’s in the best interest of every business to improve, I’d be willing to bet whether you state the claim “we are on a lean journey” or you just wake up every day trying to make your business better, there is likely a flurry of activity with people making improvements on the shop floor, […]

Here are 3 words you probably haven’t heard, but are critical to your Lean journey. YOKOTEN HANSEI HEIJUNKA Like many lean terms we commonly use, they originate in Japan, and we continue to use the Japanese term here. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure why, but it does make it a little more interesting […]

There are volumes written on what we need to do to succeed, So I’m going to take a slightly different approach and outline the 3 keys to ensuring you fail. Perhaps this perspective will resonate differently and help get you going on the track you need to be on. Step 1: Stay in your comfort […]

We got this question last week, that sparked some wonderful debate in the Quantum lean community. “What percentage of time should I spend on the process V.S. the people”. All too often people are looking for a black and white formula to apply to a problem, and it’s seldom the case, particularly when it comes […]

The lesson we’re about to discuss in this article as one I really could’ve used about 30 years ago when I got started in manufacturing. A large percentage of businesses grow organically over time, and quite often there hangs a picture in the office somewhere of the founder working away in a garage. And as […]

If you’re practising lean in your organization, it is almost a certainty that you have heard of the eight deadly wastes. And in all likelihood, you even have them memorized. If you really got it together you talk about them every day with your team and how to reduce or eliminate them. We hear those […]

Everyones lean journey starts in a different place for a different reason, at a different time. Regardless of when or why, all the same rules apply, and underlying almost every lean principle is Standard work. What is “Standard Work”? In short, it is creating, and documenting a way of doing a task. The fundamental principle […]