Lean Roundup #68 - January, 2015

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of January, 2015.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.

It’s all about the flow… - Vivienne Fagrell says that if you want flow then you need to standardize and rationalize

A  Lean Approach to New Years Resolutions – Gregg Stocker says it is common to fail with resolutions and how a Lean approach may help the process.

Artificial Ignorance – Bruce Hamilton asks if your IT strategy is supporting productivity and competitiveness or is it the tail that wags the dog.

Why Do We Learn More from Failure? – Pascal Dennis answers why failure is part of learning.

Why Fewer Customizations Are Good For Business – Marci Reynolds explains the pros and cons of customization versus standardization for businesses.

Cartoon: There’s A Time & A Place to Fight Fires – Mark Graban says there is a time and place to fight fires and it shouldn’t be in business.

HOW DOES KAIZEN DIFFER FROM A KAIZEN EVENT? – Mark Rosenthal explains that Kaizen from Japan is not the same Kazien as the west has come to adopt.

The Human Side of Value Stream Mapping – Karen Martin  says the deepest transformational benefits from well-executed value stream mapping activities are often people-based.

2015 New Year’s Resolutions for the Supply Chain Industry - CJ Wehlage shares his 2015 resolutions to re-focus on the hard core fundamentals of supply chain success.

Does Anyone Really Care About Developing Leaders? – Gregg Stocker shares 5 elements of an effective leadership development system.

How to Start Applying Deming’s Ideas on Management – John Hunter provides some guidance on implementing Deming’s ideas in your management team.

10 Steps to Establish Best Practices in Maintenance Management - Jeffrey Owens shares 10 steps to proactively reach world-class maintenance in this reactive environment.

Resolve to Understand Capacity in 2015  - Bill Waddell says most powerful resolution management can make would be to fully understand capacity this year.

When to Use "Kaizen Events" to Achieve and Sustain Results – Michael Baudin discusses Kaizen events and how to benefit from them.

The State of the Open Door Policy - Bill Kirkwood explains that leader gemba walks are more effective at building trust and respect than an open door policy.

Swimming With Alligators – Steve Kane explains the importance to keep focused on your objectives despite your distractions.

The Mindful Ohno – Kevin Meyer says if you take the time to simply observe, you may be surprised at what you discover.

Why Habits Could Be the Secret to Your Success in 2015 – Ron Pereira explains why habits are the secret to being successful in your new year’s resolutions.

The Lean Strategy Video Series Summary – Jamie Flinchbaugh shares a wonderful video series on Lean Strategy that you must watch.

Reprise: What is a Key Thinker? – Pascal Dennis explains what key thinker is and how we develop more.

The Back Story – Lean Behaviors – Bob Emiliani says Lean behaviors are necessary to become an effective Lean leader, but explains why they are not sufficient.

Looking back at the Toyota Tsutsumi plant tour, part 1 and Looking back at the Toyota Tsutsumi plant tour, part 2 – Mark Graban shares a collection of details from a recent trip to a Toyota plant in Japan.