Lean Basics Archives - aleanjourney

Why Eliminating Waste Alone Doesn’t Work: Understanding Muda, Muri, and Mura 0
- Lean Basics, Lean Definition
- April 15, 2026
One of the most common frustrations in continuous improvement is this: teams invest significant time and energy eliminating waste, only to see the same problems return weeks or months later. Inventory creeps back. Lead times stretch. Firefighting resumes. The issue is not a lack of effort or commitment. The issue is focus. Most Lean
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Standardized Work Isn’t the Problem — Our Thinking About It Is 0
- Lean Basics, Quality Magazine
- March 2, 2026
Say “standardized work” in a room full of professionals and you’ll see it immediately: crossed arms, skeptical looks, maybe even a quiet eye roll. Too rigid. Too controlling. The enemy of creativity. At least, that’s the reputation. And yet—standardized work remains one of the most powerful foundations of Lean, quality, and continuous improvement. So
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Embrace a Lean Mindset vs Hero Mentality 0
- Lean Basics, Problem Solving
- September 24, 2025
At first glance, the “hero” mentality might seem like a workplace virtue. It’s the employee who takes charge in every crisis and seemingly save the day when systems fail. The organization’s heroes put in the long hours to get the job done – because, and often ostensibly, because others in the organization do not have
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How to Get Started with Improvement in Your Organization 0
- Lean Basics
- September 17, 2025
Discovering ways to improve a company provides the opportunity to increase productivity and raise profitability. As a manager, decision-maker or team leader, identifying areas for improvement within your organization is an effective way to make it more successful. Improvements can cover a range of benefits, including increased efficiency, decreased spending and higher customer satisfaction levels.
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The Pros and Cons of Cellular Manufacturing 0
- Lean Basics
- September 15, 2025
The other day I was asked about the benefit of cellular manufacturing so I thought I would share some of my thoughts with you. Cellular manufacturing is a manufacturing process that produces families of parts within a single line or cell of machines operated by machinists who work only within the line or cell. A
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DOWNTIME and the Eight Wastes 0
- Lean Basics
- September 5, 2025
DOWNTIME and the Eight Wastes in Lean Manufacturing Acronyms are powerful tools for remembering important concepts, objectives, and processes. In Lean manufacturing, one of the most effective acronyms is DOWNTIME, which represents the Eight Wastes. These wastes highlight the distinction between value added vs non-value added activities and provide a framework for process improvement. The
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