Lean Basics

Lean Quote: Value Pays The Wages 0
- Lean Basics, Lean Quote
- June 5, 2026
On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on
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Lean Quote: The Power Of 1% Better 0
- Lean Basics, Lean Quote
- May 29, 2026
On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on
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The 8th Waste in Modern Environments 0
- Lean Basics, Quality Magazine
- April 27, 2026
Lean thinking teaches us that waste exists in every process—but we don’t always expect to see it outside of traditional work environments. During a recent business trip, what should have been a routine rental car pickup turned into a powerful real-world example of all eight wastes in action. From waiting and overprocessing to the
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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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