April 4, 2024
Unlocking the potential of Lean in NGOs
Lynne Smith
INTERVIEW - In this interview, Lynne Smith discusses the potential and difficulties of applying Lean Thinking to NGOs and looks back at the lean transformation at the Gates Foundation.
March 26, 2024
20 years of Lean in the Netherlands
René Aernoudts
FEATURE – In February, our affiliate in the Netherlands turned 20. The President of Lean Management Instituut reflects on this achievement and looks back at these two decades.
March 22, 2024
Teaching/learning systems
Michael Ballé
FEATURE – To get the results we want from a system, or prevent it from generating undesirable events, we need to understand how it works and behaves in the real world. That’s exactly what Jidoka does.
March 14, 2024
Small businesses, big impact
Paloma Rubinato Perez
FEATURE – The successful project discussed in this article shows how Lean Thinking can bring huge benefits to small and medium enterprises and paves the way to a new way of looking at lean coaching.
March 8, 2024
Women making a difference in lean and sustainability
Rose Heathcote
FEATURE – This article applauds the tenacity of women leaders and seeks to illustrate how they motivate others to take on the sustainability challenge through lean practices.
February 29, 2024
Lean thinking, green thinking
Michael Ballé
FEATURE – When it comes to the fight against climate change, we can’t expect to achieve much until we fundamentally challenge the way we think about resource consumption. Lean is our tool to do that.
February 23, 2024
For profound lean change, develop new power skills in leaders
Robson Gouveia
FEATURE – The author highlights the critical “power skills” leaders need to provide the right support to the transformations they lead.
February 20, 2024
The founders reflect on 10 years of Planet Lean
The PL editorial board
FEATURE- The editorial board members of Planet Lean reflect on the magazine's origin story and its role within and contribution to the Lean Community.
February 16, 2024
Planet Lean turns 10!
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
FEATURE– Ten years ago, Planet Lean was launched as a new platform for the Lean Community to share its experiences and knowledge. Our editor reflects on the magazine's mission, history and contribution of the spread of Lean Thinking.
February 13, 2024
The UK Lean Summit is coming up!
Dave Brunt
INTERVIEW – The UK Lean Summit 2024 is coming up in April. We speak to Dave Brunt to hear about the event and what we can expect from the presentations.
February 8, 2024
The power of jeans - Part 2
Edward Blackman and Hannah Hutson
FICTION – In the second and final part of this story, the main characters discuss in front of a board. If you regularly use visual management, their conversation will resonate with you.
February 1, 2024
Flying high: Lean Thinking at avianca
Albert Pérez
INTERVIEW – We speak with avianca’s VP of Maintenance and Engineering to learn about the efforts the airline is making to fulfil its promise to passengers.
January 26, 2024
The deep secret of lean transformation: the People Review
Michael Ballé, Cyril Gras and Pauline Marion
FEATURE – To develop a lean culture means to develop each lean thinker and help them reach their full potential. Here’s how Aramis Group does it.
January 19, 2024
Aligning business areas to improve Time-to-Market
The Si3 Team with Héctor Rincón
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CASE STUDY – Following a positive experience in manufacturing, this Colombian company brought lean to the rest of the organization. Its goal? To become a reliable partner for its clients in the national and international markets.
January 12, 2024
The power of jeans
Edward Blackman and Hannah Hutson
FICTION - Part 1 of this story reminds us that the role of leaders in an organization is to set the example for others, behaving the way they want the rest of the company to behave.
January 9, 2024
Lean without Jidoka is just Fordism
Michael Ballé
FEATURE – Nobody understands humans as well as humans do, and Jidoka is the key to learning about your customers and create ever-better products and services.
December 22, 2023
If you learn, there is no failure
Flávio Battaglia and Luciana Gomes
FEATURE – In this article, you’ll understand how potential errors can become an endless source of personal and managerial growth.
December 19, 2023
Start with product takt-time
Michael Ballé, Eivind Reke, and Yu-Hsiu Josh Hung
FEATURE – By adopting a product takt time perspective, we can better align engineering decisions with market demands, leading to better design, manufacturing, and material choices.
December 15, 2023
When the lean team is the problem
FEATURE – How does the improvement department of a company become a hindrance to the transformation? The author answers this question and discusses how this can be avoided.
December 12, 2023
Leadership for everyone
Julie Chevalier
FEATURE – If you think one is born a leader, think again. Leadership can be learned and, in this article, the author provides a four-step guide to developing it.
December 8, 2023
Growing sustainably with Lean Thinking
Eivind Reke
Eivind
Reke
CASE STUDY – The story of Norwegian furniture manufacturer Haugstad Møbel that, thanks to Lean Thinking, was able to transform its culture and unlock the potential of sustainable growth.
November 17, 2023
To the end of the world
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
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WEBSERIES - In the last episode of our It's a Lean World series, we travel to the tip of South America to visit the southernmost Distribution Center in the world and learn about its lean work.
November 10, 2023
Remembering Freddy Ballé
Dan Jones
FEATURE – On October 31st, the Lean Movement lost one of his pioneers. In this piece, Dan Jones reflects on Freddy Ballé’s legacy.
November 9, 2023
Sustainable, lean construction
CASE STUDY – Thanks to Lean Thinking, this Spanish construction company was able to deliver a challenging project in one year, well ahead of schedule. Here’s how they did it.
November 3, 2023
Join us at the largest online lean event of the year
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
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EVENT - The Lean Global Connection is around the corner!Our editor takes you through some of the key highlights you can expect and reminds us of the idea behind the largest online lean event in the world.
October 19, 2023
Swimming against the tide
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
WEBSERIES - In this episode, we head to Chilean Patagonia to visit a manufacturer of fish feed that turned to Lean Thinking to improve yield and eliminate inventory gaps and stock-outs.
October 13, 2023
Expanding your flow sweet spots
Dan Prock
FEATURE – The author explores methods to expand your flow “sweet spots”, enhance focus, and achieve a state of effortless productivity.
October 6, 2023
Don’t ask who. Be like Columbo and ask why!
Csaba Bereczki
FEATURE – This insightful piece explores the true meaning of problem solving, looking at the common mistakes leaders make when they adopt some of its key practices.
September 29, 2023
Serious about strategy
Michael Ballé, Eivind Reke and Daryl Powell
FEATURE – We are used to approaching strategic thinking as if our organization was in a position of stability and dominance. What if we started to look at it as creating better deals with all parties involved?
September 11, 2023
Every square meter counts
Frank van Velzen
CASE STUDY – When it had to develop a production process for a new product from scratch, this Dutch company leveraged lean tools and practices. And the results were impressive.
September 8, 2023
A lean approach to agriculture
Juan Guillermo Ramírez
FEATURE – Waste in the agricultural sector is a significant threat not only to the environment, the economy and farmers, but also to food security around the world.
September 1, 2023
A3 Thinking for personal development
Margie Hagene and William Huen
INTERVIEW – We are used to thinking of A3s mainly as a tool for problem solving. In this Q&A, you will learn about the experience of a San Francisco hospital using it for personal development.
August 24, 2023
The power of the Arrow
Francisco Javier Medina, Fran Segovia González and Antonio López
INTERVIEW - The Food&Beverage department of the Gran Tacande Hotel in Tenerife has been using a powerful visual management tool to effectively visualize and track the variables impacting the work flow.
August 17, 2023
Lean helps us to fulfil our promise to customers
Mariana Camilo de Oliveira
CASE STUDY – To bring consistency to the service provided to customers across their network of workshops, this Brazilian company has turned to Lean Thinking. Along the way, they found in it a different approach to leadership.
August 9, 2023
The art and craft of kaizen
Eivind Reke, Cyril Gras and Daryl Powell
FEATURE – Through kaizen, people can directly participate in the improvement work. But without a manager’s clear responsibility and follow-up, they will left alone with the consequences of the introduced changes.
August 4, 2023
Don’t just watch my hands!
Csaba Barhács
FEATURE – The author shares a story from a training session at the gemba, which contains a couple of important lessons on the Training Within Industry method.
August 1, 2023
A Surgery Department on a journey for over a decade
Xavier Pérez
FEATURE- This surgery department was among the first areas in this hospital (maybe in the whole of Spain) to adopt Lean Thinking. Here's what their lean journey is focusing on more than 10 years after they started.
July 26, 2023
Lean gives us wings
Albert Pérez and María Fernanda Sarmiento
INTERVIEW – The lean journey of the Engineering and Maintenance Department of Colombian airline Avianca proves how important it is for leadership to spearhead change.
July 21, 2023
The comfort of purpose
Sharon Visser
FEATURE – Why is lean change so hard to achieve in times of plenty? And why does it seem to be more attainable when chaos reigns? The author tries to answer these questions.
July 18, 2023
Lean parenting tips from children 0 to 5 years old
Sérgio Caldeirinha
July 13, 2023
A new strategy for a new era
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
WEB SERIES – In the second episode of our docuseries on lean in Chile, we learn how, with a clear purpose and strong commitment from leadership, SKC is transforming its processes and mindset and building a competitive advantage.
July 6, 2023
Breaking new ground in product development
Steve Shoemaker
INTERVIEW – Drawing on 33 years of experience working in product development at Caterpillar, the interviewee reflects on lean in engineering.
June 28, 2023
The 7-year LPPD journey of TechnipFMC
Allison Weber
INTERVIEW – In this Q&A, the Chief of Transformation of oil and gas company TechnipFMC tells us about their experience implementing Lean Product and Process Development.
June 14, 2023
Can we still learn from Toyota suppliers in Japan?
Michael Ballé and Alice Mathieu
FEATURE – Fresh of a study tour in Japan, the authors wonder if there is anything left to learn from Toyota’s network of suppliers in the age of AI and digital. Hint: it’s a rethorical question.
June 7, 2023
Lean's on the menu
Javier Gomez, Leo Milanesio, Aaron Quintana and Pedro González
VIDEO INTERVIEW – This hotel in the Canary Islands is bringing lean to its Kitchen Department, hoping to streamline the process and provide a better service to diners.
June 2, 2023
New ways to address an old problem
Àlex Culla, Maria Lopez-Dieguez and Helena Camell Llari
FEATURE – Freeing up beds is an age-old problem for hospitals. The medical area of this Catalan hospital group has found in lean a creative way to solve it.
May 30, 2023
Transforming our business with Daily Management
Adriana Carneiro and Robson Gouveia
CASE STUDY – By leveraging Daily Management (DM), Supergasbras was able to change its trajectory and add more value to the customer in a critical sector for society.
May 24, 2023
How we gradually built our CI model
Lisa Yerian and Meredith Foxx
INTERVIEW – Cleveland Clinic has been on a lean journey for a few years now. In this interview, their Chief Improvement Officer and Chief Nursing Officer talk continuous improvement, metrics, and sustaining results.
May 19, 2023
You say garbage, I say opportunity
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
WEB SERIES – Season 2 is here! In the first episode of this season, we visit a company in Chile that shows us how sustainability can be the cornerstone of an improvement project... and not just an afterthought.
May 12, 2023
Changing our approach to emergency care
Francesc Chavalés and Imma Tort
FEATURE – The ER of this Catalan hospital is finding great value in the application of Lean Thinking, which has already led to a dramatic change in its processes and to better care for patients.
May 5, 2023
Toyota's real secret sauce
Michael Ballé
FEATURE – The hardest part of a learning journey is learning to learn and figuring out what we need to learn - as opposed to we want to. The author wonders whether we are drawing the right lessons from TPS and highlights a few things we are underemphasizing.
April 28, 2023
Faster delivery, happier customer
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
WEB SERIES – In the fourth and final episode of Season 1 of our docuseries, we visit home improvement and gardening retailer Leroy Merlin and learn about their efforts to lean out their supply chain.
April 25, 2023
The enablers of our lean transformation
Ana Alvarez Soto
CASE STUDY – The Hospital de Bellvitge in Barcelona is relying heavily on hoshin and Kata to create a working environment based on collaboration and joint problem solving.
April 21, 2023
Banking on Lean
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
WEB SERIES – Episode 3 of our docuseries on lean in Brazil takes us to the second largest bank in the country. Learn how Bradesco is striving to improve its processes to provide more value to its customers using Lean Thinking.
April 14, 2023
Leveraging lean to create a new product… and process
Alison Seward
INTERVIEW – In 2020, GE Appliances had to stand up a brand-new assembly process for a new dishwasher. The leader responsible for the program explains how LPPD helped them to get it right.
April 11, 2023
Empowering children to navigate life’s challenges
Sérgio Caldeirinha
FEATURE – In this new series, the author will walk us through some uncommon ways to apply lean – with a particular focus on establishing productive and enjoyable relationships. In the first instalment, he introduces the concept of lean parenting.
April 7, 2023
The gift of change
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
WEB SERIES – In Episode 2 of our docuseries on lean in Brazil, we learn how the pioneering efforts of a cancer clinic have inspired the city of São José dos Campos to transform into a lean healthcare cluster.
March 31, 2023
Easing the pain
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
WEB SERIES – Today, we launch a new documentary series on lean around the world, with the first season focusing on lean in Brazil. In the first episode, we visit the lean clinic on a mission to reduce the burden on cancer in our lives.
March 28, 2023
What kind of bureaucrat are you?
Michael Ballé and Klaus Beulker
FEATURE – In this in-depth, insightful analysis, the authors explore the essence of bureaucracy and explain why, with Lean Thinking, it can be leveraged as a force for good.
March 24, 2023
How mental schemas have us jump to solutions
Tshepo Thobejane
FEATURE - Mental schemas help us to process information, but they often lead us to blindly jump to solutions without understanding the problem. Here, the author explains how Lean Thinking mitigates that risk.
March 21, 2023
Five lean mistakes to avoid
Angélica Gutiérrez
FEATURE – Based on her experience at Lean Institute Colombia, the author lists five common mistakes hindering a lean transformation. Take note!
March 15, 2023
Reflecting on our 15-year journey
Carlos Frederico Pinto
FEATURE – PL readers will likely be familiar with IOV, the cancer clinic in Brazil that’s become a reference for lean healthcare for countless organizations. Here, Dr Fred looks back at IOV’s 15-year journey.
March 10, 2023
Lean Digital with generative AI
Christopher Thompson with some help
FEATURE – This year, PL will try to understand what the future of work looks like in a world with AI. To kick us off and make us think, we publish an article that is the result of a one-hour conversation between a human and a machine.
March 8, 2023
Creativity unleashed
Nicolas Alejandro Rebozov
FEATURE – A lean coach from Argentina reflects on the transformations he has supported across Latin America and on why lean can help unlock the potential of the continent.
February 28, 2023
Double interview: 365 and Dreamplace
Marco López and Juan Antonio Tena
INTERVIEW – Earlier this month, we attended a Lean Day at Dreamplace Hotels and Resorts in the Canary Islands. We sat down with two lean leaders to discuss the transformations of their businesses.
February 17, 2023
Arrows and loops - the evolution of our management system
Jordi Estalella
FEATURE – A senior executive of a Spanish hotel chain shares an example of how the organization’s management system and visual tools have changed over time.
February 14, 2023
Lean in government, a comeback?
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
FEATURE – At a recent Lean Day, our editor was reminded of the immense potential of Lean Thinking applied to government. After a few sleepy years, is lean in the public administration having a comeback?
February 7, 2023
Lean, our “breda” and butter
Erik Ottens
BOOK EXCERPT – The city of Breda in the Netherlands has been on a lean journey for the past six years. Today we share an excerpt from the book The Lean Government, which sets the scene for the transformation.
February 3, 2023
The power of people: adapting to changing times
Eivind Reke with Havard Buhaug
CASE STUDY – A people-centric approach to work, improvement, and the adoption of automation is allowing this Norwegian company to thrive in a changing industry and environment.
January 27, 2023
Why is TPS so smart?
Michael Ballé and Alice Mathieu
FEATURE – A real understanding of Lean Thinking can only stem from an exploration of its tacit aspects, not just its most explicit, easy-to-grasp elements.
January 24, 2023
Breaking the silence
Angela Bayona and Ivonne Paola Patino
FEATURE – By changing its attitude towards problems and welcoming them as opportunities to learn, this Colombian construction company has turned around its culture.
January 20, 2023
Leading by solving (the right) problems
Juan David Ruiz Valencia
FEATURE – Leading by solving problems is a key trait of any lean leader, but it is important to understand that not all problems are their prerogative.
January 17, 2023
Visuals all around us
Sharon Visser
FEATURE – Visuals are a natural way in which human beings learn and teach. The author discusses why visual thinking is part of our DNA and the implications this has on our lives at work.
January 13, 2023
Solving problems by developing people
The Elecmetal leadership team
INTERVIEW – Top leaders at Chilean company Elecmetal talk to us about how lean has transformed their role in the organization and how capability development is fuelling change.
January 10, 2023
One-time customer, lifelong customer
Michael Ballé
FEATURE – We start the new year with a reminder to put customers first, always. It is they who make our business and keep our lean initiatives true, says the author.
December 21, 2022
The year that was
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
ROUND-UP – In his annual review of the best content we published, our editor looks back at 2022 and what this year was like for the Lean Community.
December 16, 2022
Operation Sunflower: saving Christmas
Sharon Visser
FICTION – Santa is struggling to locate the many children who are hiding from war to deliver them gifts, until the lean Time Benders come to the rescue and help him understand the problem.
December 13, 2022
Using lean to discharge patients before 12PM
The Orthopedic-Traumatology Surgery team
FEATURE – This nurses-led experiment in Barcelona’s Hospital Clinic is proving successful in getting more patients discharged on time and avoiding surgery cancellations.
December 9, 2022
Waste? It makes our blood boil!
Raquel Tena and Anna Vila
FEATURE – Thanks to lean, a primary care unit in Catalonia has streamlined its blood sampling process, improving the patient experience and the life at work for its staff.
December 6, 2022
Lean Thinking is personal development
Michael Ballé
FEATURE – In this interesting piece, the author explains how lean provided everyone, everywhere with a framework to work their intuition muscle and develop insights.
November 29, 2022
The collaboration equation
Jim Benson
FEATURE – In an excerpt from his new book, the author discusses the importance of building collaboration in your teams and explains why this is the only way to consistently deliver value.
November 25, 2022
At the service of customer centricity
Krzysztof Drozd
CASE STUDY – This Shared Service Center in Poland has leveraged lean, technology, and automation to completely transform itself and provide an ever-better customer experience.
November 22, 2022
A successful experiment with virtual care
Pamela Everingham, Darren Daff and Denise Bennett
CASE STUDY – The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the application of Virtual Healthcare across the world. In South Australia, this has been implemented in urgent care.
November 15, 2022
How we built a lean foundry from scratch
Dariusz Dziuba
INTERVIEW – Ahead of this week’s Lean Global Connection, we talk to one of the speakers, who is trying to create a foundry that is lean from the start.
November 8, 2022
Lean eyes don't lie
Darren Walsh
FEATURE – Whether improvement efforts are paying off and people are internalizing a lean way of thinking is a constant worry for many leaders. Here’s a trick to gauge how well – or how poorly – things are going in your transformation.
November 4, 2022
John Shook on transformations and lean in a crisis
John Shook
John
Shook
VIDEO INTERVIEW – We recently caught up with John Shook at the Lean Healthcare Academic Conference in Stanford and asked him to share his thought on the questions we need to ask ourselves in a lean journey and on lean in turbulent times.
November 2, 2022
How cultural change has fueled our transformation
Eryk Fedyniak
INTERVIEW – This metalworking company based in Poland has leveraged the cultural change brought by Lean Thinking to significantly improve its processes. Ahead of his presentation at the LGC, their lean manager tells us how they did it.
October 28, 2022
Why few people truly take the lean leap
Michael Ballé
FEATURE – To wholeheartedly embrace lean means to accept changes in our hearts and minds. Understanding this means to finally grasp the reason why lean is only truly taken up by few.
October 25, 2022
Making lean relatable and meaningful
Angie Norman
INTERVIEW – General Electric’s Angie Norman talks to our editor about the lean journey of the company’s Finance department and how the area became a driver of GE’s overall transformation.
October 21, 2022
Leaning out transitional care
Lia Goncalves and Monica Ono
CASE STUDY – The transfer of a patient from one care setting to another is a delicate time. Insurance company SulAmérica has used its extensive lean experience to improve transitional care, and here’s how they did it.
October 18, 2022
How E.ON is dealing with a volatile energy market
Huibert-Jan den Hartog
INTERVIEW – A VPat energy company E.ON shares his thoughts on the current energy crisis and discusses how lean is helping them to navigate it.
October 14, 2022
Truth conquers all
Sharon Visser
FEATURE – Can lean relieve some of the pain and fear people experience in this crazy world? It can, says the author, because amid so much noise lean carries one truth.
October 11, 2022
Advancing learning in a lean organization
Dan Prock
FEATURE – Our disposition towards learning changes depending on the amount of things we don’t know. The author explores this topic and the role of the sensei in enabling learning.
October 7, 2022
Using lean to make our DNA “stable and flexible”
The DSV team
CASE STUDY – This transport and logistics company in Colombia has turned to Lean Thinking to become more adaptive and ensure an easier post-acquisition integration of new cultures.
October 4, 2022
Emotions on the gemba
Michael Ballé and Fabian Sampayo
FEATURE – They say lean is all about people, and yet emotions – something we all feel and express daily – are largely absent from the lean discourse. The authors discuss the role they play in a lean transformation.
September 30, 2022
What is standardized work?
Roberto Priolo
Roberto
Priolo
ROUND-UP – Standardized work, which lies at the foundation of the TPS house, is a necessary component of a lean transformation. This article looks at the best content on this topic from our archives.
September 27, 2022
With Kata, simple is the key
Quim Prats
FEATURE – A former plant manager reflects on his experience supporting a team with the implementation of Kata in the daily management system and explains why, when it comes to Kata questions, simple is best.
September 23, 2022
The lean answer to uncertainty
Michael Ballé
FEATURE – In the face of uncertainty, when it’s hard to see the road ahead, we can still make things better day after day by embracing kaizen – until we are out of the woods.
September 20, 2022
Lean in hospitality: challenges and opportunities
Juan Pedro Gonzalez
INTERVIEW – Juan Pedro Gonzalez is a pioneer of lean in hospitality, having spearheaded the transformation of Spain’s Dreamplace hotels since the beginning. Here, he discusses what role lean can play in advancing the industry.
September 16, 2022
Getting started with lean process development
Matt Zayko and Eric Ethington
SERIES – In the final article in their series on lean process development, the authors discuss what it takes to get started with their 6CON process development model.
