One of the occupational hazards of consulting is that you become very good at spotting problems. After a few minutes in a meeting room you start seeing things: processes that could probably be simpler, decisions that take longer than they…
As simple as walking a dog I’m a lean nerd, right? My brain never stops thinking about lean and I always try to do things better, faster and with less waste. It even goes automatically these days where I don’t…
For many people just starting with lean, nothing can be more intimidating than a full blown Value Stream Map with all those lines, numbers and different ways to measure time. This is a Lean Consultant’s rookie mistake – don’t blow…
Seth Godin, This is strategy, 2024 I’m a fan of Seth and his writing style. He has a strong eye, strong observation and a kind voice to say things that ought to be said. In his book about Strategy, he…
Last week I facilitated a workshop on Daily Management at a B2B client. A motivated group, eager to improve, but unfamiliar with Lean practices like A3 problem solving or daily stand-ups. They had KPIs in place – well-documented and even reviewed regularly.…
Got a problem that keeps coming back? You’re probably just treating the symptoms instead of the root cause. Enter the fishbone diagram—a simple but powerful tool that helps teams get to the heart of recurring issues. Here’s a breakdown of what…
Good question. And certainly for people on the American side of the ocean, the word A3 doesn’t necessarily ring a bell. The answer is very simple, but brilliant in its simplicity. So the question is: why is an A3 Problem…
It’s January and for many this is the last week of the first month of the fiscal year. If you did your job well, if you cascaded your strategy, set proper KPIs, your teams now know what to do. So…
In businesses where there’s no true belief in Lean and its underlying philosophies, some leaders tend to sugarcoat things. A while ago I lead an event where I touched upon some concepts of problem solving, maybe one of the most…
I’m a fan of problem solving, that’s clear from this website. I like problems, I like solving problems and I like pushing teams to solve their problems. After all these years, working with all these teams and seeing both the…