Gemba Walk 🔥

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is one of the most practical tools in Lean. It shows how work actually moves through a system — not how we think it moves. It captures both material flow and information flow, and it forces leaders to see where time, effort, and risk accumulate. In an industrial setting like an…

Most American operations don’t lack effort. They lack focus. The Theory of Constraints, developed by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and popularized in The Goal, teaches that every system has one primary constraint limiting throughput. If that constraint doesn’t improve, the system doesn’t improve—no matter how many other projects you complete. The problem is cultural. When output…

Lean is often associated with efficiency, waste reduction, and process improvement. But at its core, Lean is not just a system of tools — it is a philosophy grounded in respect for people. For American workplaces in particular, where independence, personal pride, and direct communication are deeply valued, this principle is essential to making Lean…