Can the Lean wastes be reduced to only 3?

The Lean wastes got famous to a point they somewhat define and embody Lean’s principles. They have been taught, explained, kept being taught and to some people may be seen as almost as sacred as the 10 commandments to Christians. Their original list counts 7 Wastes but as Lean got somewhat more people-centric an eighth …

Are relevant business cases mandatory for going digital?

It is a small icon with a caption in an infographic* that caught my attention, one stating that among 10 internal and external challenges** industry must overcome to achieve digital transformation, there is the “lack of business cases”. Another one states “unclear economic benefit”. I keep wondering why all strategic decisions seem still based on …

How can Theory of Constraints benefit from Process Mining, and conversely?

As Process Mining and other tech solutions boost - sometimes disrupt - Business Process Management, one may ask what will happen to classic approaches, methodologies and tools, for instance Theory of Constraints. How can Theory of Constraints benefit from Process Mining, and conversely? Here are some thoughts of mine on the subject. You may also …

The perfect value stream according to Jim Womack

August 2021, while cleaning up an old external backup hard drive, I came across an article written by Jim Womack, in July 2003 : How lean compares with six sigma, re-engineering, toc, tpm, etc., etc. (still online: https://www.lean.org/womack/DisplayObject.cfm?o=710) This nearly 20 years old article conveys two important messages in less than 4,000 characters which are …

Use it or lose it; better hone your skill

For those of you that have been exposed to the Logical Thinking Process or Critical Thinking, it is advised to keep honing their logical and critical skills, as they are use-it or lose-it skills. I do so when spotting flaws of logic or the use of the misuse of cause-and-effect in speeches or articles. I …