Lean Management

Kaizen: how to ensure all small steps are oriented towards achieving the Goal?

/ Chris Hohmann / 2 Comments

Kaizen, or continuous incremental improvement, refers to a way of thinking and reflecting about the way things are done, the way we execute tasks, or how a product or service could be designed / delivered better, and so on. True Kaizen is based on people’s autonomy and ability to analyse, solve problems, think creatively but … Continue reading Kaizen: how to ensure all small steps are oriented towards achieving the Goal?

What is Lean 4.0?

/ Chris Hohmann / 7 Comments

Lean 4.0 is the conjunction of Lean Manufacturing / Lean Management with Industry 4.0 assuming that both complement and reinforce each other mutually. Lean and Industry 4.0 are both production paradigms with a common objective: manufacture efficiently in small batches highly customized products. Paramount being producing totally customized unique products at mass-production costs thanks to … Continue reading What is Lean 4.0?

Lean = 5S, again.

/ Chris Hohmann / 7 Comments

It happened again, I have met one more Lean Manager explaining that he/she was appointed to this position to manage a Lean program rollout, and this Lean program is essentially reinvigorating 5S. There has been a real inflation of Lean Managers in France lately. With so many of them flowing into the companies, France’s world … Continue reading Lean = 5S, again.

Management attention as a constraint – Part 1/2

/ Chris Hohmann / Leave a comment

A system’s constraint, the limiting factor that is an obstacle to getting more Goal units* from the system, can be pretty difficult to identify (hence the success of my post on the topic: How to identify a constraint?!). *”Goal units” can be money, profit, services to citizens, number of patients treated, free meals served, or whatever … Continue reading Management attention as a constraint – Part 1/2