Case studies

All articles about: Case studies

People-centric, intelligent, decentralized management
August 8, 2024
People-centric, intelligent, decentralized management

CASE STUDY – This Brazilian agrobusiness has developed a unique and clever management system that puts people at the heart of the work.

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Dojos change minds
April 25, 2024
Dojos change minds

CASE STUDY – Faced with safety and quality issues, this Brazilian manufacturing plant installed a dojo, and the results are very promising.

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Challenging standards
April 18, 2024
Challenging standards

CASE STUDY – Manuelita Sugar Mill in Colombia adopted Daily Management to bolster leadership effectiveness and operational outcomes, addressing siloed thinking and communication challenges.

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Growing sustainably with Lean Thinking
December 8, 2023
Growing sustainably with Lean Thinking

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.

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Sustainable, lean construction
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.

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Swimming against the tide
October 19, 2023
Swimming against the tide

WEB SERIES - 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.

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Every square meter counts
September 11, 2023
Every square meter counts

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.

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Lean helps us to fulfil our promise to customers
August 17, 2023
Lean helps us to fulfil our promise to customers

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.

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A new strategy for a new era
July 13, 2023
A new strategy for a new era

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.

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Transforming our business with Daily Management
May 30, 2023
Transforming our business with Daily Management

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.

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You say garbage, I say opportunity
May 19, 2023
You say garbage, I say opportunity

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.

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Faster delivery, happier customer
April 28, 2023
Faster delivery, happier customer

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.

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The enablers of our lean transformation
April 25, 2023
The enablers of our lean transformation

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.

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Banking on Lean
April 21, 2023
Banking on Lean

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.

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The gift of change
April 7, 2023
The gift of change

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.

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Easing the pain
March 31, 2023
Easing the pain

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.

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The power of people: adapting to changing times
February 3, 2023
The power of people: adapting to changing times

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.

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At the service of customer centricity
November 25, 2022
At the service of customer centricity

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.

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A successful experiment with virtual care
November 22, 2022
A successful experiment with virtual care

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.

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Leaning out transitional care
October 21, 2022
Leaning out transitional care

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.

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Using lean to make our DNA “stable and flexible”
October 7, 2022
Using lean to make our DNA “stable and flexible”

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.

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Transforming quickly, but mindfully
September 6, 2022
Transforming quickly, but mindfully

CASE STUDY – Starting in January this year, the Mexican plant of this manufacturer of lighting and electrical solutions has initiated a lean transformation that has already led to impressive results in terms of productivity.

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Recreating that “coffee break magic”
August 2, 2022
Recreating that “coffee break magic”

CASE STUDY – This digital organization has embarked on a cultural transformation that is allowing them to become more agile while keeping people and stimulating interactions at the heart of their work.

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Enabling improvement across our healthcare system
July 29, 2022
Enabling improvement across our healthcare system

CASE STUDY – How do you give hundreds of primary care units the tools and knowledge they need to make improvements? The Catalan Health Service found the solution in hoshin kanri.

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An enterprise-wide cultural transformation
July 15, 2022
An enterprise-wide cultural transformation

CASE STUDY – A Chilean company selling and servicing vehicles and equipment for a variety of industries has made of humility the leading trait of its cultural transformation, with great results.

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Building our lean legacy
July 5, 2022
Building our lean legacy

CASE STUDY – We hear from a construction company in Chile that embarked on a lean journey in 2018 to transform its culture and improve the work on its many sites.

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Whittle by whittle
June 3, 2022
Whittle by whittle

CASE STUDY – This Dutch SME is transforming its picking operation – partly with the introduction of a U-shaped design – to increase the number of orders it can fulfil every day.

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Yes, you can teach lean in engineering schools
May 24, 2022
Yes, you can teach lean in engineering schools

NOTES FROM THE GEMBA – The author visits a private engineering school to learn about their approach to teach Lean Thinking and apply it to their own work.

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How hoshin is giving us a common purpose
April 26, 2022
How hoshin is giving us a common purpose

CASE STUDY – This 104-year-old Chilean provider of integral solutions for the mining industry has turned to hoshin kanri to effectively connect everyone’s work with the overall business strategy.

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Creating a model primary care unit
April 7, 2022
Creating a model primary care unit

CASE STUDY – This primary care unit in Brazil is hoping to become a model for other units in their system. Take note, this is how Lean Thinking can spread across healthcare systems.

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Lean ain't fishy
March 21, 2022
Lean ain't fishy

CASE STUDY – This Norwegian firm learned that allowing every person and area to move up their own lean learning curve can steer the business away from fire-fighting and towards more strategic thinking.

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Slashing waiting times for cancer care
March 7, 2022
Slashing waiting times for cancer care

CASE STUDY – This project in Brazil, part of a city-wide effort to improve patient flows, led to impressive results in the waiting time to access cancer care.

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Turning around our quality
March 3, 2022
Turning around our quality

CASE STUDY – For the past year, Elementia Materiales, a producer of materials for the construction industry, has begun a lean journey that’s already brought impressive quality results.

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Our hoshin journey
February 21, 2022
Our hoshin journey

FEATURE – This Siemens Group-owned medium-sized manufacturer of electrical low-voltage devices has been experimenting with hoshin kanri. In this article, they share their experience and lessons learned.

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'Fruitful' lean work
January 31, 2022
'Fruitful' lean work

CASE STUDY – This Chilean agrobusiness company achieved great results in a very short time by applying lean to standardize its processes and improve its productivity. They are now berry fond of the methodology.

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Imprinting on lean
December 6, 2021
Imprinting on lean

CASE STUDY – Combining the lean and agile methodologies, HP’s site in Barcelona has streamlined and greatly improved its product development. Along the way, they transformed their culture, too.

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Transforming our way of managing using lean
November 4, 2021
Transforming our way of managing using lean

CASE STUDY – The turning point in this Colombian construction company’s transformation came when they started to embrace lean as a culture rather than just a set of tools.

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What to do when the fire is out?
October 14, 2021
What to do when the fire is out?

CASE STUDY – This packaging company in Catalonia has been able to cleverly balance the resolution of urgent problems and the advancement of the lean transformation. But what to do when the burning platform is no more?

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Building lean into our strategy
August 19, 2021
Building lean into our strategy

CASE STUDY – Brazil-based construction company Andrade Gutierrez has been able to sustain its transformation by consistently developing internal capabilities and making Lean Thinking its strategy.

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Reinventing reimbursement
July 26, 2021
Reinventing reimbursement

CASE STUDY – The reimbursement department of the largest independent insurance company in Brazil has brought together lean and digitalization to improve its service to customers.

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Launching new medication quicker with Lean Thinking
June 21, 2021
Launching new medication quicker with Lean Thinking

CASE STUDY – Clinical trials are known for their rigorous analysis and approval process. The experience of Roche Brasil teaches us what lean and agile thinking can do to speed it up.

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Bringing lean to Nigeria’s small farmers
May 13, 2021
Bringing lean to Nigeria’s small farmers

CASE STUDY – Lean Thinking travels far and wide. Here’s how the experience and insights of an Indiana-based farmer have supported a USAID project to improve outcomes for farmers across Nigeria.

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Becoming a role model
February 15, 2021
Becoming a role model

CASE STUDY – This hospital in Argentina has leveraged the power of Lean Thinking to greatly enhance patient care, even in the pandemic, and receive internationally renowned accreditations.

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Customer satisfaction in Haidilao restaurants
December 7, 2020
Customer satisfaction in Haidilao restaurants

CASE STUDY – How does a small food shop in Sichuan turn into a $30 billion chain with around 900 restaurants in several countries? By always going the extra mile for customers!

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Lean and the global Covid-19 vaccine race
November 5, 2020
Lean and the global Covid-19 vaccine race

CASE STUDY – Pall Corporation used lean product and process development principles to create the process to produce billions of doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine for Covid-19 in record time.

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Lean ASAP!
November 2, 2020
Lean ASAP!

CASE STUDY – Some blamed lean for the shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) in first wave of the pandemic. This small Norwegian producer of disposable bedsheets used it to establish and ramp up the production of medical gowns for healthcare workers.

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The lean candidate
October 19, 2020
The lean candidate

CASE STUDY – Have you ever considered how Lean Thinking could apply to politics? The author explains how the result of a mayoral race in southern Italy was ultimately determined by the lean approach adopted by one of the candidates.

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Better processes for better care
October 1, 2020
Better processes for better care

CASE STUDY – This Barcelona hospital began its journey with ambitious projects and is starting to see the fruits of its labor, with the pandemic acting as an unexpected but powerful catalyst for change.

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Making a hotel restaurant leaner and safer
August 24, 2020
Making a hotel restaurant leaner and safer

CASE STUDY – This hotel in Spain has been able to leverage Lean Thinking in its restaurant to successfully adapt to the new Covid-19 regulations enforced in the country, becoming more efficient along the way.

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Smooth as silk
August 20, 2020
Smooth as silk

CASE STUDY – An Esquel factory in GuiLin, China injected lean principles and practices into its processes to become more efficient and environmentally-friendly.

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Our hotel after Covid-19
August 6, 2020
Our hotel after Covid-19

CASE STUDY – Not even a pandemic can prevent a lean organization from learning: this hotel in Tenerife has decided to make the most of its forced closure to review and improve its processes.

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Optimizing material handling with lean
July 27, 2020
Optimizing material handling with lean

CASE STUDY – By streamlining its internal processes, an agribusiness company in Brazil managed to reduce its material handling cycle time by 75% and the associated costs by 66%.

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Lean in internal supply logistics
July 9, 2020
Lean in internal supply logistics

CASE STUDY – The implementation of lean in the internal logistics of a pharmaceutical company in Brazil proved key to increasing productivity and quality in the organization.

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Quality first means more sales
June 25, 2020
Quality first means more sales

CASE STUDY – This insurtech venture has found in Lean Thinking a way to tackle its many scaling issues. It’s grown from two to fifty-five people in less than four years, ultimately thanks to a strong focus on quality.

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Do try this at home
June 1, 2020
Do try this at home

CASES STUDY – Struggling to win the hearts and minds of his people, the author took lean home, learned as much as he could about it and brought it back to his business with the idea of making everybody's lives easier.

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The ball is in our court
May 28, 2020
The ball is in our court

CASE STUDY – The author, who leads the CI team in a large real estate company, discusses the lean transformation of the business and role of the improvement team in it.

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Immunity
March 19, 2020
Immunity

CASE STUDY – This Italian manufacturer has found in lean a way to ensure business continuity and provide support to a distraught workforce in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.

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A 15-year journey of people engagement
January 30, 2020
A 15-year journey of people engagement

CASE STUDY – Here’s the story of a mature lean company from Michigan. The author tells us about Zingerman’s Mail Order’s lean transformation, their challenges and their successes.

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Extracting waste from our process
January 23, 2020
Extracting waste from our process

CASE STUDY – In a Brazilian insurance company, a team worked hard to streamline the revision of dental claims – a great example of Lean Thinking in an administrative process.

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Half the bad, double the good
January 20, 2020
Half the bad, double the good

CASE STUDY – The story of this Norwegian window and door manufacturer shows how a deep and ongoing commitment to a lean transformation can help a company thrive against all odds.

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Bringing lean to the people
December 16, 2019
Bringing lean to the people

CASE STUDY – This article briefly outlines the different stages of the lean transformation at Mercedes Benz Brazil, as the company looked for the best approach to engage everyone in continuous improvement.

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Daily management in construction
December 9, 2019
Daily management in construction

FEATURE – How lean daily management helped a Brazilian construction company to stabilize production in a tailing dam elevation project.

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Attorney at lean
November 21, 2019
Attorney at lean

CASE STUDY – A boutique law firm in Milan has initiated a lean transformation to turn around its processes, improve service to its clients and make life easier for the team.

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Safari, so good
November 14, 2019
Safari, so good

CASE STUDY – This company in Botswana has embraced lean thinking passionately to build the capacity and ability to deal with higher demand for its converted vehicles. The author tells us about their journey.

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Re-start with a clean slate
October 17, 2019
Re-start with a clean slate

CASE STUDY – From client and supplier to partners-in-lean: how solving a problem together transformed the relationship between a Dutch hospital and the laundry supplying clean garments to it.

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A journey of mind-blowing improvement
October 3, 2019
A journey of mind-blowing improvement

CASE STUDY – Seven years ago, this Italian manufacturer ran an experiment to reduce inventory in its warehouse. Today, lean thinking permeates every aspect of life at FPZ.

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Leadership development at Volvo Cars
September 16, 2019
Leadership development at Volvo Cars

CASE STUDY – What is the approach to people development used at Volvo Cars? The authors explain how the organization has created a production system fully owned by operators and managers.

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Daily management in the ICU
August 29, 2019
Daily management in the ICU

CASE STUDY – Effectively deploying and executing your strategy requires mastering quick follow-ups at different levels of the organization – in other words, Daily Management.

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Lean logistics for better customer service
August 6, 2019
Lean logistics for better customer service

CASE STUDY – Logistics can be the key to achieving success and creating a competitive advantage in a company. This case study tells the story of a port terminal in Brazil that has used lean to achieve significant gains in managing its road flow.

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Through hardship to the stars
July 25, 2019
Through hardship to the stars

CASE STUDY – Catalonia’s largest hospital is undergoing a successful transformation – supported by pioneering hoshin experiments – that has already turned it into a poster child for lean healthcare in the region.

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Benefits and difficulties of using a Concept Paper
July 23, 2019
Benefits and difficulties of using a Concept Paper

CASE STUDY – TechnipFMC has introduced the Concept Paper in its lean product development process. This article shares some of the learnings resulting from the experience.

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A Norwegian lean epic
July 18, 2019
A Norwegian lean epic

CASE STUDY – Thousands of kaizens, a relentless focus on learning and the determination to continuously improve have made of this Norwegian company something of a lean fairytale.

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Cancelling the distance
July 16, 2019
Cancelling the distance

CASE STUDY – What to do when you operate in a competitive market and are located in a remote corner of Europe, thousands of miles from your customer? One word: lean.

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Determination pays
July 2, 2019
Determination pays

CASE STUDY – This Dutch company awards social benefits to the unemployed. Thanks to lean thinking, they were able to radically transform the service they offer them.

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Reflecting on our lean healthcare journey
June 27, 2019
Reflecting on our lean healthcare journey

CASE STUDY – The CEO of a hospital in Johannesburg looks back to the last five years to reflect on a lean healthcare transformation that is creating positive outcomes for patients.

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A people-centric lean HR strategy
June 20, 2019
A people-centric lean HR strategy

CASE STUDY – This automotive parts supplier based in southwest Spain is discovering the power of lean thinking applied to recruitment and Human Resources.

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Kata in the NHS
June 18, 2019
Kata in the NHS

CASE STUDY – Starting with a series of pilot sites, the NHS is hoping to engage the Kata coaching approach to really spread an improvement culture to staff and patients.

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The path to a learning organization
June 6, 2019
The path to a learning organization

CASE STUDY – The story of this NGO shows how visualizing the work enables improvement and removes barriers among teams. It is a first, fundamental step towards a lean transformation.

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Truly leading a transformation
May 14, 2019
Truly leading a transformation

FEATURE – Philips has embarked in an ambitious development program for lean executives, which is helping the organization make substantial progress in their transformation.

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Blue-sky thinking
April 11, 2019
Blue-sky thinking

FEATURE – Successfully engaging people and building a solid daily management system is allowing a Velux factory in Poland to fulfill its strategic goals.

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Paying our dues
March 28, 2019
Paying our dues

CASE STUDY – This Polish debt collection company is refocusing its work around true customer needs and increasing problem visibility by implementing hoshin kanri.

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The hands of many
March 21, 2019
The hands of many

FEATURE – A dedicated pathway and the introduction of lean healthcare principles is bringing people together to provide better care to older, frail people in an Irish hospital group.

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Flexible by design
March 12, 2019
Flexible by design

FEATURE – By leveraging lean product and process development principles, Nichirin Spain is becoming more flexible managing last-minute changes in product design requested by customers.

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Fighting every single nugget of resistance
March 5, 2019
Fighting every single nugget of resistance

FEATURE – One year into its lean journey, this Lithuanian mining company is winning the hearts and minds of its people. Here, the management team reflects on how they are doing it.

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Pioneering lean thinking in hotels
January 17, 2019
Pioneering lean thinking in hotels

FEATURE – Dreamplace Hotels in Tenerife have been on an improvement journey for several years, but only recently did they find a way to truly become a learning organization: lean thinking.

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How to transform a large hospital system
December 18, 2018
How to transform a large hospital system

FEATURE – Hospitals are often part of larger healthcare systems, which makes it critical to learn how to bring lean to such diverse and complex environments. We hear from a large hospital group in Ireland.

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Quality by kaikaku
December 13, 2018
Quality by kaikaku

CASE STUDY – This Turkish producer of sanitaryware has boosted its quality so dramatically it’s now a player in the German market. It did so by bringing drastic change to its production system.

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Dramatic lean improvement
December 6, 2018
Dramatic lean improvement

FEATURE – How an amusement park in Norway is using lean visual management to support actors during their busy schedule and to give visitors an experience they will never forget.

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Building a better future in a better way
November 22, 2018
Building a better future in a better way

FEATURE – Building on the benefits of the Last Planner System™, lean thinking is supporting people at Turner Construction Company as they solve problems in a structured way.

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A lean improvement lab in Turkey
November 15, 2018
A lean improvement lab in Turkey

FEATURE – A laboratory testing services firm in Istanbul has turned to lean management to reduce complexity, shorten lead-times, and make its growth sustainable.

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Pulling it off
October 3, 2018
Pulling it off

CASE STUDY – A Turkish producer of gas valves for kitchen appliances has discovered the power of the lean principles of pull and flow, reaching results beyond its imagination.

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Please, no more dull learning
September 21, 2018
Please, no more dull learning

FEATURE – The application of lean management to education is not new, but we all know how hard changing legacy systems is. This greenfield lean school aims higher, trying to rethink learning altogether.

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Lean learning happens across sectors too
September 3, 2018
Lean learning happens across sectors too

FEATURE – The power of cross-pollination: learning from a manufacturing company has helped a cancer treatment center in Brazil to thrive in its lean transformation.

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Keeping the spirit of care alive
August 2, 2018
Keeping the spirit of care alive

CASE STUDY – The author looks back at the impressive lean transformation of the Hungarian plant of Coloplast, a Danish company offering medical devices and services.

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The school undergoing a lean and digital transformation
June 29, 2018
The school undergoing a lean and digital transformation

CASE STUDY – An elementary school in Budapest is trying to bring innovation to the education by harnessing the power of lean thinking combined with a solid digital strategy.

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How a Medical Office catalyzed a lean healthcare turnaround
June 22, 2018
How a Medical Office catalyzed a lean healthcare turnaround
lean transformation healthcare Colorado Permanente

CASE STUDY – A physician tells PL the story of how the East Denver Medical Office became a catalyst for the lean transformation at Colorado Permanente Medical Group.

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How lean is securing the future of this digital advertiser
February 20, 2018
How lean is securing the future of this digital advertiser

CASE STUDY – How do you keep up with a market changing at the speed of light? The Chief Inventor of an Australian digital company explains how they are using lean to safeguard their future.

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Lean management in a Brazilian insurance company
February 6, 2018
Lean management in a Brazilian insurance company

CASE STUDY – An insurance company in São Paulo is experiencing a complete turnaround driven by a very capable Lean Office that understands its role is to gradually make people autonomous.

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How lean management saved a butcher's shop in Botswana
December 11, 2017
How lean management saved a butcher's shop in Botswana

CASE STUDY – Faced with complex logistics and customer complaints, a small deli and butchery in Botswana saw in lean a way to bring the business back from the brink. The philosophy didn’t fail them.

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Developing our people to flow value to our customers
December 5, 2017
Developing our people to flow value to our customers

CASE STUDY – One-piece flow and a focus on lean leadership and kaizen have allowed the Halfway Production Centre in Johannesburg to turn itself around in just 14 months.

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