About: Christina Irwin

Issue 26 Strategy Deployment by Ron Bercaw One of the most critical pieces of deploying lean is to link the improvement work to strategy. Virtually every organization I work, with does not complete this first critical step. Rather their Lean improvement is used on a project basis. The organization submits requests for improvement services and…

Issue 25 The Scientific Method by Ron Bercaw Many of you have been diligently using a plethora of tools to help see and eliminate waste. Indeed in this e-newsletter, dozens of articles have been written on the application of lean tools. Many lean practitioners are proficient in process mapping and applying the value added /…

Issue 23 • Oct 2015 Leadership Lessons from David and Goliath by Cornell Colbert https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leadership-lessons-from-david-goliath-cornell-colbert-lbc-cmq-oe The transcendent leader meets those trusted to his or her care where they are and asks what systemic changes need to occur to enable them to be their best. Legitimacy is transcendent. Gladwell’s argument regarding police relationships with the communities they…

Issue 22 • Aug 2015 Standard Work by Scott Brubaker With numerous Organizational Lean start-ups behind me, one particular tool has proven to be the most important. That “tool” is Standard Work. First, let me pose a question: as you board your plane for a flight, you notice that the Pilot and Co-Pilot have not…

Issue 21 • June 2015 The Power of the Kaizen Event I have written on this topic many times, yet the topic bears further discussion. Before I get to kaizen, I want to take a moment to discuss a couple of wonderful people. Few individuals in life are cited as being more influential than teachers…

Issue 20 • Feb 2015 Hoshin Kanri and the X- Matrix This newsletter will touch briefly on Hoshin Kanri, also known as Policy Deployment, or Strategy Deployment. This is the method devised to capture and cement strategic goals as well as insights about the future and develop the means to bring these into reality. In…

Issue 19 • July 2014 Standard Work For Lean Experts Hypocrites?  I can't think of a better word.  Let me explain.  Many organizations are not getting everything out of their improvement efforts.  So using lean thinking, we have to diagnose the root cause of the lack of results. The common culprits;  lack of leadership, no…

Issue 18 • May 2014 Standards and the C-Suite? Standard Work If you are an improving organization, this is a term you will be well familiar with. Any improvement in process, following a test of change, should be accompanied by two things: standard work and visual management. The definition of a standard is a basis…