Continuous Improvement

What is a Smart SME?

January 18, 2022

Two things are going to dominate my conversation during 2022. For me they come hand in hand. The first and main theme is Smart SMEs (small & medium businesses). Personally I don’t like the term 'enterprises' but hey the acronym sticks!! In New...

What is Lean Visual Management?

December 13, 2021

Visual Management in the workplace. This is a term used many, many times during a Lean journey. It is used so much that it can also become white noise, a cliche term. So if it is used a lot, what does it actually mean? What does it look like? The answer, like man...

Seven Signs that you need a bit of Lean in your Life

October 14, 2021

For a long time now I have spouted the benefits of a Business Improvement approach to a small and medium business (SME). Using Lean as a central element driving the improvement activity, there are multiple benefits to a business. Better work culture and a more profitable bus...

Is Lego Serious Play a Team Building Activity?

August 31, 2021

Before writing this blog, my immediate answer to that question was NO. LEGO Serious Play (LSP) is so much more powerful than just having fun together as a team, playing crazy games and having a few drinks at the local pub. My ‘Why’ is all about being crazily passio...

What are the 8 Wastes of Lean?

August 18, 2021

It is mentioned in just about every blog post I write. It is the first thing a person will learn when discovering Lean, especially if they work with me. It is one of the key cornerstones of Lean thinking - so what the hell is ‘it’? Simply, ‘it’ are the 8 Wastes...

Can Lean work for single (small) business owners?

July 30, 2021

I get asked all the time if Lean is just for manufacturing or can it be applied to any type of business. Of course the answer is yes! Less often a question arises - Lean might be all very well for a decent size business, but what about the solopreneur? Or even the Mum ...

What is 'Going to the Gemba' ?

July 20, 2021

I have mentioned it a lot of times, but what the hell does it mean? What am I talking about? The ‘Gemba’. This is a term used widely in the Lean world and it is one of the cornerstones to a successful lean journey for a business. If it is that important...

I am too busy (to improve!)

July 5, 2021

Hold on for a bit as this post is a combination of a few recent posts. Why am I doing this? Mainly because the message needs to be constantly reinforced about how crazy, short sighted this statement “I am too Busy” is in relation to continuous improvement in ...

What Is The Role Of A Leader When Starting A Lean Journey

June 21, 2021

Yep, let’s state the obvious - the role of a leader is crucial when starting a Lean journey. The trick is, asking ourselves, do we truly understand the role of leadership when it comes to Lean? In true form, I am going to try and keep this as simple as possible and b...

Lean Tools versus a Lean Mindset - is there a difference?

June 4, 2021

When I was first introduced to Lean many years ago I was handed a small document that summarised Lean. On the cover it was the 5S cycle, in the few pages after that is described briefly the 8 wastes and a bit about stand up meetings. That was it. There was no men...