Continuous Improvement

What is the Role of Leadership in a Continuous Improvement Journey?

March 29, 2022

At the heart of Lean and continuous improvement is the development and growth of its people. Creating an environment where team members develop the skills to improve the job and also improve themselves. It is all about establishing a positive culture that revolve...

What Makes A Smart SME….. Episode 2

February 4, 2022

In the first part of this discussion, I touched on a few things that in my opinion help create the environment of a Smart SME. Why is this so important to all of us? Simply, SMEs (Small and Medium sized Businesses) make up the lion's share of the economy. Just drive ar...

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 ...