Mark R. Hamel
A multinational manufacturer was implementing a lean management system in a phased manner within one of its facilities. The target facility operated four comprehensive value streams. The lean...
Mark R. Hamel
I am halfway through reading what I consider (thus far) an important lean book. Alan Robinson and Dean Schroeder’s The Idea-Driven Organization: Unlocking the Power in Bottom-Up Ideas (Berrett-...
Mark R. Hamel
What do bus schedules have to do with a lean management system? Quite a bit, even though, obviously, the notion of a bus schedule is more metaphor (or is that analogy?) than reality.
Effective lean...
Mark R. Hamel
I remember, years ago, watching my oldest child struggle to loosen a bolt. This was one of those all-too-few, brief, and shining child-rearing moments where I could easily and quickly share some...
Mark R. Hamel
Larry Loucka, a close friend and colleague, recently pointed me to a Feb. 16, 2014, article in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Now, before you roll your eyes and give me the WSJ-isn’t known-for-...
Mark R. Hamel
OK, I know that what I’m about to say may sound cynical, but 20 years of personal, hard-knock lean experience tells me that this is reality. And most folks I think would, or at least should (I hope...
Mark R. Hamel
We’ve all undoubtedly had the notion of respect for people drilled into our heads. Of course, it’s easy to speak about such a principle. Much harder to live it. In any event, let me humbly add...
Mark R. Hamel
Some folks may wonder what the heck I mean by “two types.” Within the context of a lean management system, we can make a distinction between visual process performance (VPP) and visual process...
Mark R. Hamel
As best as I can recall, I’ve never coined a phrase with any staying power. Until now. And, my phrase has been purposely captured on a T-shirt, by someone other than a close relative. It’s not quite...
Mark R. Hamel
Lean-oriented questions tend to be straightforward but not necessarily easy. The same goes for the four basic questions around the daily accountability process, the process by which leaders...
