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.  Scripted, edited and narrated by: Roberto Priolo This organization sells and maintains equipment for a variety of industries. Following their initial experiments with lean to reduce the lead-time for importing spare parts, SKC is spreading the methodology to its workshops and other areas of the business. This story shows how clarity on the direction the com ..read more

INTERVIEW – Drawing on 33 years of experience working in product development at Caterpillar, the interviewee reflects on lean in engineering. INTERVIEWEE: Steve Shoemaker, former Vice President of Engineering, Caterpillar Inc. Roberto Priolo: You have an impressive career in Caterpillar. Would you take us through it, while touching on some of the key milestones in the company’s LPPD journey? Steve Shoemaker: I have spent 33 years at Caterpillar and, for the first decade or so, I thought that lean was something the factories did. I didn’t appreciate the opportunities that existed beyond the fa ..read more

INTERVIEW – In this Q&A, the Chief of Transformation of oil and gas company TechnipFMC tells us about their experience implementing Lean Product and Process Development. Interviewee: Allison Weber Roberto Priolo: What are the key differences between a Chief Engineer system and a traditional approach to new product development?  Allison Weber: In our experience at TechnipFMC, the focus of traditional new product development is on getting the technology validated, but not the entirety of the processes supporting the creation of the finished product. For example, you don’t perform an in ..read more

FEATURE – Fresh of a study tour in Japan, the authors wonder if there is anything left to learn from Toyota’s network of suppliers in the age of AI and digital. Hint: it’s a rethorical question. Words: Michael Ballé and Alice Mathieu In a world of digital apps and generative AI, is there still something to learn from Toyota’s supplier network in Japan? This is the question we (the authors) explored as we had the good fortune of visiting component plants in the Nagoya region with senseis and Toyota veterans Mr. Amezawa and Mr. Yoshino. Amezawa-san has 50 years of Toyota experience and is past ..read more

FEATURE – Fresh off a study tour in Japan, the authors wonder if there is anything left to learn from Toyota’s network of suppliers in the age of AI and digital. Hint: it’s a rethorical question. Words: Michael Ballé and Alice Mathieu In a world of digital apps and generative AI, is there still something to learn from Toyota’s supplier network in Japan? This is the question we (the authors) explored as we had the good fortune of visiting component plants in the Nagoya region with senseis and Toyota veterans Mr. Amezawa and Mr. Yoshino. Amezawa-san has 50 years of Toyota experience and is past ..read more

FEATURE – Freeing up beds is an age-old problem for hospitals. The medical area of this Catalan hospital group has found in lean a creative way to solve it.  Words: Dr. Àlex Culla, Dr. Maria Lopez-Dieguez and Dr. Helena Camell Llari Having more beds available is the number one concern for most hospitals, and the Consorci Sanitari Alt Penedés-Garraf is no exception. In the medical area, we have been trying to increase the number of patients who are discharged before 12pm for a long time. We have tried several things, but all the experiments we ran were somewhat improvised and not particul ..read more

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. Words: Adriana Carneiro and Robson Gouveia Supergasbras belongs to SHV Energy, a global distributor of off-grid energy, which provides 140,000 tons/month of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) to approximately 11,000 dealers, 10 million families, and more than 50,000 industrial and commercial customers across Brazil. Overall, SHV Energy has twenty business units, with 17 filling plants, more than 40 warehouses, and a cylinder manufactu ..read more

INTERVIEW – Cleveland Clinic has been on a lean journey for a few years now. In this interview, their Medical Director and Chief Nursing Officer talk continuous improvement, metrics, and sustaining results. Interviewees: Lisa Yerian and Meredith Foxx Roberto Priolo: When and how did the lean journey of the Cleveland Clinic begin? Lisa Yerian: In 2006, we created the earliest process improvement team. They were using a variety of tools and approaches, including lean, six sigma, and project management, and largely focused on discrete projects and a few tools. In 2012, we made a commitment to bu ..read more

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. Scripted, edited and narrated by: Roberto Priolo In its production of packaging products and film, Winpack strives to reuse as much material as possible. What can’t be re-integrated in production goes to the company’s recycling plant, which we visit in today’s episode. By analyzing the composition and origin of the garbage it receives, the team was able to come up with ways to minim ..read more

FEATURE – The ER of this Catalan hospital is finding great value in the application of Lean Thinking, which has already led to a dramatic change in its processes and to better care for patients. Words: Francesc Chavalés and Imma Tort Since introducing lean in 2017, the Emergency Room of the Hospital Comarcal de l’Alt Penedès (HCAP), part of the Consorci Sanitari Alt Penedès-Garraf, has experienced an overhaul in its way of working. Our ER, which receives around 200 patients a day, had to find a way to better utilize the limited space available. As a first step in our lean journey, we did a Va ..read more