How Innovative is Value Stream Mapping?

Author of The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value Stream Mapping for Office and Services, Second Edition, Drew Locher, is my podcast guest this week and we touched about how the innovative a Value Stream Mapping process could or as drew put it should be. You can learn more about Drew at his company web page, Change Read More …

FMEAs have to be as Innovative as the Innovation

In the Google Community, The Next 7 Tools, I started a discussion on FMEA thinking it will be tool that will re-surface in popularity. It has been used quite extensively in manufacturing but I think it can be pushed into the fields of service and software.  It will need some refinement more towards Innovation and Read More …

Is Transparency w Suppliers Innovative?

Joseph Michelli book, The Zappos Experience: 5 Principles to Inspire, Engage, and WOW discussed the Zappos approach that Michelli breaks into five key elements: Serve a Perfect Fit—create bedrock company values Make it Effortlessly Swift—deliver a customer experience with ease Step into the Personal—connect with customers authentically S T R E T C H—grow people Read More …

Does Lean create Innovative Companies?

Many people only view Lean as a methodology to reduce waste, improve flow and drive internal processes. Many have even hijacked the term customer and created “internal customers” and lose sight of the true customer and the marketplace. These companies do not recognize Lean as a business process that strengthens and grows a company through Read More …

Innovative Development eBook

Tim Schipper and Mark Swets were my guests on the Business901 Podcast and this is a transcription of the podcast. They are the co-authors of Innovative Lean Development: How to Create, Implement and Maintain a Learning Culture Using Fast Learning Cycles. I have been quite intrigued by their book and  I would encourage you first Read More …