“Lean” thinking creates a willingness to try new things. We have taught 6S, which focuses on safely reorganizing and establishing ways to maintain our spaces. We have conducted Kaizen events, which are intensive efforts to quickly transform a place or process. As you engage in these practices, we hope it changes your way of looking […]

Asking “why” is one of the key strategies for achieving better “lean” practices. If you are new to the company, you may see us doing something one way, and it seems like there is a better way. The tendency might be to step back and remain silent. Most new people assume that the long-term employees […]

Once upon a time, I was part of a team that faced an extraordinary opportunity. A customer reached out with an urgent request—they had just received a massive order and needed as many pallets as we could build, as fast as we could make them. This was a first for us. Nothing like it had […]

What makes a team effective? You can answer this as a teammate or leader. But here are the questions for which everyone needs answers: Does each player understand their job and how the team prospers when that job is done well? Is there a premium placed on good, honest, and transparent communication? Is all the information […]