The History of the Term "Lean": a Conversation with Jim Womack and John Krafcik

In this episode of the WLEI Podcast, we're joined by Dr. Carlos Frederico Pinto (aka Dr. Fred), a medical oncologist with over 30 years of experience leading transformative changes in cancer care. Dr. Pinto shares insights on using lean thinking to dramatically improve patient outcomes and access to care. Some highlights from the conversation include: How redesigning patient pathways allowed breast cancer patients to receive all necessary tests and treatments in a single visit.  Dr. Fred's current work with public healthcare institutions in Brazil reducing wait times for prostate cancer patients from over 1,000 days to less than two weeks. The importance of daily management and developing leaders with the right behaviors and values to drive lasting change. Dr. Fred's upcoming book, "The Systems Architect Manifesto," which shares his insights on organizational transformation.

In this episode of the WLEI Podcast, we sit down with Jose Ferro, the founder of the Lean Institute Brasil and co-author of LEI's new book Daily Management to Execute Strategy: Solving problems and developing people every day. José shares his insights on how companies can effectively connect their high-level strategy to frontline operations and the importance of developing a problem-solving culture.  Some key takeaways from the conversation include: Daily management is a structured process to align an organization's strategy with its day-to-day work. Solving problems at the operational level is fundamental to an effective daily management system and developing people. Leader behavior can enable effective problem-solving and destroy effective problem-solving. A clearly defined help chain connects frontline daily management to managerial-level daily management and provides systematic support to frontline operations. The approach to implementing daily management should be tailored to each organization's specific needs and context. Order your copy of Daily Management to Execute Strategy: https://www.lean.org/store/book/daily-management-to-execute-strategy-solving-problems-and-developing-people-every-day/ Discounts up to 20% off are available for large orders.

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, we speak with Karen Khachikyan, CEO of Expper Technologies, and Mineh Badmagharian, the clinical and product development leader. They shared the remarkable story behind Robin, a robot designed to provide emotional support and comfort to pediatric and geriatric patients in hospitals and care facilities.   What stood out most was the team's relentless focus on truly understanding their end users - the children, seniors, and medical staff who interact with Robin. Insights from the discussion include:  The importance of understanding your customer. The team spent years carefully observing how children reacted to different iterations of Robin, refining details like the robot's age and favorite animal to create a personality kids would love.  Integrating the technical and clinical needs. The two teams weren’t always aligned, but they found creative solutions by keeping the user experience as the north star.   Understanding the human element of robotics. - Perhaps most inspiring was the team's deep personal connection to Robin, treating it as a beloved member of the family, a sentiment shared by nurses and patients with access to a Robin.  Before listening, check out videos of Robin in action. https://youtu.be/FwZuUkjoj4M https://youtube.com/shorts/fkBHxs2aUA4?si=mK2eKW_5lL8vyBw1   

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, we explore the LPPD principle: Understand Before You Execute. Too often, companies commit to a product design before assessing their customers’ needs, leading to development churn and failed products. The conversation examines how to avoid that trap by precisely identifying customer needs before development and features a case study of a company that did just that. However, people did not engage in this conversation. Artificial intelligence, specifically Google’s NotebookLM, generated the entire discussion based only on this six-minute video clip. The result is astonishing. Tune in and share in the comments what you thought of the conversation.

In this episode of WLEI Podcast, we welcome Sandrine Olivencia, author of Build to Sell and expert in applying Lean principles to software development. Sandrine shares her journey from waterfall to Agile and eventually to Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD), which she sees as a more holistic and sustainable system for building great products and lasting businesses. The conversation explores:    The importance of Gemba and why leaders at all levels need to stay closely connected to customers and the problems they face.  How Lean thinking can help companies avoid “feature frenzy mode” and maintain a clear focus on delivering customer value.  Why even mature tech companies often struggle to develop people and the steps leaders can take to build a culture of problem-solving and continuous improvement.   Practical advice on where to start implementing Lean principles, including Sandrine’s three key strategies for building a more product-led company.   The limitations of so-called “founder mode” and “manager mode” and how an alternative “Lean management mode” addresses the shortcomings of both.   

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, we speak with Regis Megina, a software industry veteran who has undergone a journey from Agile to Lean. Regis shares insights on:   How he transitioned from early frustrations with waterfall development to embracing Agile and Extreme Programming  The challenges he faced in spreading these new ideas, and why he ultimately sought a deeper understanding of Lean principles  Regis' current work applying Lean Thinking to startups and scale-ups, including creating educational materials and training programs  The importance of continuous learning, technical mastery, and developing team capabilities - rather than just focusing on process improvement tools.  For more insights into Lean Thinking applied to product development, subscribe to the Design Brief newsletter. 

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, LEI speaks with prolific author and business leader Art Byrne.  During the discussion, Art shares his decades-long journey leading lean transformation, from running kaizen events with the first wave of ex-Toyota consultants in the US to leading manufacturer Wiremold to record profitability. For a decade, Art wrote 100 "Ask Art" columns, answering the lean community's most pressing questions. He has compiled the best of those into a new book, The Lean Turnaround Answer Book: 40 Years of Lean Observation.  Our conversation covered:  The transformative impact of implementing the Toyota Production System to improve efficiency, quality, and customer service. The critical role of leadership and involving top executives in driving successful lean transformations through setting stretch goals and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. The challenges of traditional accounting methods in a lean environment and the need to transition to lean accounting practices. The strategic advantages of reducing setup times and lead times in manufacturing, allowing companies to gain a competitive advantage. Practical insights from the author's experience writing a book to provide answers to common questions about implementing lean principles across various industries.

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, LEI speaks with software industry veteran Robert Martin. Robert is one of the original signers of the Agile Manifesto and the author of several influential books, including Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship.  During the conversation, Robert shared insightful perspectives on some of the biggest challenges facing software development today. From the demographic problem of perpetual inexperience to his pioneering approach to development dubbed "software craftsmanship" that aims to promote quality work, Robert covered a wide range of issues impacting the industry. Some other topics discussed include: Balancing speed and quality in development and emphasizing a quality-first mindset. The benefits of test-driven development, such as providing freedom to change code safely. AI's potential impacts and appropriate uses of AI-generated code. Be among the first to get the latest insights from LEI's Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) thought leaders and practitioners. This podcast was delivered to subscribers of The Design Brief, LEI's newsletter devoted to improving organizations' innovation capability. It is the second of four in a series focused on craftsmanship or pursuing perfection in products and people. Craftsmanship embodies simple elegance, precise execution, and a deep, personal connection to work that transforms both the creation and the creator.

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, Jim Womack and John Krafcik share the origin story of the term "lean." Jim led the MIT global benchmarking study of the automotive industry, which led to the seminal book The Machine That Changed the World, and John was one of the principal researchers. Jim went on to co-author a similarly influential book, Lean Thinking, and founded the Lean Enterprise Institute. John Krafcik became an executive in the auto industry, serving as CEO of Hyundai America and Waymo. The discussion closes by turning from the past to the future with updates on Waymo's autonomous driving technology. This conversation took place at LEI's Lean Summit in March 2024. Special note: Are you keen to explore how technology such as autonomy will reshape the future workplace? Join us at "The Future of People at Work Symposium" July 18-19 in Detriot, MI, to learn about these challenges from business luminaries like Jim Womack and Jeff Liker and collaborate with peers to address them. Click here to learn more and register.

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, LEI speaks with Dr. Jackie Gerhart and Dr. Christopher Longhurst. Dr. Gerhart is a family physician and VP of clinical informatics at Epic Systems, while Dr. Longhurst is the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Digital Officer at UC San Diego Health.  In the discussion, we explore:  How health systems are using AI to improve patient outcomes. The potential for AI to reduce clinicians' cognitive burden, allowing them to reconnect with patients. What educators should consider when training the next generation of doctors who will begin their careers with access to AI. Special note: As this conversation demonstrates, the workplace is rapidly changing, fueled by technological advancements like AI, shifting generational expectations, and evolving customer demands.  Join LEI at "The Future of People at Work Symposium" July 18-19 in Detriot, MI to learn about these challenges from business luminaries like Jim Womack and Jeff Liker and collaborate with peers to address them. Click here to learn more and register.