What do Easter and Lean have in common?

What has Easter and Lean have in common? The answer, in my opinion, is:

The triumph of love, over the worst circumstances, even death!

I have actually expanded the definition of LEAN into LEAN 2.0 of Ron Snee, it is no more just the tidying up of workplaces, or laborious documentation!

Is Classical Lean the answer to difficult problems? Or is it just some costly window dressing? I was one of those naysayers many years ago - a problem of reducing inventory and lead time was ‘impossible ‘, but learned there were unusual solutions! And reducing the inventory is not even always the best solution, it usually stops the critical production flow.

With long experience in smaller and large corporations over a number of years, I would say everyone needs LEAN 2.0 approach.

It is true that in lots of places, Lean is applied wrongly. The reasons are not hard to find- methods not substance! In religious metaphor, it would mean we are more into the religion of LEAN, not into the theology of LEAN!

There are a number of mistakes- lack of management engagement and a defined goal, not employing top talent, not applying correct resources, not really empowering and involving the people, etc.

The problem deteriorates to the refrain from Alice in Wonderland: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there!”

When we open the eyes, it is for everyone to see, but in the thick of too many pointless tables and charts, it is hard to open the eyes to the simple and the obvious!

“Involve the people, improve the process, impress the world!”

We never know the value of the gems in various levels of the organization until we empower them. A harmonizer like me with an open mind and a robust technical background is a differentiation.

It takes top talent to solve problems; otherwise, it can and will deteriorate to window dressing.