Hidden Lean

I love lean.

Whether it's at a manufacturing plant or in software development, I'm fascinated by "lean" and how its concepts can improve work and life. This blog is where I'll explore the unique issues concerning lean deployment.

Hopefully I'll find new ways of using lean, and new ways of supporting it.
In the interest of full disclosure, I work for a company that manufactures and sells industrial label solutions. We work hard at supporting lean efforts, focusing on areas like 5s and the visual workspace.

But, my love of lean goes much deeper.
Continual, visually based, efficient means of accomplishing goals seems like a useful technique to me.

And why shouldn't it?
Lean techniques have been used by companies as big as Toyota and as small as one man's garage (more on this in a moment).

Lean can be used to improve life as well as work. It can be enacted in almost any environment. And when well supported and fully invested, it can have drastic results.

Take a look at this man's use of the 5s system to organize and maintain his garage.
The before and after pictures say it all, don't they?


He even demonstrates how labels and labelling can support the proper deployment of the 5s's.