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Key Points About Kaizen from Japanese Hospitals, Going Back in December
I’ve gone to Japan twice now with Kaizen Institute to study Lean with healthcare professionals from around the world. I first went in 2012, as a paid attendee, and I went back in 2014 as a partner and...
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5S: The Good, the Bad, and the Extreme in Japanese Hospitals
Toyota Technology Museum, Nagoya My two previous trips to Japan have been incredible experiences, both personally and professionally. I’m planning to go back in December with a tour group I’m helping...
View ArticleTour Preview: The Japanese Health Care System at a High Level
As I prepare to go back to Japan, I'm sharing some insights about the Japanese health system from the excellent book "The Healing of America," by T.R. Reid. The post Tour Preview: The Japanese Health...
View ArticleOff to Japan… Time to Learn and Be Inspired!
Greetings! I'm off to Japan today and next week is my third "Lean Healthcare Study Trip" in the country. As I asked in 2012, what questions would you want me to ask or try to get answered while I'm...
View ArticleWhat Books on #Lean and TPS Are Sold at the Toyota Museum in Nagoya?
It's Monday morning in Nagoya, Japan as I write this. I'm still jet-lagged and up early, so here's a blog post after all... Sunday, I had the chance to visit the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry...
View ArticleFollowing the Rules in Japan: Lean, Sushi, and Otherwise
Last week, I got back from my third trip to Japan and we visited three hospitals, Toyota, another manufacturer, and heard from a cafeteria services company leader about their Lean and continuous...
View Article“So why are you here in Japan?” Kaizen, Popularity, Fads, and Sustainment
Monday, I blogged about the sushi-making class I took on my last Sunday in Japan. Later that same Sunday, I did a walking food tour in the Shibuya area. Walking food tours are a great way to explore...
View ArticleKey #Lean Tweets from @MarkGraban: Tweets & Photos from Japan 2018
In this post, I'm sharing tweets from my recent trip to Japan. I've added a few photos I posted on Instagram, as well. The post Key #Lean Tweets from @MarkGraban: Tweets & Photos from Japan 2018...
View Article“Small Kaizen” at a Japanese Hospital Pharmacy, Part 1
I'm overdue in writing more about my last trip to Japan a few months back. Today, I'll like to share some highlights from one organization we visited, Seki Chuo Hospital, which is located outside of...
View ArticleShould This Japanese Hospital React to a Dip in Kaizen Submissions?
Last week, I wrote Part 1 of this piece about TQM and "Small Kaizen" at a Japanese Hospital pharmacy. The hospital was happy that employees were participating in their "Small Kaizen" process, but there...
View ArticleWhy Would You Go Back To Japan? Haven’t You Been There, Done That?
When I got back from Japan a few weeks back, somebody at a hospital client of mine asked me: "Why go back to Japan again? Haven't you been there, done that?" Why go back to Japan? Why not go back? I...
View ArticleMy Embarrassing Sushi Mistake in Japan; Standardized Work, Leadership, and...
I had a great time and learned so much as a guest of Honsha and their Executive Development Mission trip to Japan in October. The formal site visits to factories and companies were great, but a lot of...
View ArticleToyota as a “People Development Company”
When I had the chance to go back to Japan last October with Honsha, there was a big focus on what the former Toyota people kept referring to as “a development company.” The meaning was that Toyota (and...
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Inside Toyota’s Takaoka #2 Line – Flexibility and Kaizen
This is an interesting article: Inside Toyota's Takaoka #2 Line: The Most Flexible Line In The World I had a chance to visit the ‘Takaoka #1″ line in February 2018 as part of my tour with Kaizen...
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Making People and Making Things – in Japan or Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood
Monday was my first day for my fifth Lean study trip to Japan. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to once again visit a Toyota plant, the Tsutsumi Plant. Here are two blog posts from 2015, as the plant...
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Why are Factories in Value Stream Maps Drawn That Way? What’s That Shape?
Typically, the customer (or supplier) icon in classic Lean “Value Stream Mapping” looks like a factory. Well, it looks like what might appear to be a strangely-shaped building — or it might seem like...
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The Path to Patient Safety in Japan (or Elsewhere): Reporting Problems,...
As I blogged about this morning, don't forget that you can get a FREE Kindle copy of Practicing Lean today (January 21, 2020). As I blogged about yesterday, my theme this week is “psychological...
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My Embarrassing Sushi Mistake in Japan; Standardized Work, Leadership, and...
I had a great time and learned so much as a guest of Honsha and their Executive Development Mission trip to Japan in October. The formal site visits to factories and companies were great, but a lot of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Toyota as a “People Development Company”
When I had the chance to go back to Japan last October with Honsha, there was a big focus on what the former Toyota people kept referring to as “a development company.” The meaning was that Toyota...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Inside Toyota’s Takaoka #2 Line – Flexibility and Kaizen
This is an interesting article: Inside Toyota's Takaoka #2 Line: The Most Flexible Line In The World I had a chance to visit the ‘Takaoka #1″ line in February 2018 as part of my tour with Kaizen...
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