The official online magazine
of the Lean Global Network

COLUMN – In this column, three lean and technology experts respond to the same pressing question shaping today’s tech/AI debate. This month, we ask what a lean approach to AI looks like.

FEATURE – Visits to nearly 30 automotive plants across Japan and Germany reveal what truly separates good factories from exceptional ones—and the answer is surprisingly simple.

FEATURE – The author examines the term “stupidity” as the brain's default mode—motivated reasoning, cognitive dissonance, and groupthink—and how Lean's problem-awareness culture counters willful blindness to inconvenient truths.

FEATURE – During a site visit to Halfway Production Centre in Johannesburg, the author is reminded of how learning to see demands coaching and mental-model shifts, not just observation or motivation alone.

CASE STUDY – The transformation of Esquel’s dining operations shows how improving employee wellness, work conditions, and skills can unlock productivity, engagement, and long-term sustainability across operations.

NOTES FROM THE GEMBA – In Part 1 of this mini-series on Aramisauto, the author explores how the company transformed its supply chain through pull flow, daily management, and problem solving.

MY AHA MOMENTS – In the second article of his new sieries, the author addresses the hidden cost of multitasking, explaining why focus—and not constant activity—drives real productivity.

FEATURE – The real power of Lean lies not in efficiency tools, but in its ability to turn organizations into learning networks where interaction, engagement, and shared problem solving create lasting collective intelligence.