The official online magazine
of the Lean Global Network

FEATURE – Drawing on his career as a lean manager for a Nike supplier, the author traces how Lean transformed Nike's footwear manufacturing and argues real success requires embedding problem solving in everyone.

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.