Lean expert Michael Ballé examines the profound connection between lean thinking and environmental sustainability. He states that we can’t achieve much progress towards climate change until we fundamentally challenge the way we think about resource consumption. But Lean thinking and methods can be an effective tool to help us move in that direction. Our current consumption patterns are […]
Andrew Parris shared “A Vision of Process Excellence and Seven Habits for the Journey” in a Lean Frontiers webinar in August 2023. In the webinar, he explains how he merged the approach of Lean Six Sigma and other improvement methods from the corporate world with the vision, mission and values for a humanitarian organization into […]
Written by Brion
The IISE Annual Conference Volunteering Event, organized by the Sustainable Development Division, connects volunteer with a local nonprofit agency in the conference’s host city. The organization selected for 2023 in New Orleans was SBP, which shrinks the time between disaster and recovery. To achieve their mission, SBP takes a holistic approach to disasters—increasing resilience before […]
Written by Brion
The article is an excerpt from a new book on Lean Government (written in Dutch). It discusses a transformation taking place in the City of Breda. A new law was implemented to make it easier for residents and entrepreneurs to apply for permits by combining 24 regulations into one integrated environmental permit process. They describe […]
Written by Brion
Lean is especially appropriate for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries because it requires little financial investment to promote economic development that builds up and empowers workers, and is easy for everyone to grasp and apply. Andrew Parris, a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt at Medair, shares details about the International Trade […]
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In a recent interview, Joy Mason, CEO and founder of Optimist Business Solutions discusses her background in continuous improvement, what led to the creation of The Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute™ (SSREI), along with some project examples. SSREI is an innovative leadership program designed to upskill Black Women to be complex problem solvers. She also […]
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Tim Gebauer shares his thoughts on applying Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to a thrift store. He feels that one of the first things to do to improve a store is visualizing and understanding how things are really being done now. A VSM can identify the flow of raw donations through the facility. Once they arrive, […]
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Joy Mason helped found the Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute, which is a nonprofit in Indianapolis, Indiana that teaches Black female professionals problem solving skills to receive the institute’s Six Sigma green belt certification. Six Sigma training is normally $5,000, but the tuition is reduced for these women due to corporate sponsorships. Students meet all […]
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On April 9, 2021, La Soufrière volcano erupted for the first time in 40 years on the island of St Vincent and the Grenadines. SBP Director Andy Stofleth asked the question: What if the problem could be part of the solution? Perhaps SBP could use this ancient Roman process of using volcanic ash as building […]
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The James P. Womack Scholarship and Philanthropy Fund (JPW Fund) and the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) teamed up with the primary goal to have two student interns analyze and improve core processes at a nonprofit organization, thus inspiring the organization to implement lean practices by showing them various methods to improve their operations. […]
Written by Brion