A Lean Revolution at the University of Michigan with Krista Schulte – JIT Cafe Podcast

Krista Schulte is the Assistant Director of Operational Excellence for the University of Michigan. She discusses her background, and how she is helping implement Lean in higher education. They also discuss an upcoming Lean in Higher Education conference in San Diego. She also describes what it was like having Jeffrey Liker as a professor when he was […]

Applying Continuous Improvement in K-12 Education in Halifax County with Dr. Eric Cunningham – JIT Cafe Podcast

Dr. Eric Cunningham is the dynamic Superintendent for Halifax County Schools in North Carolina. He’s got some inspiring insights on how to build problem solvers in education, and how he drives the use of process maps, fishbone diagrams and 5 Whys. He also discusses how to meet people where they are with process improvement. You […]

Racial equity institute gives Black women Six Sigma training as ‘an opportunity to level the playing field’

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 […]

JPW Foundation Assessing a New Way to Develop More Lean Thinkers with Nonprofits and College Students

The James P. Womack Scholarship & Philanthropy Fund (JPW Foundation) reflects on the outcomes of their ‘lean internship,’ which offers a hands-on practical experience to students while helping nonprofits help more people. In a recently created guide, the JPW Fund explains how the first two interns started in the Fall of 2019, and how they […]

Marion County Cohort Addressing Under-represented Black Women in Six Sigma

Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) Center for Business and Economic Development has partnered with the Six Sigma Racial Equity Institute (SSREI) to help Black women in Indianapolis and Marion County earn their Six Sigma Green Belt certification. “What we’re doing with the Six Sigma for Racial Equity Institute is taking the power of data analysis […]

Detroit Nonprofit Furnished 10 More Homes with Lean Partnership – Lean Enterprise Institute

Humble Design Detroit (HDD) furnishes homes for individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness. They furnished ten more homes in 2021 than they did in 2020, an increase that the community service organization previously couldn’t imagine. They don’t plan to stop there: HDD is aiming to provide an additional 12 homes in 2022. The improvement […]

Making the World Better by Advancing Lean Thinking and Practice – Lean Enterprise Institute

The James P. Womack Scholarship and Philanthropy Fund (JPW Fund) was created with the goal of creating and providing innovative gemba-based learning opportunities in order to develop more lean thinkers. The Fund epitomizes the use of lean principles and practices, including eliminating waste in work processes, going to the gemba, using plan-do-check-act (PDCA) problem-solving based […]

Process Improvement in Education, Nonprofit and Government Sectors with Tracy O’Rourke

In the Lean Six Sigma for Good podcast, Tracy O’Rourke shares her background with over 20 years of process improvement experience, working with nonprofits, government, education, military and the for-profit sector. She teaches Lean and Six Sigma at the University of California-San Diego (UCSD), is the co-host of the podcast and video series, Just-in-Time Cafe, and is […]