No Time To Waste

by LeanTeams

Great improvement begins with a concise, customer-focussed problem statement.

Define the gap from standard with evidence, the affected customer, and the impact and avoid jumping to any solutions.

Keep the ‘charter’ to one page and share with stakeholders so that decisions, experiments and evaluation stay aligned to purpose.

The aim of the A3 is not the document; it is the process of thinking and alignment
John Shook, Managing to Learn

Write a problem statement. Agree one success metric and owner. Share a 'charter' with the team. Brainstorm. Run one experiment today

Standard Work is the best known way today to meet customer demand with safety, quality and flow.

Make it visual and accessible (one-point lessons, checklists, screenshots, videos).

Where appropriate, define TAKT time (the rate of customer demand), work sequence, standard WIP, Process time.

When a better way is proven with small experiments, update the standard the same day!

Standardisation is the foundation for Kaizen
Masaaki Imai, Gemba Kaizen

Confidence grows when people feel safe, skilled and supported.

Create psychological safety to surface problems early.

Teach with TWI Job Instruction (Prepare → Present → Try-out → Follow-up).

Coach using ask-first questions at the Gemba.

Share and celebrate learning updates to standard work.

Aim for capability, not dependency.

Respect for people means giving them the means to do a good job and improve it
John Shook, Lean Enterprise Institute

At this time of year, you may be planning for 2026.

We’ve built a short Lean Check to help you assess where your organisation stands and identify improvements for next year.

Join our upcoming sessions to deepen your Lean knowledge and network.

Knowledge Sharing. What is OEE? A case study on the application of OEE data gathering to measure productivity and reduce operating costs.