Lean examples, sorted by type
Most lean methods are easier to get once you have seen a few. Each gallery below has illustrated cards sorted by type, with what the example does and where you would see it. For the words themselves, see the glossary.
- 28 examples
Poka-yoke examples
28 illustrated poka-yoke examples from daily life and the shop floor, sorted into contact, fixed-value and motion-step methods, each marked prevention or detection.See the examples - 20 examples
One point lesson examples
20 one point lesson (OPL) examples sorted into basic knowledge, safety, problem case and improvement case, each with the mistake it heads off, the picture it uses and who it is for.See the examples - 16 projects
DMAIC examples
16 illustrative DMAIC projects, from scrap and changeovers to invoices and clinic waiting times, each outlined phase by phase through Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control.See the examples - 24 examples
Employee rewards examples
24 employee reward examples sorted into intrinsic, monetary, non-monetary, incentive schemes and wellness, each with what it is good for and the usual pitfall.See the examples - 16 examples
SMED examples
16 worked SMED changeover examples sorted by Shingo's stages and filterable by technique and machine, each with a before and after timeline of internal and external work.See the examples - 24 examples
Autonomous maintenance examples
24 illustrative autonomous maintenance examples sorted by the seven AM steps and filterable by equipment, each with the defect tag, the fix, a before and after drawing of the visual control, who checks it and how often, and the minutes it saves.See the examples
Complete worked examples
PDCA examples
Six complete plan-do-check-act cycles from the shop floor, each with a baseline, a target, a prediction written before the trial, a small-scale test, the check against all three and the decision that followed. Two miss their target.See the examplesFishbone diagram examples
Five worked fishbone diagrams from plant problems, each drawn with its 6M or 4P bones, then the vote that set the order of checks, how each top cause was confirmed or ruled out with evidence, the action and the result, plus the five weak spots that make fishbones fail.See the examplesGemba walk examples
Twelve worked gemba walks, filterable by area (receiving to office) and purpose (safety, standard work, quality, 5S, flow, people), each with a route, what to look for and why, questions to ask, what not to do and a filled-in observation log.See the examplesA3 examples
Three complete A3 reports (problem solving, proposal and status) laid out left side and right side, with a coach's note on every box and the weak spots reviewers see most.See the examples5 whys examples
Ten worked 5 whys chains in manufacturing, quality, safety and maintenance. Each gives the evidence that checks every why, the verified cause, the countermeasure and how the fix was verified, with the wrong turn that was available.See the examples
Ready to put one to work?
The free templates turn each method into a sheet your team can fill in on the floor this week.