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Lean manufacturing topics
Our lean manufacturing guides, sorted into ten subjects. Each topic starts with a short answer, names three guides to start with, lists every article by theme, and links the glossary terms, free calculators and LeanSuite pages that go with it.
A suggested order to work through the topics
- 2
Stable, standard work
An organized area and one agreed way to do each job.
- 4
Solve and improve
Find causes and keep improving the standard.
How many articles each topic holds
- Lean leadership and employee engagement51 articles
- Value stream mapping and flow38 articles
- Kaizen and continuous improvement37 articles
- Lean manufacturing fundamentals33 articles
- Root cause analysis and problem solving24 articles
- Quality management21 articles
- TPM and maintenance21 articles
- Standard work, SOPs and training15 articles
- Safety management15 articles
- 5S and visual management14 articles
Lean manufacturing fundamentals
Lean manufacturing is a production method, first put into practice in the Toyota Production System, that delivers more value to the customer by removing waste from every process.
- Lean principles and thinking
- The Toyota Production System and world-class manufacturing
- The wastes: muda, mura and muri
- Lean transformation and tools
- Lean, Six Sigma and other approaches
Kaizen and continuous improvement
Kaizen means “change for the better”: the ongoing improvement of processes, quality and working conditions by everyone in the organization, run as a management system rather than a one-off program.
- Kaizen
- Kaizen events
- Continuous improvement principles
- PDCA and DMAIC
- Building a continuous improvement culture
- Running improvement projects
- Continuous improvement software
Root cause analysis and problem solving
Root cause analysis is the structured investigation that finds the underlying condition behind a manufacturing problem, so the fix removes the cause instead of the symptom and the problem stops coming back.
- Root cause analysis basics
- Defining the problem
- 5 Whys and fishbone diagrams
- A3, 8D and fault tree analysis
- From firefighting to daily problem solving
Quality management
Quality management in manufacturing means building quality into every process and role, so defects are prevented or caught where they are made instead of found by inspection at the end of the line.
- Quality systems and principles
- Defects and error proofing
- Corrective action, risk and audits
- Measuring quality
TPM and maintenance
Total productive maintenance (TPM) makes equipment reliability a shared job between operators and maintenance staff, instead of leaving it to the maintenance department alone.
- Total productive maintenance
- Autonomous maintenance and CILR
- Maintenance strategies and teams
- Downtime, OEE and equipment failure
5S and visual management
5S is the five-step workplace organization method (sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain) that removes waste from the work area and sets the visual standards every other lean tool depends on.
- 5S
- Visual management and the visual factory
- Boards, tiers and the obeya room
Value stream mapping and flow
Value stream mapping draws the whole flow of material and information needed to deliver a product, with the cycle times, inventory and lead time at each step, so you can see where waste builds up and where flow stops.
- Value stream mapping
- Flow, pull and just-in-time
- Lead time, throughput and bottlenecks
- Line balancing and changeover
- Production efficiency and cost
Standard work, SOPs and training
Standard work is the documented, current best way to do a job, built from takt time, work sequence and standard in-process stock, and it is the baseline every improvement is measured against.
- Standard work
- SOPs and work instructions
- Training and skills
Safety management
Safety management in manufacturing works best when it is proactive: finding and removing hazards before anyone is hurt, instead of investigating after an incident.
- Safety culture
- Hazards and near misses
- Safety systems, ergonomics and audits
Lean leadership and employee engagement
Lean leadership is the practice of developing people's capability, judgment and ownership while guiding them toward continuous improvement, and it decides whether lean tools produce lasting change or results that fade when attention moves on.
- Strategy deployment and goals
- Leading at the gemba
- Lean leadership and culture
- Employee engagement
- Recognition and rewards
- Employee ideas and suggestion systems
Method guides
The 6 Ms of production
The six cause categories of a fishbone diagram (Man, Machine, Method, Material, Measurement, Mother Nature) on one page, with how to run a 6M session, an example and free templates.
Read the guidePoka-yoke
Poka-yoke (mistake-proofing) on one page: prevention vs detection, the contact, fixed-value and motion-step methods, how to design and test a device, and the guides that go deeper.
Read the guideModel area 90-day plans
What a model area is, how improvement pillars usually start, ten free 90-day pillar plans (safety, quality control, autonomous maintenance, professional maintenance, environment, focused improvement, logistics, people development, early equipment management, cost deployment) and how expansion works after day 90.
Read the guideMoving from Excel to one system
A checklist for moving lean trackers from spreadsheets to one system: inventory every sheet, decide what moves, stays or is retired, clean the data, pilot one area, run old and new side by side for a set number of cycles, then make the old file read-only.
Read the guideReducing machine downtime: a worked month
A worked month of downtime on one bottling line (37 stops, illustrative, with the log as a CSV): total lost time and availability, Pareto by minutes, stops and cost, short stops against long stops, an impact and effort table to pick the first loss, a 30, 60 and 90 day plan and how to re-measure.
Read the guideAndon
What an andon is and what the word means, the types of andon (cord, button, stack light, board, sound, digital) and a color legend, jidoka from the Toyoda loom, the green, yellow and red states, stopping at once or at a fixed position, the escalation ladder by time with one pull followed by the clock, the measures (median and 90th percentile response, resolve time, pulls per shift, repeat reasons), one shift of 14 pulls worked through with a Pareto, how to set up an andon system, andon vs kanban vs visual management, the culture that keeps people pulling, and common mistakes.
Read the guideCycle time vs lead time, worked through
Practical guide: one steel shaft followed through six steps, with takt time, step cycle times and the bottleneck, throughput time, production lead time checked with Little's Law, order-to-delivery lead time, the value-added ratio and what each number tells you to do.
Read the guideRoot cause analysis
17 root cause analysis tools compared by the job each does and when to use it, the types of RCA, which tool to start with, the order to use them in, three tests that verify a root cause, and one weld leak problem worked through Pareto, is / is not, timeline, fishbone, fault tree and 5 whys.
Read the guideHow many operators a line needs
How to work out how many operators a line needs: takt from demand and available time, total work content divided by takt, rounding, balance efficiency and balance delay, stoppages and allowances as factors you set, what to do with 4.2 operators, and the roster with absence cover, worked through on one assembly line.
Read the guideReducing scrap and rework: a worked month
A worked month of scrap and rework on one machined-housing cell (6,000 housings, 12 reason codes, illustrative): scrap and rework counted apart, the cost of each, the Pareto by count against the Pareto by cost, where each defect is made against where it is found, the tool that fits each top cause, containment against root cause, and how to re-read the same Pareto at 30 and 90 days.
Read the guideUnsafe acts and unsafe conditions
Plain definitions of unsafe act and unsafe condition with a field test to tell them apart, where the terms come from (Heinrich 1931, Bird 1969) and why the old ratios cannot be checked, the systems view that replaced blame, the hierarchy of controls, a six-step plant method and one gemba walk worked through.
Read the guideJust culture
A just culture against a blame culture and a no-blame culture, where the idea comes from (Reason, Johnston's substitution test, Marx's three behaviours, Dekker, aviation reporting rules), why punishing honest error ends near-miss reporting, a six-step decision path for a supervisor with the words for the first 24 hours, what HR and safety policies have to change, where the model is weak, and leading indicators with no benchmarks.
Read the guideStop-work authority
What stop-work authority is and who holds it (any worker, any contractor, no retaliation), where it comes from (OSHA Section 11(c) and the right to refuse, offshore SEMS, nuclear, ISO 45001 titles, the andon cord), how it differs from refusing unsafe work, a one-page policy, the stop, think, act, restart sequence, the three failure modes and the leading indicators that do not turn stops into a target.
Read the guideMaterial review board (MRB)
What a material review board is, who sits on it, the six steps from detection to closure, a decision table for each disposition, how an MRB differs from an NCR, CAPA, a deviation and change control, and how to run one in 20 minutes.
Read the guideNonconformance and NCRs
What a nonconformance is, how it differs from noncompliance, a defect and a deviation, the types (product, process, system, supplier, documentation), major vs minor grading, when to raise an NCR, the fields, severity, the six-step process, the construction version, examples and tools.
Read the guideProblem solving methods
Ten problem solving methods and tools used in manufacturing (5 Whys, fishbone, is / is not, fault tree, PDCA, A3, 8D, DMAIC, Toyota's practical problem solving, Kepner-Tregoe) compared, the six steps they share, how to choose one, a worked example and free templates.
Read the guideQuad chart
What a quad chart is, what goes in each of its four boxes, a lean example for a changeover project, how to read one fast and how it differs from an A3, an SQDC board and a 2x2 matrix.
Read the guideOEE calculation
How to calculate overall equipment effectiveness: the formula and shortcut, the six numbers you need, three illustrative worked examples (one machine, a fast line, two products on one machine), how to roll OEE up to a line or plant, cycle time, eight common mistakes and how OEE differs from TEEP and OLE.
Read the guideQuality assurance vs quality control
QA and QC defined and compared in a table, a worked plant example with the arithmetic, who does each job, how they fit with CAPA, SPC and audits, and the common mistakes.
Read the guideSOP meaning and format
What SOP stands for and means in business, what an SOP is for, the sections of an SOP format, the four common formats, a filled example, SOP examples from a plant, how an SOP differs from a work instruction, standard work and a policy, who writes and approves one, and common mistakes.
Read the guideJob hazard analysis
What a job hazard analysis is, the four steps, a worked example with a risk rating and the arithmetic, how JHA and JSA relate, when to do one, how to rank controls, and common mistakes.
Read the guideNear miss reporting
The near miss definition, examples, near miss vs incident and hazard, what to put in a report, a six-step process, how to measure the program with the arithmetic, and the mistakes that stop people reporting.
Read the guideFishbone diagram
What a fishbone (Ishikawa, cause and effect) diagram is and where it came from, the parts of the diagram, the category sets (6Ms, 5Ms, 8Ms, 4Ps, 4Ss, 8Ps), the six steps to build one with a team, an illustrative worked example that ends in checks instead of guesses, how to read a finished fishbone, the mistakes that make fishbones useless, where it sits in Six Sigma, 8D and A3, and when to pick the 5 Whys or a Pareto chart instead.
Read the guidePareto chart
What a Pareto chart (Pareto diagram, Pareto graph) is and what the 80/20 rule means, the parts of the chart, when to use one, the steps and arithmetic to build one by hand or in Excel, an illustrative worked example where the top bar by count is not the top bar by cost plus a second-level Pareto, how to read the cumulative line, the Other bar, the mistakes, how it differs from a bar chart and a histogram, and what to do after the chart.
Read the guideHistogram
What a histogram is, how it differs from a bar chart and a Pareto chart, how to choose bins and build one from measurements, an illustrative worked example of 100 shaft diameters against spec limits, what the common shapes mean, the mistakes to avoid and how it leads to a control chart or a capability study.
Read the guideControl chart
What a control chart (SPC chart) is, common cause against special cause variation, how to choose between X-bar and R, individuals and moving range, p, np, c and u charts, an illustrative X-bar and R worked example with the limit arithmetic and a signal, the rules for reading it, the difference from spec limits and the mistakes that cause over-reaction.
Read the guideWhat is a gemba walk
What a gemba walk is, who does it and how often, six steps to run one, a checklist by area with a free template, an illustrative walk with the questions asked, and the mistakes that turn it into an audit.
Read the guideWhat is lead time
The definition of lead time, the formula, the types (customer, production, supplier, material) in a table, an illustrative worked example, how it differs from cycle time, and five ways to reduce it with a free calculator and worksheet.
Read the guideWhat is operational excellence
A short, answer-first guide to operational excellence: what it means, how it differs from lean, Six Sigma and continuous improvement, the principles behind it, six steps for a plant to start and the mistakes to avoid.
Read the guideHow to improve product quality
A seven-step answer to how to improve product quality, quality in production and quality control in manufacturing: measure defects, rank them with a Pareto, find root causes, error-proof, standardise, check and train.
Read the guidePreventive vs predictive maintenance
Preventive, predictive, reactive, planned and autonomous maintenance and TPM compared in one table, with planned downtime examples, how to choose a strategy for each machine and the common mistakes.
Read the guideKanban
What kanban means, how a kanban system pulls material through a plant, the types of kanban card (production, withdrawal, signal, supplier, two-bin, electronic), how many cards a loop needs with an illustrative example, Taiichi Ohno's six rules, kanban boards for tasks, the common mistakes, and free cards, a sizing calculator, a board and a poster.
Read the guideFMEA
What FMEA means and stands for, the types (DFMEA, PFMEA, system FMEA, FMEA-MSR), a DFMEA vs PFMEA table, the severity, occurrence and detection ratings, RPN vs action priority under the AIAG-VDA handbook, the seven steps, a worked PFMEA example with the maths shown, and the free templates.
Read the guidePDSA cycle
What PDSA stands for and how it differs from PDCA, the four steps with what to write down at each, the history from Shewhart to Deming's 1993 cycle with the books named, a worked shop-floor cycle with the arithmetic shown, PDSA in healthcare, a template and the common mistakes.
Read the guideSafety moments
What a safety moment (safety share) is, how it differs from a toolbox talk and a safety meeting, how to run one in five minutes, and 52 manufacturing safety moments grouped by hazard, from machine guarding and LOTO to noise and near misses, each with a question to ask the team.
Read the guideJust-in-time manufacturing
The definition of just-in-time manufacturing, where it came from, how a JIT production system works (takt, flow, pull, levelling), JIT against push and against lean, an illustrative worked example with the arithmetic shown, how to start in one area, the risks, the common mistakes and the questions people ask.
Read the guideKaizen
What kaizen means and where it came from, the six principles, how it runs on PDCA and SDCA, daily kaizen against kaizen events, project kaizen and kaikaku, how one idea moves from a tag on the floor to a closed standard, an illustrative packing cell example with the arithmetic, kaizen against lean and Six Sigma, the common mistakes, and free templates, a savings calculator and a poster.
Read the guide5S
What 5S means, the five steps (seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, shitsuke) each with a machining-cell example, how to run red tagging with an illustrative tally, set-in-order rules, cleaning as inspection, a scored 5S audit worked through, 5S against 6S, where 5S came from, how to start in one area, the mistakes that make it slide back, and free checklists, red tags and a poster.
Read the guideTotal quality management (TQM)
What total quality management means, where it came from (Shewhart, Deming, Juran, Feigenbaum, Ishikawa, with their books), the 8 principles with what each looks like on a line, Deming's 14 points in plain words, the Juran trilogy, the TQM tools, an illustrative cost of quality example, TQM vs Six Sigma vs ISO 9001 vs lean, how to start in a plant, and the common mistakes.
Read the guideCAPA (corrective and preventive action)
What CAPA means, the difference between a correction, a corrective action and a preventive action, what should open a CAPA, the eight steps from problem statement to effectiveness check, how to write a corrective action plan and a corrective action request, a worked plant example with the numbers, how CAPA maps to 8D, what ISO 9001, IATF 16949, ISO 13485 and FDA 21 CFR 820 ask for, how to measure a CAPA system, and the common mistakes.
Read the guideLayered process audit (LPA)
What a layered process audit (LPA) is, why plants run them, the layers and how often each audits, how to write questions that can be answered by looking, an illustrative schedule for a two-shift plant with the leader time and results worked out, how to handle findings, LPA against other audits, paper, boards and software, and the common mistakes.
Read the guideLean tools
Every lean tool in one line with a link to its full guide, grouped by the problem it solves (see waste, organise, standardise, flow and pull, quality, equipment, problem solving, daily improvement, direction), plus which tool to use for which problem, an order to start in, a worked example on one packing line, and the common mistakes.
Read the guideLockout tagout (LOTO)
What lockout tagout (LOTO) means, lockout against tagout, when OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 applies and the minor servicing exception, the types of hazardous energy, the steps in order with the paragraph behind each, removing locks and restarting, what locks and tags must be, group lockout, shift change, the written program, the annual periodic inspection, training, an illustrative jam-clearing example on a case packer, common mistakes, and a free procedure template and poster.
Read the guideA3 problem solving
What A3 problem solving is and why it is called A3, the A3 report format box by box with the question a coach asks at each, the steps to run one, a fully filled illustrative A3 from a robot weld cell with the arithmetic shown, the problem-solving, proposal, status and strategy A3, A3 against 8D, PDCA and DMAIC, A3 thinking and the coach's role, the common mistakes, and a free template.
Read the guidePreventive maintenance
What preventive maintenance (PM) means, time-based and usage-based PM, how to build a PM program in six steps, a PM schedule for one packaging line worked out in numbers, fixed against floating due dates, how to calculate PM compliance, where PM stops helping, the common mistakes, and a free PM checklist, weekly schedule and KPI tracker.
Read the guideAPQP
What APQP (advanced product quality planning) means, the AIAG core tools, the five phases with the inputs and outputs of each, what every gate review asks to see, APQP vs PPAP with the 18 PPAP elements mapped to the phase that makes them and the five submission levels, the control plan, an illustrative 52-week launch timeline worked back from start of production, and the common mistakes.
Read the guideHigh reliability organization (HRO)
What a high reliability organization (HRO) is, where the idea came from (the Berkeley studies of carriers, air traffic control and a nuclear plant, Perrow's Normal Accidents, Weick and Sutcliffe's Managing the Unexpected), the five principles with what each looks like on a production shift, one weak signal worked through a plant, HRO vs safety culture vs just culture vs lean, the error prevention tools behind reliability behaviours, how to start in a plant, how to measure it, and the common mistakes.
Read the guideManufacturing KPIs
What a KPI in manufacturing is, KPI vs metric, leading and lagging indicators, the main manufacturing KPIs grouped by SQDCP (safety, quality, delivery, cost and people) with a formula, a worked number and the free calculator for each, which KPIs a production manager, supervisor and plant manager own, how line, area and plant tiers review them, a worked week of one line's KPI board, how to set targets from a baseline, a six-step set-up, and the common mistakes.
Read the guideQuality metrics
What quality metrics are and how they differ from quality KPIs, a list of 12 manufacturing quality metrics with the formula for each, one illustrative month on a valve body line worked through every metric (first pass yield, rolled throughput yield, scrap and rework rate, DPU, DPMO and sigma level, customer PPM and complaints, supplier PPM, cost of poor quality, CAPA cycle time, audit findings), how to set a target for each, which level of the plant reviews which metric, and the common mistakes.
Read the guidePractical problem solving
What practical problem solving is, Toyota's eight steps (Toyota Business Practices) with the output of each step, the seven-step versions and which one fits a plant, one illustrative scrap problem on a CNC lathe cell carried through all eight steps with the arithmetic shown, how to run it on the floor, practical problem solving against 8D, A3, PDCA and DMAIC, the common mistakes and the questions people ask.
Read the guideCMMS
What a CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) is and what CMMS stands for, the core functions, how a work order moves through one, a preventive maintenance work order followed from meter reading to close in numbers, the MTBF and MTTR the history gives, how CI teams read it, CMMS against EAM, ERP and spreadsheets, how to choose and implement one, and the common mistakes.
Read the guideRisk assessment
What a risk assessment is, hazard against risk, when one is needed in the US and the UK, the six steps from finding hazards to reviewing, how to score with a 5x5 risk matrix, the hierarchy of controls as NIOSH ranks it, an illustrative fabrication cell assessed before and after controls, risk assessment against JHA, FMEA and a risk register, what ISO 45001 clause 6.1 asks for, common mistakes, and a free calculator and template.
Read the guideProduction efficiency
What production efficiency means on the shop floor and in economics, the production efficiency formula (actual output over standard output) and its standard hours form for lines that make several products, one packing shift worked out as efficiency, productivity, OEE, utilization and TEEP, where the lost output goes, six steps to improve it with a worked before and after, the common mistakes, and the free calculators and templates for each lever.
Read the guideTotal productive maintenance (TPM)
What TPM (total productive maintenance) means, who does what, the eight pillars and their 5S foundation, the seven steps of autonomous maintenance with a tag count from a first clean, how TPM is measured with OEE and the six big losses, a filler worked out in numbers before and after, how to start on one machine, TPM against preventive maintenance, RCM and TQM, the common mistakes, and free pillar plans, checklists and calculators.
Read the guideReliability-centered maintenance (RCM)
What reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) is and where it came from, the seven RCM questions (SAE JA1011 named), the four consequence classes and the task types, the six failure patterns from Nowlan and Heap, a full RCM analysis of one conveyor drive with the intervals worked out, how to run an RCM study, RCM against PM, predictive maintenance, TPM and FMEA, the benefits and limits, and the common mistakes.
Read the guideHierarchy of controls
The five levels of the hierarchy of controls as NIOSH sets them out, why the order matters, an example of each level on a plant floor, how to apply it step by step, a worked noise example, the OSHA rules that follow the same order and the mistakes that push teams down to PPE.
Read the guidePersonal protective equipment (PPE)
What personal protective equipment (PPE) means, the types by body part with the OSHA section and consensus standard behind each, the hazard assessment OSHA 1910.132 requires, selection and fit, training, who pays, how PPE fits the hierarchy of controls, a worked hazard assessment for a machine shop, and the common mistakes.
Read the guideEmergency action plan
What an emergency action plan is, when OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38 requires one, the six minimum elements, the alarm and exit route rules behind them, how to write the plan step by step, a worked plant example with a drill count, training, review and the mistakes that leave a plan on the shelf.
Read the guideSafety signs
What safety signs are, the three OSHA sign classes with their colours, the safety colour code for red and yellow, exit signs, the shape system of ISO 7010, signal words and wording, a worked sign audit with the sums, where to place signs and the mistakes that make signs ignored.
Read the guideWarehouse safety
What warehouse safety covers, the five hazard groups (powered trucks, storage and racking, docks, floors and aisles, manual handling), the OSHA 29 CFR 1910 paragraph behind each, daily forklift exams, forklift training and the three-year evaluation, PPE hazard assessment, an illustrative scored weekly inspection round, common mistakes, and free checklists and posters.
Read the guideISO 9001
What ISO 9001 is, who it is for, certification against conformity, a plain-language walk through clauses 4 to 10 with what an auditor checks on the floor, documented information, how internal audit and management review fit together, an illustrative annual audit programme with worked numbers, common mistakes, and free checklists and a management review kit.
Read the guideSIPOC diagram
What a SIPOC diagram is and what the five letters stand for, when to use one in a DMAIC project or a kaizen event, how to build it in seven steps, a worked receiving inspection example with a measured baseline, SIPOC against a flowchart, a swimlane map and a value stream map, the common mistakes, and a free SIPOC template.
Read the guideRolling action item list (RAIL)
What a rolling action item list (RAIL) is, why sources disagree on whether the L is list or log, the columns that matter, how to run the weekly review, ageing and closing rules, a worked example with the sums, and how a RAIL differs from meeting minutes, a tier board, a CAPA log and a kaizen list.
Read the guidePugh matrix
What a Pugh matrix is and where the method comes from, the datum and the plus, S and minus marks, how to build one in seven steps, a worked changeover example with the net and weighted net worked out, the second round that gives the method its name, the Pugh matrix against a weighted decision matrix and a prioritization matrix, the common mistakes, and a free Pugh matrix template.
Read the guideFlowchart
What a flowchart is, the standard symbols (ISO 5807 and the five ASME process chart symbols), the main types from a simple process flowchart to a swimlane and a value stream map, seven steps to draw one on the shop floor by walking the process, an illustrative flow process chart of a pallet from the line to the truck with the minutes counted, common mistakes, and where to use the chart next.
Read the guideProject charter
What a project charter is and what it is not (project plan, business case, team charter, kaizen event charter), the ten fields of an improvement project charter, seven steps to write and sign one, an illustrative charter for a scrap project on a packaging line with the savings worked out, how the charter is used through the project, common mistakes, and a free DMAIC charter template.
Read the guideISO 9001:2026
ISO 9001:2026 in plain language: when it was published, what changed and what is not confirmed, the transition dates in a table, whether ISO 9001:2015 is still valid, whether a separate transition audit is needed, a 12 month plan for a plant, and an illustrative transition timeline with the sums shown.
Read the guideFleet maintenance
What fleet maintenance is, the federal inspection and record rules in 49 CFR Part 396 read section by section, mileage versus time intervals as a choice, a worked preventive schedule for 12 tractors with the sums, how to count the cost of a breakdown, and where plant maintenance tooling stops and fleet software starts.
Read the guideIATF 16949
What IATF 16949 is, who publishes and certifies it, how it sits on top of ISO 9001, the automotive areas it adds, the core tools and customer-specific requirements, the current 2016 edition and the planned second edition, an illustrative customer requirements register with worked numbers, a start plan, common mistakes, and free checklists.
Read the guideAS9100
What AS9100 is, who publishes and certifies it, how AS9100D sits on top of ISO 9001, the aerospace areas it adds, the current edition and the IA9100 revision with what could and could not be confirmed, an illustrative key characteristic plan with worked numbers, a start plan, common mistakes, and free checklists.
Read the guideISO 14001
What ISO 14001 is, which edition applies now (ISO 14001:2026 replaced the 2015 edition), a clause walk from 4 to 10 in the 2026 numbering with what an auditor checks on the floor, environmental aspects and compliance obligations with an illustrative significance scoring worked through, emergency preparedness, internal audit and management review, how to start, common mistakes, and free templates.
Read the guideISO 45001
What ISO 45001 is, the current edition and its revision status, how it relates to safety law, a plain-language walk through clauses 4 to 10 with what an auditor checks on the floor, worker participation, hazard identification with an illustrative before and after risk rating worked through, management of change, emergencies, audit and review, how to start, common mistakes, and free templates.
Read the guideOne point lesson
What a one point lesson (OPL) is, the three types named in the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance's operator handbook (basic knowledge, trouble and improvement), what goes on the sheet, a drawn example for a pneumatic lubricator with a sign-off record, how to write one in six steps, and how an OPL differs from an SOP and a work instruction.
Read the guideStandard work
What standard work (standardized work) is, its three elements as the Lean Lexicon and Taiichi Ohno define them, the documents it is written on, a worked example of one operator in a three-machine cell with a drawn combination table, how to write it in six steps, and how it differs from an SOP and a work instruction.
Read the guideLean manufacturing principles
The five lean manufacturing principles (value, value stream, flow, pull, perfection) as Womack and Jones set them out in Lean Thinking in 1996, what each one looks like on a shop floor, a worked example on one product family, how the five differ from the 14 principles of The Toyota Way, how to start, and the common mistakes.
Read the guideToyota Production System
What the Toyota Production System is in Toyota's own words, the TPS house part by part (just-in-time, jidoka, heijunka, standardized work and kaizen), where each part came from, a worked heijunka example, how TPS differs from lean and from the Toyota Way, how to start in one area, and the common mistakes.
Read the guide5W1H
What 5W1H is and what the six questions ask, the two jobs it does in a plant (describing a problem and writing an action), how to run a 5W1H analysis in five steps, a worked filling line example that goes from a vague note to a counted problem statement, 5W1H against 5 Whys, what 5W2H adds, the common mistakes, and a free 5W1H template.
Read the guide5 Whys
What the 5 Whys method is, the welding robot example as Toyota tells it, how to run a 5 Whys in six steps, three ways to draw a 5 Whys diagram, a worked labeller example with the evidence behind every answer, the five places where the method fails and what to use instead, and 5 Whys against the fishbone diagram, 5W1H and the fault tree.
Read the guideContinuous improvement
Continuous improvement as a plant practises it: the plan, do, check, act loop, why a standard has to come first, the three sizes of improvement work, a daily routine for the floor, an illustrative label rework example worked from 2.0 percent to 0.8 percent, the tools matched to problems and the measures that show whether it is working.
Read the guideTakt time
Takt time in plain language: the formula, what counts as available time, an illustrative gearbox line worked from shift length to a 70 second takt, takt against cycle time and lead time, how to read each station against takt, and the order of fixes when a station is slower than takt.
Read the guideDMAIC
What DMAIC is and what the five letters stand for, the tools and the exit gate for each phase, a drawn phase diagram, a worked machining example with the arithmetic shown, DMAIC against PDCA, 8D and A3, when not to use it, the common mistakes, and free DMAIC templates.
Read the guidePDCA
What PDCA is, the four phases with what you write down in each, how the cycle loops so the second turn starts from a standard, a worked press setup example over two turns with the sums shown, PDCA against DMAIC, A3 and SDCA, the common mistakes and a free template.
Read the guide8D problem solving
What 8D problem solving is, the nine steps from D0 to D8 and what each puts on the 8D report, the difference between the occurrence cause and the escape point, a worked customer complaint on a machined housing with the containment counts and the arithmetic, 8D against A3, CAPA and 5 Whys, the common mistakes, and what to check before an 8D report goes to a customer.
Read the guidePrioritization matrix
What a prioritization matrix is, the four common types and when each fits (impact and effort grid, urgent and important grid, weighted criteria matrix, Pugh matrix), a worked example that ranks six Line 2 improvement ideas on a grid and then with weights, how to run the session with a team, the mistakes that spoil the result, what to do with the ranking, and a free prioritization matrix template.
Read the guideGemba walk questions
60 gemba walk questions in nine groups, from opening the conversation to closing the walk, each with the reason you ask it, weak questions rewritten, a worked 20-minute walk and the checklist to take notes on.
Read the guide5W1H questions
48 5W1H questions in seven groups, six for defining the problem and one for the action plan, each with the reason you ask it, weak answers rewritten, a worked problem statement and the template to fill in.
Read the guideLayered process audit questions
56 layered process audit questions in eight groups, from work instructions to the questions upper layers ask, each with the reason it is on an audit, weak questions rewritten, the layers that ask each group and a worked choice of 12 for a weld cell.
Read the guide5S audit questions
58 5S audit questions grouped by Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain, plus safety for 6S, each with the reason you ask it, the 1 to 5 scale worked for one question, weak questions rewritten and a worked audit of a packing line.
Read the guide
Looking for one article? The full library lists them all, and the lean glossary defines the terms.
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