KaiNexus: Continuous Improvement, Leadership, and More

Welcome to the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Podcast with Mark Graban! In this special episode, we celebrate Mike McGowan, Director of Process Excellence at Memorial Health System in Marietta, Ohio, and recipient of this year's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Nexie Award from KaiNexus. Join us as Mike shares his inspiring journey in continuous improvement, the evolution of process excellenc...

Welcome to the latest episode of the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement podcast! In this engaging conversation, Mark Graban, Senior Advisor with KaiNexus, sits down with Greg Jacobson, CEO and co-founder of KaiNexus. They chat about various topics, including lean principles, continuous improvement, and the significant impact of the recent CrowdStrike software glitch on multiple sectors, including hea...

In this insightful webinar, Karen Friedenberg, Founder and Managing Director of Performance Improvement Consulting, explores how to leverage a Strategy to Execution Framework to achieve sustainable business results. The webinar delves into the critical aspects of strategy execution, emphasizing the importance of clear communication, organizational alignment, and operational consistency. Strategy A...

Link to the blog post Leaders who want to develop a culture of  rapid continuous improvement  have many tools at their disposal. So many that it can be challenging to keep them all in mind when deciding how to execute an opportunity for improvement or address a difficult challenge. Most organizations don't use all of these techniques simultaneously, but each can be remarkably effective when ap...

Register here In this video, Mark Graban (webinar host from KaiNexus) talks with Karen Friedenberg about her webinar. Scheduled for: July 23 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET Presented by Karen Friedenberg What is a Strategy to Execution Framework? How can this be leveraged to achieve sustainable business results? Learn more about how to execute a journey of Transformation from: 1. Strategy Articulation –...

Read the blog post Here at KaiNexus, we get the opportunity to chat with organizations across all industries and write about many different  continuous improvement tools  and techniques they use. Lately, I’ve been thinking about two things that most have in common. First, the tools they use are generally simple but not easy. And second, the key to success lies in the planning phase. Both of these...

Today, host Mark Graban (a Senior Advisor) with KaiNexus is joined by our new Manager of Customer Enablement, Andrea Beidl. We'll learn about her background, why she joined KaiNexus, and what appealed to her during the recruiting and interviewing process. Learn a little about her onboarding process -- and what she thinks are the best things and the worst things about living in Austin — oops, I...

It's time for another lively and informative "Ask Us Anything!" webinar. This time, we're featuring Linda Vicaro and Lynn Howell, the KaiNexus Lean Strategy team, joined by host and moderator Mark Graban. Learn more about our webinars: https://www.kainexus.com/webinars It's time for another lively and informative "Ask Us Anything!" webinar. This time, we're feat...

Join us for another exciting and insightful "Ask Us Anything!" webinar featuring the KaiNexus Lean Strategy team. This interactive session is scheduled for June 20 from 2:00 - 3:00 ET. Register here Presenters: Linda Vicaro Lynn Howell Host and Moderator: Mark Graban In this live event, our experts will tackle your questions about continuous improvement, lean methodologies, and more. Whe...

Blog post link Gemba walks  have become a widely adopted management technique. Leaders gain valuable insights into organizational value flow and often discover improvement opportunities by directly visiting the work environment. This collaborative approach involves employees sharing details about their tasks and the reasons behind them. Why are Gemba Walks Important?

Today, host Mark Graban (a Senior Advisor) with KaiNexus is joined by our new Vice President of Marketing, Josh Feldman. We'll learn about his background, why he joined KaiNexus, and why he moved from Chicago. Is he is Cubs fan or a White Sox fan? And what does his think about Chicago pizza? The answer may surprise you. Learn more about KaiNexus: https://kainexus.com/

The blog post James Womack and Dan Jones are the founders of the Lean Enterprise Institute and the Lean Enterprise Academy (UK), respectively. Their book,  Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation , is considered by some to be the bible of Lean Manufacturing. It was initially published in 1996 based on their in-depth study of Toyota’s fabled Toyota Production System (TPS)....

Watch the recording and more info This was presented on May 30, 2024 by Dr. William Harvey Enterprise excellence and inclusive excellence are closely linked, and real-world challenges have shown that both are essential to the success of any organization. To achieve enterprise excellence, organizations must focus on improving their operations and processes while creating an inclusive environment th...

Register to attend the webinar or view the recording Presented by Dr. William Harvey on May 30, 2024, 1 pm ET. Enterprise excellence and inclusive excellence are closely linked, and real-world challenges have shown that both are essential to the success of any organization. To achieve enterprise excellence, organizations must focus on improving their operations and processes while creating an incl...

Link to the blog post James Womack and Dan Jones are the founders of the Lean Enterprise Institute and the Lean Enterprise Academy (UK), respectively. Their book,  Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation , is considered by some to be the bible of Lean Manufacturing. It was initially published in 1996 based on their in-depth study of Toyota’s fabled Toyota Production Syste...

Read the blog post Maybe Albert Einstein was talking about continuous improvement when he said, “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Too often, we see organizations struggling to measure only those things that can be tied to a dollar amount and they, unfortunately, neglect the impact of ALL improvemen...

Presented by Elizabeth Chase View slides and video Join us for a look at how one library’s practice of Lean introduced a city to its benefits and informed the design of the 5th largest public library in Texas, a 158,000-square-foot library (in a repurposed rocket factory). Covering everything from creating a Lean training curriculum to specific examples of applied Lean fundamentals – with a detour...

Read the blog post The renowned football coach and philosopher, Vince Lombardi, once said, “ Perfection is unattainable, but if we chase perfection, we catch excellence. ” That’s the mindset of a Lean organization. There’s a bedrock belief that every process, investment, employee, or action should directly translate to value for the customer with no waste. That ideal is unattainable, of course, bu...

Register for the webinar Join Mark Graban as he hosts Elizabeth Chase to preview her webinar... April 24 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET Presented by Elizabeth Chase One City’s (and Library’s) Lean Story… Abridged Join us for a look at how one library’s practice of Lean introduced a city to its benefits and informed the design of the 5th largest public library in Texas, a 158,000-square-foot library (in...

Find the blog post and the infographic Written by Danielle Yoon, read by Mark Graban. The post starts: Manufacturers of all kinds seek to achieve continuous quality improvement because it ensures the consistency of products delivered to customers and protects against the competition. It also paves the path to compliance with industry-specific standards. This is crucial in the automotive sector bec...

Welcome to the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Podcast. Today, we're excited to host Greg Jacobson, a lean thinker, and an inspiring visionary who has made significant strides in propagating the lean approach in the healthcare sector and beyond. Learn more about KaiNexicon In this captivating dialogue, Mark Graban helps unravel the remarkable journey of Greg, highlighting his deep-rooted dedic...

Video, slides, and more Presented by Tracy Defoe How do you develop coaching skills in yourself and others? Why would you want to? Everyone who manages people is asked to coach. Most of us think we are good at it. If you were lucky enough to learn how to develop and coach people because you were coached well from the start of your career, you are unusual. Most of us have to learn a new, quiet way...

Read the blog post We often describe Kaizen as a way of looking at the world rather than a prescription for how to achieve positive change. Kaizen thinkers seek to make small changes to operations daily in search of higher quality, more efficiency, and less waste. But because the concept of Kaizen is so philosophical, it can be a challenge for people new to the idea to understand what it means in...

To be presented March 21 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET This is a quick preview where host Mark Graban, a senior advisor with KaiNexus, chats with webinar presenter Tracy Defoe. Registration Link Webinar Description: How do you develop coaching skills in yourself and others? Why would you want to? Everyone who manages people is asked to coach. Most of us think we are good at it. If you were lucky enoug...

Visit the KaiNexus YouTube Channel In this episode, we hear three clips with Tory Schrock, Director of Organizational Excellence at Pella Regional Health Center. Learn more about KaiNexus