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 excellence at Memorial Health, and the impactful integration of KaiNexus into their system. 🎉 Key Highlights: - ...
Aug 01, 2024•8 min
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 healthcare. Mark shares his personal travel delays caused by the glitch, while Greg discusses the broad...
Jul 26, 2024•19 min
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 Articulation : Karen emphasizes the need for strategy to be communicated in a clear and powerful way....
Jul 23, 2024•8 min
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 applied to the right situation. We put together a list of the most common and helpful business process impro...
Jul 18, 2024•18 min
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 – How to ensure strategy is communicated in a clear and powerful way. 2. Organizational Alignment – I...
Jul 16, 2024•8 min
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 observations apply to Kaizen events. The concept is straightforward. A team sets aside other responsib...
Jul 11, 2024•6 min
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 mean San Antonio. Learn more about KaiNexus: https://kainexus.com/
Jun 25, 2024•10 min
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 featuring Linda Vicaro and Lynn Howell, the KaiNexus Lean Strategy team, joined by host and moderator Mark Graban. Learn more about our webi...
Jun 20, 2024•1 hr
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. Whether you submit your questions in advance or ask them during the webinar, our team is ready to provide valuabl...
Jun 19, 2024•5 min
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?...
Jun 18, 2024•22 min
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/
Jun 11, 2024•8 min
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). Womack and Jones realized that every business output results from a process. Process thinking in ope...
Jun 04, 2024•11 min
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 that engages everyone. In this interactive session, the facilitator will highlight commonly establishe...
May 30, 2024•59 min
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 inclusive environment that engages everyone. In this interactive session, the facilitator will highlight...
May 16, 2024•7 min
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 System (TPS). Womack and Jones realized that every business output results from a process. Process thinkin...
Apr 30, 2024•11 min
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 improvements. Let’s have a look at the top six ways to measure the impact of your organization’s improvement e...
Apr 26, 2024•7 min
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 into Vaccine site administration – this webinar has something for everyone interested in continuous...
Apr 24, 2024•1 hr
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, but Lean organizations try to get close to it every day, and in doing so, reach a level of success tha...
Apr 18, 2024•7 min
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 a repurposed rocket factory). Covering everything from creating a Lean training curriculum to speci...
Apr 16, 2024•8 min
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 because defective vehicle parts may lead to expensive recalls—or worse, accidents that cost lives. Fort...
Apr 05, 2024•8 min
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 dedication to continuous improvement that stretches back to his early days in his mother's tuxedo shop. Unfol...
Mar 26, 2024•24 min
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 of working with people to coach and develop them. Join kata coach Tracy Defoe for her ideas on devel...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr
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 practical terms. Related: What is Kaizen? One useful tool for training managers to adopt the Kaizen ...
Mar 15, 2024•7 min
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 enough to learn how to develop and coach people because you were coached well from the start of your care...
Mar 12, 2024•9 min
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
Mar 08, 2024•4 min
The blog post Ecologists and other environmentally aware people often talk about the goal of "Zero Waste." But, of course, that's an outstanding goal for business as well. Reducing waste is at the heart of the Lean business methodology. The purpose of Lean is to spend more of your time creating value for customers by reducing or eliminating everything that does not produce value (AKA the waste). Value can take the form of finished goods, services, or information. To make it easier to identify wa...
Mar 06, 2024•12 min
The blog post Companies dedicated to the practice of continuous improvement invest a lot of time and resources into training their employees and creating a culture centered around positive change. One way to make this easier and to smooth the path to improvement is to hire people who already have the right mindset. Bringing up continuous improvement during the initial interview and throughout the hiring process lets the applicant know how important it is to your organization, and helps you weed ...
Feb 21, 2024•7 min
Read the blog post Written by Maggie Millard, read by Mark Graban Businesses use a host of methodologies to bring structure to the process of identifying and acting upon opportunities for improvement. You may be familiar with Six Sigma , Kaizen, Lean , Toyota Production System, and others. Although these methodologies differ, the foundation of each of them is the continuous improvement model. The continuous improvement model reflects the idea that organizations should constantly implement increm...
Feb 13, 2024•11 min
View video, slides, and more Operations science describes the fundamental relationships that drive operations performance. However, the concepts are not widely understood or applied properly. Join us for this webinar with Ed Pound, Managing Director of the Operations Science Institute to: Learn a fundamental, expensive problem that plagues nearly all organizations yet is widely unknown Participate in an exercise to see if this problem affects your organization Learn some basic concepts of operat...
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr
From this video , Jeff Roussel (chief revenue officer) and Greg Jacobson (co-founder and CEO) discuss the culture at KaiNexus . Learn more about jobs at KaiNexus In this enlightening episode of the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Podcast, join Jeff Roussel and Greg Jacobson for a deep dive into the unique corporate ethos of Kinexis. Discover how this dynamic company has etched out its colossal success through the shared formulation and embodiment of collective core values. Rather than a top-down...
Jan 30, 2024•20 min
