Planet Lean: The Official online magazine of the Lean Global Network
Unlocking the potential of Lean in NGOs

Unlocking the potential of Lean in NGOs

Lynne Smith
April 4, 2024

INTERVIEW - In this interview, Lynne Smith discusses the potential and difficulties of applying Lean Thinking to NGOs and looks back at the lean transformation at the Gates Foundation.


Interviewee: Lynne Smith, former Director of Business Design at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Interviewers: Roberto Priolo and Steve Bell


A big thank you to Lynne for sharing her knowledge and experience, and to Steve Bell for making this interview happen!


THE INTERVIEWEE

Lynne Smith is former Director of Business Design at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

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Improving the front-line work in construction
June 10, 2021
Improving the front-line work in construction

FEATURE – What is the key to improving the front-line construction work? Our lean construction coaches pull their experience together to shed a light on the subject.

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Making the Netherlands leaner and leaner
August 30, 2018
Making the Netherlands leaner and leaner

GETTING TO KNOW US – We continue our series of interviews with key Lean Global Network people with a chat with the President of Holland-based Lean Management Instituut.

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Jim Womack on where lean has failed and why not to give up
August 29, 2017
Jim Womack on where lean has failed and why not to give up

YOKOTEN – Lean has changed the world in many ways, even though the original vision of its founding fathers has failed to materialize. Jim discusses why, as a movement, we shouldn’t give up and review our strategy instead.

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Education: how lean is taught
October 9, 2014
Education: how lean is taught

INTERVIEW - Planet Lean speaks with Constantin May, Academic Director of the CEPTM institute at Germany’s Ansbach University, which organized the first Lean Educator Conference in Europe in co-operation with LGN.

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An NGO uses lean principles to rebuild New Orleans
June 4, 2015
An NGO uses lean principles to rebuild New Orleans

CASE STUDY – Following one of the deadliest hurricanes in US history, an NGO started to use lean management principles to speed up the reconstruction of homes in the Louisiana city… and the results were impressive.

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Lean project boosts sustainable development in Myanmar
September 1, 2016
Lean project boosts sustainable development in Myanmar

FEATURE – A group of Italian researchers and professionals partnered with a NGO to prove how lean thinking can pave the way for the competitiveness and sustainable development of SMEs in Myanmar. Is this a new model for the developing world?

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Supporting Sri Lankan society by transforming our company
January 19, 2018
Supporting Sri Lankan society by transforming our company

INTERVIEW – Prior to his talk at this year’s Lean Transformation Summit, the CEO of a large apparel manufacturer tells us about the company’s lean journey, and its impact on Sri Lankan society.

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How to harness lean to foster innovation and improve society
April 4, 2017
How to harness lean to foster innovation and improve society

FEATURE – We spend a lot of time talking about innovation, but what is the actual impact of leveraging lean to achieve it? As the author points out, the potential is huge, provided certain conditions are met.

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