Lean startups

All articles about Lean startups

When startups visit Toyota
December 12, 2019
When startups visit Toyota

FEATURE – Digital organizations are starting to recognize that Toyota’s unique approach can show them the way forward, just like it does “traditional” organizations. Here, we hear from a few startup CEOs following their trip to Japan.

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Where the true strength of an obeya lies
December 4, 2018
Where the true strength of an obeya lies

FEATURE – The obeya room limits the number of unknowns before we start developing a product. In this sense, it’s a tool for discovery more than it is for delivery.

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Using lean to gain a competitive advantage
July 13, 2018
Using lean to gain a competitive advantage

NOTES FROM THE GEMBA – In the web marketing world, a competitive advantage is a matter of life and death for businesses. The author meets a firm that has been leveraging lean to gain one.

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Why you need lean thinking in your digital transformation
February 26, 2018
Why you need lean thinking in your digital transformation

FEATURE – Organizations can only reap the full benefits of modern technologies if they pair up their digitalization efforts with an enterprise-wide lean transformation.

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Why real kaizen and innovation start with leadership
November 21, 2017
Why real kaizen and innovation start with leadership

FEATURE – Following a visit to a Toyota supplier in Japan, the authors reflect on the nature of kaizen and explain why we might be looking for it in the wrong place.

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The young firm fulfilling the potential of lean in digital
November 3, 2017
The young firm fulfilling the potential of lean in digital

INTERVIEW – Software development company Theodo is a unique example of a digital company that has fully embraced lean and understood its potential. We caught up with their young CEO and CTO.

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Lean as a two-step engine
March 14, 2019
Lean as a two-step engine

FEATURE – One of the things making lean thinking so hard to explain in general terms is its dual nature as both an organizational and managerial approach. The authors explain how to handle this tension.

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Developing customer loyalty in the digital age
October 11, 2018
Developing customer loyalty in the digital age

FEATURE - To get on a path of sustainable growth, an organization must get to know its customers... and there is no better way of doing so than embracing and analyzing their complaints.

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Doubling the number of performant Apps using kaizen
August 8, 2018
Doubling the number of performant Apps using kaizen

BUILDING BRIDGES – A member of the Theodo team tells us about their attempts to improve the performance of their Web apps using lean principles.

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Unearthing problems by reducing work-in-progress
July 11, 2018
Unearthing problems by reducing work-in-progress

BUILDING BRIDGES - This month, we hear how addressing work-in-progress led a startup specialized in AI to productivity gains on their machine learning projects.

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Building applications that really support the daily work
June 11, 2018
Building applications that really support the daily work

FEATURE – Technology should help people in their work, and it is with this in mind that the  general manager of this car preparation center decided to learn to develop Apps.

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Learning to think holistically about customer value
April 3, 2018
Learning to think holistically about customer value

PROFILE – The leader we profile today has a holistic view of the digital world. He brought Agile to Australia, and after embracing lean thinking he has helped to make REA Group one of the country's best digital brands.

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Meet the club experimenting with IT and sustainability
March 22, 2018
Meet the club experimenting with IT and sustainability

NOTES FROM THE GEMBA – This month, the author meets a group of business leaders consistently breaking new ground in their exploration of the relationship between IT and sustainability by using a kaizen-like approach.

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Walking the gemba at French start-up Aramis Auto
September 18, 2017
Walking the gemba at French start-up Aramis Auto

NOTES FROM THE GEMBA – Catherine’s gemba walks are back after the summer break. This month, she visits a start-up that is using lean to manage its growth, and learns about its management’s extraordinary turnaround.

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In the digital world customer service alone is not enough
February 22, 2017
In the digital world customer service alone is not enough

FEATURE – As many retail giants are finding out, great customer service is no longer enough to ensure competitive advantage in a world where the digital revolution is taking no prisoners.

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Without lean IT our banks have no way to fight competition
January 23, 2017
Without lean IT our banks have no way to fight competition

FEATURE – The banking sector is floundering in the face of heavy regulation and increased competition from fintechs. So what can banks do? The author suggests they embrace lean IT in order to change their ways.

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What's the impact of lean thinking on a startup's growth?
March 3, 2015
What's the impact of lean thinking on a startup's growth?

FEATURE - An initial look into the impact of lean management principles on the growth of young organizations hopes to encourage further analysis into why and how lean startups succeed.

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Story of a startup:  how to apply lean thinking from the beginning
November 12, 2014
Story of a startup: how to apply lean thinking from the beginning

FEATURE - London-based startup Elastera may represent the example of a company aspiring to be lean from the outset rather than trying to fix itself later through a transformation.

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Dan Jones reflects on lean management in the digital age
May 20, 2014
Dan Jones reflects on lean management in the digital age

FEATURE - Professor Dan Jones looks at the unique challenges the digital age presents the business community with, and explains how lean thinking can help us to effectively address them.

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