Jun 26, 2026 | Posted by Matt Elson
When most people think about the Toyota Production System, they think about manufacturing. Assembly lines. Standardized work. Andon. Kanban. Flow. Automotive production. That connection makes sense. TPS was developed in a manufacturing environment, and many of its most visible methods were shaped around the realities of automotive assembly. But TPS is not only a factory […]
Dec 11, 2023 | Posted by Matt Elson
Jul 23, 2022 | Posted by Matt Elson
[Many apologies…it has been a while since I posted a new blog!] Sometimes, a little humour goes a long way! I received this excellent poem from a leader that I have been learning with (along with the rest of the True North Thinking Inc. team). This is how she imagined a conversation / collaboration would […]
Mar 11, 2022 | Posted by Matt Elson
I had a great discussion and opportunity for information sharing not long ago…and they say that a picture is worth a thousand words. So, here’s some action from front-line #kaizen activities, focused on: 1) “Cardboard City” (standardized work, machine design and layout improvement method); 2) Improvements to delivering materials into production environments; 3) Improvements to […]
Jun 2, 2021 | Posted by Matt Elson
Developing others is perhaps the most important role of leadership. A leader: – sets the vision (with strong focus on WHY) – builds systems and process that distribute responsibility & authority for problem solving and decision making – leads by setting an example, being knowledgeable and by coaching & teaching We have standardized methods for […]
