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Problem Solving

Five yellow sticky notes cascading diagonally down a wooden desk, each handwritten with 'Why?' in increasingly urgent handwriting, landing on a torn calendar page with 'no shared calendar' scrawled on it.

3 min read

Root Cause Analysis - The 5 Whys Technique

Craig Szelestowski: October 30, 2025

Over a series of previous posts, we've learned to define problems, understand customer value, map processes, identify waste, measure performance and...

Lean White Belt Lean Yellow Belt Lean Green Belt Lean Fundamentals Root Cause Analysis Problem Solving 5 Whys

Close-up, low-angle view of a person's legs and worn leather boots mid-stride, walking through an open office doorway away from a printed chart on the floor in the foreground. In the hallway beyond, three colleagues stand talking near a Canadian flag.

3 min read

Gemba Walks - Going to See for Yourself

Craig Szelestowski: October 28, 2025

We've learned tomap processes,spot waste, andmeasure what matters. One problem with all those tools? They can keep you at your desk, staring at data...

Lean Fundamentals Lean Leadership Problem Solving Gemba Walks

Security trays overflowing with shoes, belts, a laptop, phone, and keys pile up at an airport checkpoint while the X-ray scanner behind them sits idle with a 'no bags in queue' message. A sign reads 'New scanner. Same line.'

3 min read

Value Stream Mapping - Seeing the Whole Picture

Craig Szelestowski: October 20, 2025

Now that we've learned to define problems clearly and understand what customers truly value (Voice of the Customer), here comes the game changer:...

Lean Yellow Belt Lean Green Belt Lean Fundamentals Eliminating Waste Problem Solving Value Stream Mapping

Two identical dartboards mounted side by side. The left board has a tight cluster of darts in the bullseye, while the right board is completely untouched. A sign below reads 'Bullseye. Wrong board.'

2 min read

What Makes a Good Problem Statement?

Craig Szelestowski: October 9, 2025

Are you solving the right problem? Here's an uncomfortable truth: many improvement projects fail not because of poor execution, but because they...

Lean Yellow Belt Lean Green Belt Lean Fundamentals Problem Solving Metrics & KPIs Problem Statements