The past several years the Lean Pathways team and I have been lucky enough to work in agriculture.
Good, smart, well-trained people, an instinctive grasp of the PDCA cycle, and a solid ethical foundation.
The soil, so to speak, is fertile indeed. (And the gemba is often glorious.)
We should tip our hats to farmers & agricultural industry. The past few decades, they've led a technological revolution.
Yields have increased exponentially through better crop varietals and farming methods.
Despite the dire warnings of the 'doomsters', food is more plentiful than ever.
(Just one example: India, plagued by famine when I was a kid, is now a net exporter of grain.)
Fresh fruit & vegetables are available year-round at reasonable prices. (My family has fresh berries every morning.)
We've seen marvelous kaizen in farming technology. Now we have to extend Lean thinking into farming operations.
Value/Waste consciousness, visual management, standardized work, and other Lean fundamentals, have the potential to extend & deepen farming's transformation.
Should be a great ride - GIDDY-UP!
Best regards,
Pascal
In case you missed our last few blogs... please feel free to have another look…
Lean Thinking in Software Design
Problem Solving and the Worlds of Reflection & Experience
Learning How to Manage
Bozos and HR
