I just invested 5 days at the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) international conference in Jacksonville, FL. Over the years, the content of the conference has made a dramatic shift from tools to leadership and leadership processes as the needs of manufacturers have shifted. That’s why most of my postings and newsletter articles are about leadership, and not about tools.
By now, most manufacturers are aware of the tools of Lean and if not, can get introductory training from junior colleges, adult education courses, online, or from entry-level consultants/trainers. Truly understanding the when and why and how of lean tools is a different story, requiring an in-depth understanding of the concepts. See my September 11, 2014 blog posting 5S: A Process for Your Business for an example.
The focus of the vast majority of the 1700+ conference attendees was on developing Lean Leaders, the Leader Standard Work component of a Lean Management System, Manage for Daily Improvement and creating lean culture from the top. See my October 6, 2014 posting Lean Management System for a great visual as well as solid information on that process.
If you are interested in seeing the conference presentations, download the conference app; the presentation PPTs are attached to the Value Stream presentation descriptions. If you are interested in understanding the concepts well, reach out to someone who does.