One of the most common breakdowns, according to Dr. Terra Vanzant-Stern, CEO of Simple Smart Decision Making and author of Leaner Manufacturing: How to Make the Lean Production Process Easier, Faster, and More Cost-Effective, is that leaders are too removed from the operations they are responsible for. 

“The first thing I suggest is to go down and work in the areas that they’re over,” she says. “Rather than ask questions, go down and really try to understand the process. And do it.” 

That kind of direct engagement, she says, is critical to identifying problems that aren’t visible from reports or meetings. 

“You’re connected with what’s going on, and you’re going to notice some problems right off the bat,” she says.  

At the same time, Vanzant-Stern emphasizes that effective manufacturing improvement depends on bringing together perspectives across the organization. 

“I think that collective intelligence is the key to leaner manufacturing,” she says. “Everybody has their area of expertise, and everyone has something to contribute to the puzzle.” 

That shared understanding is critical when it comes to identifying inefficiencies across operations, something that is often more complex than it appears. 

“Determining what’s waste and what’s not sometimes take some tools.”  

In many cases, inefficiencies are embedded in everyday work and go unnoticed. 

“We’re doing things that aren’t necessary, and we don’t even know why we’re doing them,” she says.  

Those issues often surface during Kaizen events, which are intended to drive improvement but are frequently misapplied. 

“Kaizen events are not intended to be brainstorming sessions,” Vanzant-Stern says.  

Instead, teams need a clear understanding of the problem and the current state before attempting to make changes. 

“When you enter the Kaizen event, you have to know what problem you’re trying to fix,” she says.  

Organizations also need to ensure the right people are involved. 

“You need to look at the problem and say, who really needs to be in the room?” she says.  

Even when improvements are identified, they often fail to carry through. 

“A lot of times in Kaizen events, we don’t talk about how are we going to keep it in place,” she says.  

When that happens, the impact extends beyond operations. 

“That’s how we lose trust with our employees,” Vanzant-Stern says. “The next time we try to do something, it’s going to be met with a lot less enthusiasm.”  

Ultimately, she says, the path forward is not about adding more tools, but about reconnecting leadership with the plant floor and aligning teams around shared understanding.