Process Confirmation - AllAboutLean.com

(EN) Process Confirmation Standard for Kaizen at BMW Dingolfing—Part 4

Januar 1, 2026Dezember 30, 2025 von Christoph Roser

BMW Group Dingolfing Plant Product Portfolio — BMW Group Dingolfing plant product portfolio

Work standards are key to kaizen, and their correct use requires process confirmation. The BMW Group Dingolfing plant does an outstanding job with this process confirmation, driving their continuous improvement. This gives BMW automotive plants an outstanding performance on par with Toyota. In this last post on the series on the process confirmation standards at BMW Dingolfing, we dig deeper into the confirmation for the work standard documents and the digital displays used to manage the product variety coming down the line.

(EN) Process Confirmation Standard for Kaizen at BMW Dingolfing—Part 3

Januar 1, 2026Dezember 23, 2025 von Christoph Roser

Process confirmation is essential for maintaining standards, which are essential for continuous improvement. In my previous posts I introduced the process confirmation standard at the BMW Group Dingolfing plant, which helps BMW to achieve efficiency on par with Toyota. We already looked at the verification of the material supply standards and 5S. In this post I will talk more about the Gemba standards for the actual work. They demand improvement ideas directly from the shop floor, which is the best way to have fast kaizen cycles toward operational excellence. Read on!

(EN) Process Confirmation Standard for Kaizen at BMW Dingolfing—Part 2

Dezember 16, 2025 von Christoph Roser

In my last post I introduced the process confirmation standard at the BMW Group Dingolfing plant, which helps BMW to achieve efficiency on par with Toyota. In this post I will talk more about the actual process confirmation checklist, starting with a brief overview, followed by a deep dive into the first two sections of the checklist. Read on!

(EN) Process Confirmation Standard for Kaizen at BMW Dingolfing—Part 1

Januar 1, 2026Dezember 9, 2025 von Christoph Roser

Continuous improvement in lean works through work standards. Improving the standards improves your processes. However, all of this is for naught if the standard is not followed. In this series of blog posts I will look in more detail at how the BMW Group Dingolfing plant (a company on par with Toyota in terms of efficiency) does process confirmation on the shop floor. And, maybe even more important, how they drive the whole improvement process through the front-line workers on the shop floor using this process confirmation.

(EN) Common Mistakes of Top Executives – A look at “Undercover Boss”

Oktober 11, 2025Oktober 26, 2014 von Christoph Roser

I occasionally watch the reality show Undercover Boss, where top executives work undercover in their own companies. Over and over again I see these managers making the same mistake: They have no understanding whatsoever of what is really happening on the front lines. It is a typical case of not going to the shop floor often enough, or in lean speak, no genchi genbutsu (Japanese for „go and see“). So, <dramatic voice> Why do bosses all make the same mistake? Will they ever learn? Will you enjoy this post? See for yourself in the post below! </dramatic voice>.

(EN) Corporate Culture on Quality Starts at the Top – A Small Anecdote on Organizational Blindness

Dezember 13, 2025August 10, 2014 von Christoph Roser

Quality starts at the top with management. Top executives like to talk about quality, but employees below usually know very well if the manager only talks the talk or also walks the walk. Words are cheap. Quality (and pretty much everything else that is important) requires attention by management.

(EN) The Problem of Losing Kanban – Different Kanban Types

Dezember 13, 2025April 20, 2014 von Christoph Roser

Pull production using Kanban is one of the major achievements of the Toyota Production System and hence lean manufacturing. The work in progress is limited by the number of Kanban. Overproduction is avoided by producing only if a part is taken out of the supermarket and the Kanban card is returned to the start of production. However, this Kanban system works only if the Kanban returns to the start of production. Losing Kanban means not reproducing goods sold. In this post I would like to talk about different methods to prevent the loss of Kanban, including different Kanban types.

(EN) Japanese Standard Pointing and Calling (Video)

Dezember 13, 2025Januar 5, 2014 von Christoph Roser

During my last trip to Japan, I finally took videos capturing the Japanese Pointing-and-Calling standard. Pointing and calling is a safety standard that started with Japanese train operators but now is widely used in industry. The idea is that whenever you confirm something, you not only look at it, but also point at it and call out your observation.