CCL Blog

Created by Eric O Olsen  with assistance from Claude.AI For years, Central Coast Lean has operated under the banner of "Committed to Operational Excellence." It's served us well. But as our lean journey has deepened, we've been searching for language that better captures what we're actually trying to do—and that invites more people into the conversation. So we're making a change. Our new motto is simply: Easier, Better, Faster Why the Change? When someone at a grocery store o

Insights from November's Virtual Lean Coffee "I don't have the answer. Ideally, we would just develop people and not worry about if there's ROI on it. But for the less enlightened people who are out in the world, they're still looking for how do you measure, calculate? How can I justify spending time developing my people?" This question cut straight to a challenge that lean practitioners face daily: proving the value of investing in people when financial spreadsheets demand i

Response to " Transforming Higher Education Through Lean Principles " Date:  November 3, 2025 Responding to:  Eric Olsen (Central Coast Lean) and Mark Jacobs (University of Dayton) Author:  Enar A. Tunç, Adjunct Instructor, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo augmented with Claude.AI Contact:   etunc@calpoly.edu Eric and Mark, thank you for your thoughtful exploration of lean principles in higher education—and for making it accessible in both text and aud

"Can you teach people lean by kaizening a form?" The question hung in the virtual space as nine practitioners from across California and beyond considered the challenge. It's the kind of practical question that emerges when theory meets the messy reality of organizational learning—and it sparked one of our most engaging October Lean Coffee discussions. Improving a Form Our monthly Central Coast Virtual Lean Coffee gathering on October 8th brought together educators, consultan

A veteran industrial engineer opened Central Coast Lean Coffee with a challenge born from four decades of experience: "Why do we keep...

"If I stopped running these sessions tomorrow, would you all continue to meet?" The question from our facilitator exposed an...

By Eric O Olsen Every day, I clip on my name badge before leaving the house. Not because I'm heading to a conference or business event,...

In a world where organizational change happens at breakneck speed, one question keeps surfacing in improvement circles: How do we create...

In our recent discussion exploring the intersection of lean methodology and academic administration, we identified a critical pattern affecting universities nationwide: the inverse relationship between administrative growth and academic investment. This collaborative reflection examines how lean transformation principles can address these systemic challenges while preserving the core educational mission. Listen to the Full Discussion Prefer listening? We've created an AI-gene

"What if, instead of me telling you what you need, we created a space where you could discover it together with others on a similar...

Our July Central Coast Virtual Lean Coffee ☕️ led to a thoughtful discussion on AI’s role in learning and coaching. We explored whether...

At the last Central Coast Virtual Lean Coffee ☕️ - a monthly gathering where Lean practitioners come together to exchange ideas and sharpen their problem-solving approaches. This time, we got to talking about A3 Thinking. You’ve probably heard the term “A3,” but what exactly is it? Simply put, it’s a one-page, structured approach to problem-solving. But more than that, it’s a way of thinking - one that encourages clarity, focus, and shared understanding at every stage of tack

"If AI is going to be our robot overlord someday, I'm going to know as much about them as I can," Eric joked during our recent podcast...

In flat organizations, you face a fundamental challenge: how do you ensure good ideas and strategic thinking rise above the noise? As...

Picture this: A diverse group of improvement practitioners from healthcare, education, and manufacturing gather virtually on a Wednesday...

In today's competitive global marketplace, organizations face increasing pressure to deliver exceptional value while managing costs. But...

Ever catch yourself celebrating how "efficient" your team is, only to realize you're sprinting in the wrong direction?  Our recent...

Moving Beyond Customer Engagement - Unleashing the power of customer knowledge and creativity developed by Eric O Olsen, PhD