Regular readers know I have a fascination with how lean manufacturing concepts, as well as the free market, can impact the basic human condition.  A few weeks ago we discussed an excellent post by fellow blogger Karen Wilhelm on how lean can help alleviate poverty.  Last Wednesday columnis...

Our friend and occasional guest blogger Dan Markovitz has often written about the problems associated with email overload.  But he has just come to a bit of an epiphany... he may have been completely off base. I've spilled a lot of electronic ink (fortunately, electrons are cheap) telling you h...

Almost three years ago, in one of my very first posts, I wrote about the dangers of horizontal surfaces. Horizontal surfaces have a tendency to collect tools, paperwork, parts, discarded gloves... you name it.  How much cleaner, neater, and therefore more efficient would our operations be if we...

Over the past couple decades there has been increasing scrutiny on the fundraising and especially fund usage of charitable organizations. The past few years have brought a string of reports of flagrant charity and foundation abuses -- officials who waste money on dubious fund-raising ploys or lavish...