RESEARCH – Offering us a glimpse into how the human mind works and into Toyota’s approach to people engagement, this article tells us how to create a better working environment for our employees.

The CEO of the Lean Institute Africa, Dr Anton Grütter, undertakes an annual journey to China to teach on the Shanghai University MBA programme as a visiting professor. This year he was also invited to speak at the Lean Enterprise China Summit 2014 in Shanghai in June this year. He has returned with some fascinating insights into the Chinese drive to develop their people and their economy.

He says “while I have only experienced a small slice of Chinese working life, it has made me aware of the enormous strides that the country has made in recent years. I think there may well be some important lessons for South Africa.”

You’ve heard about Lean, but what does it mean? The Lean Summit Africa 2014 ‘Skinny on Lean’ infographic reveals the 7 types of waste in business and how trimming down could help to propel your business forward and deliver real value to customers.

You are invited to attend this year’s Lean Summit where experts from around the world will be sharing their Lean leadership insights. Find out more: https://www.lean.org.za/lean-summit-2014/

A University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business professor (UCT GSB) will become an advisor for the Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) within The Presidency to set in motion a programme to improve government departments operations management, with the ultimate aim to boost service delivery in South Africa.

The Lean Institute Africa (LIA) will host its biennial Lean Summit Africa this September focusing on ways to improve service delivery, cost-effectiveness and staff morale in the public and private sectors and highlighting techniques to eliminate waste in products and services in African organisations.

Last month the minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, called on ward sisters in public sector hospitals to place orders for supplies three months in advance. This was in response to a question about the problems experienced by patients in getting their medication timeously (SAFM, Morning Live, 26 July 2013).