^
ELBONOMICS
Kaizen means daily one percent improvement
by Rey Elbo - June 2, 2026 - 12:00am
E-Mart, one of South Korea’s largest supermarket chains, sells a product called Haru Hana Banana (once a day banana) that solves a problem that every banana eater on earth has encountered.
When 5S housekeeping becomes a pyramid scheme
by Rey Elbo - May 26, 2026 - 12:00am
More than a pyramid scheme, having 6S or more is a “consultancy snake oil,” according to Nigel Thurlow, Agile expert and flow specialist who commented on my post on LinkedIn.
Why standing still is the fastest way backward
by Rey Elbo - May 19, 2026 - 12:00am
There’s a question raised by a reader: “Is continuous improvement compulsory?” My answer?
Why your best managers never stay seated
by Rey Elbo - May 12, 2026 - 12:00am
One harassed bank employee learned the hard way that walking could be mistaken for a criminal offense.
The death of command-and-control management
by Rey Elbo - May 5, 2026 - 12:00am
For four decades now, I continue to subscribe to the whole idea that the best approach to making every management system successful is through an empowered and engaged workforce.
When waiting causes misery and death
by Rey Elbo - April 28, 2026 - 12:00am
The death of a delivery rider while waiting for a government cash aid under the scorching sun is not a story of bad luck.
A factory that makes perfection look like a hobby
by Rey Elbo - April 21, 2026 - 12:00am
In 2016, I organized our annual Japan Study Mission, but we weren’t just doing the standard “bowing at robots” tour of Kaizen powerhouses. It was a surreal experience. My business partner, Kenji...
Difficult questions are better than easy answers
by Rey Elbo - April 14, 2026 - 12:00am
The meeting of department heads was a graveyard of cold coffee and untouched doughnuts when CEO Danny Gomez snapped.
Why internal customers are important than external
by Rey Elbo - April 7, 2026 - 12:00am
Who’s to blame if you were served a greasy cup of “soapy soup” in a tapsilog joint? Is it the dishwasher who treats the grease like a decorative fixture? The waiter who delivered it with a straight...
Building world-class solutions from scraps
by Rey Elbo - March 31, 2026 - 12:00am
One important and recurring lesson I learned while visiting Japanese factories in Nagoya is their active use of their idle resources (a.k.a. trash) in solving problems.
Reasons why factories actually want you to visit
by Rey Elbo - March 24, 2026 - 12:00am
I’ve visited more than 250 factories in Japan, Spain and the Philippines for the past 15 years.
Why quality inspection is a dangerous illusion
by Rey Elbo - March 17, 2026 - 12:00am
Have you ever watched a quality control team inspect a random, finished product only to discover a defect created weeks earlier? By then, the damage has already been done.
Can you apply Kaizen at home?
by Rey Elbo - March 10, 2026 - 12:00am
told reader Johnny, if you ask Japanese Kaizen expert Chihiro Nakao, he would tell you that “Kaizen is for the workplace only. You must never do Kaizen at home. You should relax.” Maybe Mr. Nakao, who...
Kaizen, a taxi driver and a mother’s epic shutdown
by Rey Elbo - March 3, 2026 - 12:00am
There’s a story often told about one chatty taxi driver. It was raining hard one evening. A mother and her 13-year-old son were inside a taxi, inching through traffic.
In Japan, factory mistakes get a spotlight — here’s why
by Rey Elbo - February 24, 2026 - 12:00am
In business, admitting mistakes doesn’t shrink one’s integrity; it sharpens it.
A Kaizen trick in the men’s public restroom
by Rey Elbo - February 17, 2026 - 12:00am
Tony, a 75-year-old widower, a retired factory manager and an unapologetic movie buff, accidentally conducted “field research” at a neighborhood cinema. As the credits of the last full show were rolling,...
Why critical thinking matters more than ever
by Rey Elbo - February 10, 2026 - 12:00am
Every now and then, an inspiring story comes out on the Internet that’s magnetically shared by people with breathless clickbait like “Must read!” or “This will change your life.”
Curiosity is not a soft skill, but an operational advantage
by Rey Elbo - February 3, 2026 - 12:00am
The smartest move isn’t talking about what you’ve achieved.
Why organizations keep solving the wrong problems
by Rey Elbo - January 27, 2026 - 12:00am
It’s not about bad execution, but it boils down to thinking alignment.
The four pillars of competitiveness hiding in plain sight
by Rey Elbo - January 20, 2026 - 12:00am
When we talk about competitiveness, we often get 30 – sometimes more than 50 conflicting answers giving you a free headache.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Are you sure you want to log out?
X
Login

Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. With your meaningful insights, help shape the stories that can shape the country. Sign up now!

Get Updated:

Signup for the News Round now

FORGOT PASSWORD?
SIGN IN
or sign in with