Paper - The Easiest Lean Tool

Looking for a cheap lean simulation?  Look no further than your own supply cabinet. It's amazing what you can do with a simple sheet of paper.

Tom Curtis (@onimproving) created this presentation on Slideshare offering up 22 ideas for lean simulations with a ream of copy paper. Some of the ideas I've covered here before, including paper airplane folding, origami, cutting snowflakes and plain ol' paperwork, but there are a few new ones to tease the brain.

How about a garbage can toss? Perhaps you can tune your trajectory using some six sigma tools. . .

Or fixing sentences? Call the grammar police and create a sheet of documents that have to be edited.

Making hats? Like airplanes and origami, your paper can be converted into a hats with a simulated factory in your office.

This little presentation doesn't give you the full details for running a lean game, but will give you plenty of ideas for how to create your own. Lean simulations don't have to be complicated affairs. You can create a simple activity that shows push vs pull, line balancing or standard work as long as you have a mini process that takes several steps.

Get out the copy paper, set up a few tables and get started!

What lean games have you tried using just a simple piece of paper?

Check out my entire collection of free lean simulations and games!