Editor’s note: This continues Jack Dunigan’s series about unsung heroes in the workplace, and the 16 traits they all share.

Pitch is a representation of takt image—a visual and often audible management time frame that lean practitioners use to pace and monitor value stream performance. It’s typically driven by, and linked to, a value stream or line’s pacemaker process.

Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of Matthew May’s “Elegant Solutions.” Read Part 1 here.

Even though modern industrial robots are becoming more nimble and capable, they still need to get a good grip on things, literally, with the equivalent of hands that are as agile and dexterous as the human variety.

I can’t believe he said that. Well, wrote that. I’m reading another reader’s comment to an article about quality in manufacturing. The reader says, “We shouldn’t drag politics into this!” Really?