Lean Operating Systems

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 05-01-25

This 3-video course explains the concept and practice of an operating system. You’ve heard of examples such as the Toyota Production Systems and the Danaher Business System, as well as a couple Jamie Flinchbaugh was heavily involved in such as the Chrysler Operating System and the DTE Energy Operating System. This is your playbook, your common approach, your common language, for how an organization performs their mission.

Watch the Lean Operating Systems videos on YouTube

Myths and Mistakes about Operating Systems

Jamie Flinchbaugh challenges lean misconceptions from his Chrysler experience. Every organization has an operating system—designed or not. Successful lean companies evolve organically rather than through formal deployment. True systems are defined by daily work, not documentation. Transformation comes from unified experiences, not isolated tools, with evolution from current reality proving more effective than implementing idealized systems.

Elements of an Operating System

Jamie Flinchbaugh explores four crucial elements that create effective lean systems. Principles and behaviors constitute the cultural foundation driving organizational change, while structured processes trigger systematic improvement activities. Cross-functional collaboration emerges through shared skills and problem-solving tools, with performance metrics needing alignment with cultural values for consistent results. When organizations establish shared beliefs, they create decision-making consistency, treating problem-solving as a learning journey rather than mere template completion. The most powerful aspect ultimately remains behavioral consistency, which activates every other component of a successful operating system.

How do You Build and Use an Operating System?

This video explores how organizations can develop operating systems through natural evolution rather than rigid implementation. Your current operations already function as an operating system that evolves toward desired conditions. This developmental process more closely resembles career growth than construction, with PDSA cycles enabling continuous learning and adjustment. Frameworks should remain simple and adaptable while prioritizing user understanding, with tangible artifacts bringing abstract systems to life. Though inclusive development processes may sacrifice some control, they foster essential organizational ownership. Successful systems ultimately represent unified ways of working rather than documentation, functioning as continuous journeys toward organizational excellence.

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