The Story Behind Obeya.studio

Twenty years of Lean.
Two trips to Toyota.
One mission.

I've spent two decades helping organizations transform through Lean and Six Sigma. But the real breakthrough came from two study tours through Japan — visiting Toyota, Nissan, Yamaha, a hospital, and a construction company — and realizing most Western implementations miss the most important layer.

David van Noort — Founder of Obeya.studio and official US distributor of the Leading with Obeya method.

David van Noort — Founder, Obeya.studio

Lean Master Black Belt
Six Sigma Black Belt
Licensed Professional Coach
Japan Study Tours — Toyota · Nissan · Yamaha · more
Official US Distributor of Leading with Obeya
Why I'm bringing Obeya to the US

The gap nobody talks about

I've spent two decades helping organizations implement Lean and Six Sigma transformations across Europe. Time and again, I watched technically sound strategies stumble—not because the methodology was wrong, but because leadership teams lacked a structured way to collaborate visually and maintain strategic focus.

"Most Western Lean implementations miss the visual management discipline at the strategic level—where complex initiatives actually succeed or fail."

My two study tours through Japan changed how I understood this gap. Seeing how Toyota, Nissan, Yamaha, a hospital, and a construction company all operate—not just on the floor but at the leadership level—I realized that most Western Lean implementations miss the visual management discipline at the strategic level. When I later discovered Leading with Obeya through Tim Wiegel's work, it crystallized what I'd witnessed in Japan: a leadership operating system that brings Toyota's visual rigor into the strategic layer where complex initiatives actually succeed or fail.

As both a Lean Master Black Belt and Licensed Professional Coach, I saw how Obeya bridges the technical excellence of Lean with the human dynamics of leadership teams navigating change. Now, as Obeya.studio and the official US distributor of Leading with Obeya, I'm bringing this approach—rooted in what I learned at the source—to American organizations.

Rooted in the source

What I learned in Japan

Most consultants teach Lean from textbooks. I've studied it where it was born. Two study tours through Japan — visiting Toyota, Nissan, Yamaha, a hospital, and a construction company — gave me something you can't get from a certification course: direct observation of how visual management actually functions across different industries and leadership levels.

What I saw wasn't just post-it notes on walls. It was a complete operating rhythm—a shared visual language that aligned engineers, managers, and executives around the same strategic reality, updated in real time.

That's the discipline the Leading with Obeya method codifies. And it's what I bring to every client engagement.

The Origin
Toyota Prius Development, mid-1990s
Takeshi Uchiyamada's team created the first Obeya room during the original Prius project. Cross-functional teams gathered to see, learn, and act together—finishing ahead of schedule with twice the fuel efficiency target.
The Method
Tim Wiegel formalizes LWO
Researcher and consultant Tim Wiegel studied Toyota's original Obeya practices and expanded them into the comprehensive 5-board, 7-principle Leading with Obeya system adopted globally.
Now
Obeya.studio brings LWO to the US
As the official US distributor, Obeya.studio delivers training, certification, tools, and coaching rooted in two decades of Lean expertise and direct Toyota research.
My commitment

How I work with clients

🎯

Sustainable transformation over quick fixes

I don't sell 90-day miracles. Real transformation takes leadership commitment, structured practice, and time. I build capability that lasts—not dependency on a consultant.

👁️

Visual transparency over hidden complexity

Everything important should be visible. Strategy, progress, problems, ownership—all on the wall, legible in 10 minutes. If it's not visible, it's not being managed.

🤝

Collaborative leadership that actually works

I combine the technical rigor of Lean with the human dynamics of professional coaching. Both matter. Methodology without trust fails. Trust without method drifts.

Partnerships & Affiliations

Working with the best in the field

Tim Wiegel / LWO
Creator of Leading with Obeya. Official US distribution partnership.
iObeya
Digital Obeya platform — official integration partner.
AME
Association for Manufacturing Excellence — US manufacturing sector.
Obeya Association
Global Obeya community and certification body.
Work with me

Ready to talk?

Whether you're in manufacturing facing operational challenges, or financial services navigating regulatory complexity—let's explore whether Obeya is the right fit for your leadership team.

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