Lean tools are relatively simple to implement. Setting up a management system is significantly more complicated, but it is still not the most challenging part of creating a robust continuous improvement culture. That title goes to understanding how improvement and change affects people. Lean psychology is hands-down the hardest aspect Read more…
Baka yoke is the Japanese term for “fool proofing” or “idiot proofing”. Needless to say, it is not the most politically correct of terms, and has been replaced in common use by poka yoke, or “mistake proofing”. The principle is the same for both terms. Prevent mistakes rather than correct Read more…
Sharing best practices turbo-charges your Lean efforts. It dramatically speeds up your progress when you don’t have to reinvent the wheel for every problem. So, since you are on a continuous improvement site reading this, I am assuming that you’d appreciate a few time-saving tips on surfing the web. Finding Read more…
Machining time is the time when a machine is actually processing something. Generally, machining time is the term used when there is a removal of unwanted material. For example, in a drill press, machining time is when the cutting edge is moving forward and making a hole. This is known Read more…
Resource allocation is simply the art and science of parceling out the various resources available to an organization. We use resource allocation in our everyday lives. We have to choose how to divide our time, money, and energy. How do we decide? At home, we do it very informally. We Read more…
An algorithm is simply a set of instructions for solving a specific problem. It is commonly associated with math or computers but applies to all problems. A troubleshooting guide is a form of algorithm, as is a recipe. Algorithms make life easier by standardizing the method to solve a problem, Read more…
Action plans are, in effect, roadmaps to achieve goals. They should contain a description of the improvement goal, names of people on the team, steps to be taken, names assigned to the steps, and due dates for steps. Some action plans are simple in their layout. Others add in additional Read more…
Using an “action date” is a proactive approach to managing your workload. Whenever a task is unfinished, there is a next step. Frequently, that step is passively managed. Usually this means waiting for something to happen to allow work to continue. It could be waiting for a part to arrive, Read more…
A company has to know whether what they are doing makes money, right? The people who know how to figure this out are the accountants. In the US, accounting is done according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). This provides a standard method of accounting so that when one company Read more…
An ad hoc query is simply a one-time request for information from a database. (Ad hoc is Latin for “for this purpose”.) Many database reports are standardized and are used repeatedly. They cover the vast majority of typical operations management needs. Ad hoc queries, though, play a big role in Read more…
Accounting is a necessary part of any business. It is critical to know if the actions a company is taking are making it profitable, or if they are causing the business to bleed cash. Accounting in the best of situations has its challenges. But the advent of Lean has made Read more…
I recently had the pleasure of spending some time chatting with Jay Watson about engaging employees in Lean efforts. Jay has worked at Motorola, GE, AlliedSignal, and Honeywell over his 35-year career, so the ideas he has about engaging employees are not just theory. He’s been doing this for a Read more…