Principles and Values

If you have done more than a simple cursory search about continuous improvement, you will probably have come across a discussion about guiding principles or values. Unfortunately, the use of those words, principles and values, is not consistent. This section attempts to provide clarity regarding these terms.

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WIFM?

“WIFM” is a near-acronym for “What’s in it for me?” People tend to be rather logical, cause-and-effect types of creatures. They act when there is a reason to act. The basic premise of this acronym is that when that result of an action is in the best interest of a Read more…

Warehouses

Warehouses are organized storage locations. They can store both finished goods or raw materials and components. While some warehousing can be unavoidable, in general, these types of storage facilities go against most Lean principles. Raw materials and components should be ordered just-in-time and stored at the point of use. If Read more…

Work Units

One of the basic goals of lean is to create flow. The rationale is that the more that material sits in one place, the more waste it creates. In most cases, this means a single piece of work moving through a connected process. This is where the term “one-piece flow” Read more…

Relationships

A strong continuous improvement culture requires extensive teamwork, and teamwork requires strong relationships. First of all, let’s start by defining what a relationship is. And its surface, a relationship is simply the way people or organizations behave toward each other. But there is also a deeper layer to relationships. They Read more…

Schedules

Schedules are an important part of a continuous improvement culture. Daily schedules are used for communication and coordination as well as to highlight problems and improvement activity. For example, many teams start the day with scheduled time to get their work areas checked out and ready to go. They also Read more…

Priority Matrix

A priority matrix is a decision-making tool that helps, as the name implies, with prioritization. A common matrix will include the importance of an action (or problem) and the urgency of it. The goal is to work on the tasks that will deliver the biggest bang for the buck first. Read more…

Skills

The simple definition of a skill is the ability to do something well or having a particular expertise in an activity. In typical organizations, the set of skills required by individuals tends to be fairly narrow for frontline employees and leaders. For the most part, they are asked to do Read more…

Helping Frontline Leaders

Frontline leaders are the people who make sure day-to-day tasks get done in an organization. They are leads and supervisors, and often have some production responsibilities in addition to their leadership role. They have an in-depth knowledge of the processes they supervise and a growing range of leadership skills. Add Read more…