At its core, much of continuous improvement is about problem solving. Tools such as Standard Work, policy deployment, kanbans, and andons are all really just pre-packaged solutions to common problems.

Despite that focus on resolving issues, few people have well-developed problem solving skills. This holds true even in companies that have been on their Lean journey for an extended period. The list below shows a ‘big picture’ view of problem solving, and ways to improve in each area.

1. Commitment: Commit to improving the operation.

The hardest part of getting better, by a longshot, is developing the commitment to improve. Think about fitness and weight loss. There is no magic formula. Eat less. Choose healthier foods. Exercise more. Yet despite its simplicity, in 2009, 63.1% of Americans were either overweight or obese (Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index). 

The same holds true in Lean. The majority of companies that try to implement Lean fall short in their efforts. Calculating the ‘Lean Success Rate’ is a challenge, since most people don’t even agree on a definition of Lean, and because most data is self-reported. But it is clear that even though Lean typically delivers at least some improvement, companies expect more. That gap is likely in large part due to a lack of universal commitment.

Policy deployment is a great tool to create buy-in at top levels of the company. The truth is, the higher-ups in a company tend to be more vested in corporate success than frontline employees. Executives tend to get bonuses, and are often focused on promotions. Linking their personal success to that of the company through PD makes what’s good for the company and what’s good for the individual one and the same. Committed leaders who ‘walk the talk’ tend to inspire their teams.

2. Identification: Learn to identify problems.

Even with commitment, identifying problems can be a challenge. Let’s assume that a company wants to get better, but doesn’t realize that producing in batches is actually hindering their operation. This is a classic case of not knowing what you don’t know. Obviously, education plays a big role in this. Creating a regular learning plan helps.

But there is more to it. People have to want to air dirty laundry. If people feel scared to voice concerns or highlight problems, then success will be out of reach. Creating a daily management system that compares expectations to reality can provides a structure where any deviations from the plan must be addressed. The systematic nature of the review very quickly removes the aversion to addressing problems publicly.

Eventually, this constant focus on identifying problems creates a culture where problem solving becomes second nature, almost like the actions that go into driving a car. People seldom actively think to check their rear-view mirrors when piloting an automobile. It happens reflexively. The ultimate continuous improvement organization has that same immediate response to problems.

3. Process: Choose and use a problem solving methodology each and every time.

Surprisingly few people actually go step-by-step through a process when they are solving problems. As a result, they end up missing the mark and have to deal with the same issue over and over and over.

Note that most problem solving processes follow a similar path. In most cases, it doesn’t matter much which methodology you choose, so long as you actually choose one. And, of course, follow it.

4. Tools: Practice using a variety of problem solving tools to support the system.

In woodworking, a carpenter has a variety of tools he or she can choose from depending upon the precise needs of the job. The more tools he has, and the more knowledge he has on how to use them, the better the finished product will be.

The same is true for problem solving. The better equipped one is, the more effective and lasting a solution will be. Some examples of problem solving tools include Pareto charts, run charts, brainstorming methods and the like.

5. Teamwork: Engage all the people involved in problem solving efforts.

With the growing complexity of business, problems are seldom isolated to one area. That means solving them requires a greater level of communication, cooperation, and teamwork than ever. Creating lasting solutions requires alignment in goals. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) cascaded down through policy deployment act to keep everyone on the same sheet of music.

6. Follow-up: Make sure the solutions stick.

Change is extremely hard. And many new processes take time to work out all the bugs. There is a high risk period of time right after a change is made where the challenges of the new processes combined with the comfort of the old draw people backwards. Follow-up is crucial to keep teams from backsliding.

Plan audits after a project. But don’t just have the leadership team check on things. People involved with the problem solving project should conduct the audits with coaching from their leaders.

I’ve been trying to improve my overall fitness. Fortunately, it just got easier for me. Pizza and fries are now officially healthy choices. Congress has confirmed that both count as vegetables in school lunches. I am going to increase my consumption of both, as we are supposed to load up our diets with produce, right?

This falls squarely into the “Are You &**#@ Kidding Me?” category.

Apparently, schools will soon be getting credit for providing healthier food to kids because of a reclassification of foods. So, in an instant, the youth of our nation will suddenly become healthier. On paper.

That’s the problem with metrics and data collection. If you lose sight of the goals and focus on the metrics, you’ve lost the battle. The goal of the dietary guideline is not budget, convenience, or waste. It is health. And nobody in their right minds should think that kids are better off because they eat pizza. Guess who played a big role in this decision. (Hint: It wasn’t someone with a medical or nutrition background.) Here’s a quote from the article linked to above:

“This agreement ensures that nutrient-rich vegetables such as potatoes, corn and peas will remain part of a balanced, healthy diet in federally funded school meals and recognizes the significant amounts of potassium, fiber and vitamins A and C provided by tomato paste, ensuring that students may continue to enjoy healthy meals such as pizza and pasta,” said Kraig Naasz, president of the American Frozen Food Institute.

“Are You &**#@ Kidding Me?”

This is a classic case of perverting the metrics. In effect, the metric is meaningless. It is the equivalent of an umbrella company reclassifying holes in their products as ‘enhanced ventilation’, and claiming that quality is good.

So, the Lean takeaway from this? Always ask yourself if hitting the metric will make you get closer to your goal, or further from it. There will always be a cost to hitting metrics. If it was easy, you would not be measuring it. Don’t let a local cost override the big picture purpose of tracking the data in the first place.

When you tweak your data collection methods for convenience or cost reasons, ask yourself if the customer is better off because of it. You are better off eliminating a metric that has been twisted around than to pretend that it is indicating success. For the schools, I would far rather that they get rid of the food standards altogether rather than patting themselves on their backs when kids ask for a second serving of these ‘vegetables’.

Really, Congress, “are You &**#@ Kidding Me?”

Standard work-in-process (or Standard WIP, or SWIP) is the designated minimum amount of material needed to keep your Standard Work flowing.

It is one of the three main components of Standard Work. The other components include balancing the work to the takt time, and assigning it to a single operator.

The consistent quantities designated by standard work-in-process help reduce variation and eliminate the accordion like affect that fluctuating work-in-process has on lead time.

A rule of thumb is simply a general process used for a specific condition. This is different from rules, regulations, Standard Work, and other forms of documented instructions. In those cases, the required actions are specified. For a rule of thumb, there is no such formality.  

An example of a rule of thumb might be “measure twice, cut once.” There is no real obligation to measure twice, but, over time, people have learned to follow this basic piece of wisdom.

So, this afternoon, I was straightening up the house, and I saw a wrapper on the floor in the family room. I asked my young son if he left it there. His response?

“Let me think for 7 minutes.”

I tried hard not to laugh. After all, I am trying to reinforce the concept of household 5S, specifically systematic cleaning. But, for the life of me, I could not figure out why he needed precisely seven minutes to come up with an answer.

But, the more I thought about it, the more I think he has the right idea. In many case, people rush to come up with an answer because there is pressure to do so. The assembly line is down. A customer is waiting. Dad is making you clean up during your cartoon.

But the truth is, quick answers often lead to poor results. We don’t do thorough root cause analysis. We make assumptions to fill in gaps in knowledge. We don’t frame the problem properly. And as a result, we don’t come up with a good solution.

So, I am going to try to add the wisdom of my son to my own toolkit and take at least seven minutes to think through a problem before taking any actions. I think one of the things we lose as adults is the ability to recognize that we don’t always have the answers. Many times, we just think we do.

Kids dive into research and experimentation before they answer because they recognize something that adults don’t. They know that they don’t know everything. Or at least they know that until they are teenagers, at which point, they will, in fact, have all the answers. But until then, I will emulate my son, and take the time to think through a problem before answering.

Usually used in connection with a capital investment, a payback period is the length of time it will take to recoup the amount of money put into a project.

The exact methodology for determining a payback period varies based on the way assumptions are made, and the formula used to do the financial calculations.

Some simple assessments use the actual dollar value of the investment and revenue, but most will use the net present value of both the investments and the revenue to determine the payback period.

Waiting is one of the seven wastes first introduced by Taiichi Ohno, and still commonly used in modern Lean.

Wait time is particularly bad because it consumes a non-renewable resource, and an important one at that: Time.

Waiting occurs for a variety of reasons. People often wait for a machine to run, for a delivery, or for someone else to complete a task before the individual can start the next step.