Weekly Update (April 26, 2013)

Notable News

I just finished recording a new DVD: Managing with Metrics. It still needs to be processed and edited, but it is a step closer. It should be done this weekend or early next week. This isn’t just a product announcement, though. The notable part is that the development process reinforced my belief that learning and improvement never ends. This is my 19^th DVD, and every time I go through the process, I find new ways to improve it. Even with all my experience developing processes, I still find new ways to make things better. Just goes to show that process improvement is a constant cycle that is never done.

Thought of the Week

• Years ago I was an avid bicyclist. I rode with groups, and would hear about the new titanium seat post that shaved a few grams off the weight of the bike. The same person would be 15 pounds overweight and would be wearing a CamelBak that weighed 5 pounds. Yet the focus was on the seat post and the sliver of weight that could be saved. The same thing happens with Lean. The latest and greatest and most sophisticated tools attract attention, and the basic problem solving tools sit unused on a shelf. My advice: get the basics down before you get fancy.

Recommended Reading

• As I was doing my Managing with Metrics video, it reminded me how important daily routines are to successful Lean efforts. Mike Rother’s book, Toyota Kata: Managing People for Improvement, Adaptiveness and Superior Results, shows how to create second-nature approaches to continuous improvement activities.

Featured Video

We just posted a clip from our Data Collection DVD. It covers the various types of data that you will have to choose from when getting the information you need for your project.