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Gotta Go Lean Blog

Mura

Mura is one of three Japanese terms meaning waste. The others are muda, the traditional form of waste in which resources are not effectively used, and muri, meaning overburden or overexertion. Mura means inconsistency or excess variation in either processes or demand. When processes can’t be standardized because of the variation, each different method adds wasteful activity to a process. It also creates a large potential for quality problems. Variations in demand, another form of Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Internal Setup

An internal setup is a task done to get a machine ready to switch from one product type to another that must be done when the machine is stopped. Obviously, the problem is that internal setup limits the time a machine can be running. As part of any setup reduction effort, improvement teams should try to change any internal setup to an external setup, meaning it can be done while the machine is running. While Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Why Daily Management is Like a Petri Dish for Lean

I was watching an episode of Mythbusters last night. They were testing out where the highest concentrations of bacteria reside in your everyday life. (Hint: If you are using your keyboard right now, keep your hands away from your face!) The whole concept of a Petri dish got me thinking. Daily management is like a Petri dish for continuous improvement. They both do two of the same things: They provide a hospitable place to grow. Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Featured Lean Thinker: Mark Graban

This week’s featured Lean thinker is Shingo prize winner Mark Graban. I suspect that many of you are familiar with his LeanBlog.org and his work in Lean healthcare. If you are not, you should be. So, here’s how Mark answered my Lean questions… What does Lean mean to you? I haven’t revisited my blog’s “What is Lean?” page in a while and I think it still accurately summarizes my take on Lean. It’s critically important Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Does Lean Need Agile?

I like to be challenged in my beliefs. For this reason, I am running an article that was submitted to me by Stephen Jannise of SoftwareAdvice.com. Stephen’s premise is that Lean is no longer enough to thrive in today’s competitive, flexible market. He believes that agile management is the next step beyond Lean. Now, I agree with all of what Stephen says a company needs to do. My question, though, is whether what he describes Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

11 Principles of a Lean Office (+Video)

It is easy to get wrapped up in the small stuff and lose sight of the big picture. While this can happen on the shop floor, it is much more prevalent in office settings. For example, teams may become focused on applying a Lean tool like takt time or Standard Work to an administrative process, even when the concept is not well suited to the situation. teams spend their energy trying to optimize a process Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Office Work, Hajek’s Law of

Many office work areas don’t control the flow of work onto people’s desks. As a result, individuals may face a small pile of work on one day, and a large pile of work the next. Further complicating the problem, there is frequently no formal standardization of their processes. This makes the pace inconsistent, and it makes work difficult to offload to other employees. These two factors contribute to form Hajek’s Law of Office Work. The Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

What’s at the Core of Lean?

I pulled a muscle in my back playing basketball a few days ago, and it is surprising how much movement the core of your body is a part of. Things you don’t realize—reaching for a computer mouse, pulling open a window, and even picking things up off the floor—all caused more than mild discomfort. I’m feeling much better now, thanks to a few days of rest and a very caring wife. The downtime gave me Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

The Hardest Step of Problem Solving

Contrary to what many people think, the hardest step in problem solving is not coming up with a solution, or even sustaining the gains that are made. It is identifying the problem in the first place. Now, there are several different types of problems. The glaring, painful one. It is the broken arm of business. It is the debilitating problem that can’t be ignored. A website or assembly line that has been shut down falls Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

What If You Had to Sign the Other Side of the Check?

Most people are accustomed to signing the back side of their paycheck. The question I’d ask you to consider, though, is whether you’d behave differently if you were signing the other side of the check. Consider if you had to put your John Hancock on a check for one of the many employees you hire on a regular basis, and think if you are meeting the same standards you set for them. Would you want Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago