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Gotta Go Lean Blog

9 Steps to Developing a Daily Management System (+Video +MP3)

Running an effective operation takes a daily management system. To get one up and running, Lean leaders have to: Identify the demand. This means tracking data for a while to see what your customers are asking you to do. (Hint: Pivot tables are your friend!) Understand your takt time. Production in the office won’t be as rhythmic as it is on the shop floor, but there is still a pace that the team needs to Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Production Problems and Documentation and Toyota

Up until now, I’ve refrained from delving into the problems Toyota has been having. Frankly, I don’t know enough about what happened behind the scenes that led to the current problems the company is having. Anything I said would likely take some assumptions on my part, and I prefer to speak based on facts and data. One thing I do know, though, is that all companies, at some time or other, have production problems. A Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Lean Education: Can it Work?

I saw an article on CNN and thought it would make a good point about Lean. The piece is titled “Why teaching is ‘not like making motorcars’”. The article compares education with producing cars, but misses a key point. The article starts out by saying, “Sir Ken Robinson says our education system works like a factory.” (Sir Ken Robinson is a British author.) I disagree. I think schools are nothing like modern Lean factories Look Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Work Instructions

Work instructions are the specific details on how to do a job. They go hand-in-hand with Standard Work. Standard Work lays out the big picture sequence of the work; work instructions spell out the step-by-step methods used to do a job. Work instructions are characterized by: Pictures of how work should be done Specifications, such as torque Part numbers and quantities of components Tools required to do the work Special safety instructions Unlike Standard Work Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Automation

Automation is the act of adding of a mechanical device to a machine that allows it to operate with reduced, non-continuous input from an operator. This allows the operator to do other tasks while the machine is running. In Lean, automation serves the same role it does in any other manufacturing system. It separates people from machines. This allows people to do fewer dirty, dumb, or dangerous tasks and helps them be more productive. Automation Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Morning Walkthrough Tips

The morning walkthrough sets the stage for a successful day in an effective company. Here are a few tips for leaders to take to heart when they prepare for a new day. Have a plan. Use a checklist. It should include any critical checks you need to complete each morning. These are most commonly safety related, but can be anything that will cripple production if there is a failure. Also include the general things you Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Lean Training Formats

Our Lean training formats include: On-site Lean training: We come to you and present the material to your team Sample video: These short videos demonstrate the training to you in order to help you make an informed decision and find out why our Lean training stands apart. Video shorts: These are short, single-topic videos used throughout our website. They often come from a larger Lean training package. Single-viewer video: This Lean training video is formatted Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Podcast: Frontline Lean Leadership with Tim McMahon

I’m pleased to be posting an interview I did last month with Tim McMahon. He’s a Lean Manufacturing Leader at a fiber optics company, the Social Networking Lead for the Northeast region of the Association of Manufacturing Excellence, and has a Lean blog titled, A Lean Journey. He also Twitters at TimALeanJourney. In this 21 minute podcast, you’ll hear our views on Lean leadership at the supervisor level. Because Lean requires a great deal of Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Lean and the Trapeze

I think I might have mentioned in past articles that I see Lean in everything nowadays. Last Saturday was no different. My wife surprised me with an adventure for our anniversary. She took me to a place that teaches people how to swing on the trapeze. So there were about ten people or so in the class, and most went through the same pattern of behavior on their first attempt. They had a look of Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

My Braces and Lean

In less than a week, I get my braces off. I thought it would be done at that point, but my orthodontist told me that recent studies have shown that teeth will start shifting back to the original position as long as five years after the braces are removed, if you don’t use some sort of retention. I’ve opted for a bonded retainer, but I still have to wear a removable retainer at night for Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

A Lean Prognostication

Because I have a bit of an uncommon working situation, it can be interesting when people ask what I do for a living. I can say I own a business, that I’m a consultant, that I’m an author, that I do corporate training, or that I run an online store. Inevitably, though, there is a follow-up question, and I mention Lean. In some industries and professions, the term is immediately recognized. From most people, though, Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago
Predict Problems Before They Happen