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Gotta Go Lean Blog

Licenses for Training Presentations and Exercises

Sorry about the need for the legalese. As a quick summary, a corporate license lets a single reporting organization (usually with its own P&L and its own president) use and modify the training material internally, with few restrictions. It does, however, limit what can be done with the material outside of that organization. Velaction’s intention is to provide organizations with outstanding training content that they can customize to suit their own needs, but in a way that also Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Leading Change: What’s Good for the Goose ISN’T Good for the Gander

I was watching Jon Stewart, where I get all my fake news from, and he had an interesting guest, Atul Gawande, the author of The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. Now, if you’ve spent time looking at my site, you’ll know that I am a fan of checklists. (I’ve even got a free 8-page downloadable PDF on the subject.) Of course, building a process so you don’t need a document to support it Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago
Continuous Improvement Checklist

8 Reasons People Resist Change (+Video +MP3)

Improvement, by definition, requires altering behaviors. And since most people show a reluctance to change, it follows that improvement efforts can be an uphill battle. Let’s start by addressing 8 of the major reasons why people resist change. Fear. By far the biggest reason for resistance to change, fear creates paralysis. People get worried that the new way won’t work, that they will not do well following the modified process, or that it will mean Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

SIPOC Analysis Sheet

The SIPOC Analysis Sheet is a tool to help understand the flow of value from supplier to the customer. SIPOC is the acronym for Supplier-Inputs-Process-Outputs-Customer. Click Image to Get Our SIPOC Analysis Sheet(Get This Form for Free) In practical use, a simple form such as this has limitations. Suppliers often feed inputs through several processes, and a process may use several suppliers. To prevent confusion, select one of the categories as a base, and list Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Office Process Summary Sheet

The Office Process Summary Sheet provides an at-a-glance view of the gains an improvement team has made in a kaizen event. Get Our Office Process Summary Sheet for FREE The Office Process Summary Sheet has some of the most common measures of improvement already filled in, and also provides a few blank lines for any additional ones you may need. This form is intended as a progress report for the leaders’ meetings during a kaizen, Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Office Process Recording Sheet

The Process Recording Sheet is primarily used to document steps in an office environment during a process walk. Because of the non-linear flow in an office, longer cycle times, computer processes that are hard to monitor, and the frequency with which office workers change tasks, a Time Observation Sheet is insufficient to fully document a process. Click Image to Get an Office Process Recording Sheet for FREE The Process Recording Sheet documents cycle time for Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Office Process Questionnaire

The Office Process Questionnaire is a tool to help gather information from office workers during the process walk of a kaizen event. Get Our Office Process Questionnaire for FREE It has a series of standard questions, as well as space to record questions specific to the process under review. Adding structure to this line of questioning prevents an interview from turning into an interrogation.

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Office Process Capacity Form

Managing workload in an office setting can be a challenge. Use the Office Process Capacity Form to determine whether a process is sufficiently staffed to meet demand. This form takes the FTE (full time equivalent) load into account, as many office workers have multiple roles. Get Our Office Process Capacity Sheet for FREE The Office Process Capacity Form also looks at whether the process has enough machines to handle the workload. While this is not Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Noise to Constant Sheet

The Noise to Constant Sheet is a tool for organizing and prioritizing effort in an improvement project. The first step to creating a consistent, correct output of a process is to reduce variation. This form lists the noise in a process (the randomness or uncontrolled aspects) and asks teams to identify ways to make the output more constant. This noise is often identified during the waste walk, or from a cause and effect diagram. Once Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

KPI Bowler

The KPI bowler gets its name from its resemblance to a bowling score sheet. Learn About the KPI Bowler in our Managing With Metrics Video The form is used to track progress towards meeting key performance indicators. When the results are below the target, the block should be highlighted in red. The sections of the KPI Bowler correspond to the major focus areas of Lean: QDCSM (Quality, Delivery, Cost, Safety, and Morale).

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Kaizen Newspaper Form

The Kaizen Newspaper is a tool for both managing workload during a kaizen event, and for keeping track of the follow-up activities. Get Our Kaizen Newspaper Form for FREE During the event, I recommend posting a version of this form up on a flipchart (in marker), or at least tape this form up on the wall. The goal is to use the Kaizen Newspaper as a communication tool and to make the team’s progress more Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago