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Gotta Go Lean Blog

Psychology of Lean

Lean tools are relatively simple to implement. Setting up a management system is significantly more complicated, but it is still not the most challenging part of creating a robust continuous improvement culture. That title goes to understanding how improvement and change affects people. Lean psychology is hands-down the hardest aspect of becoming an improvement-oriented organization. Change management relies heavily on psychology. Job satisfaction, negotiating, communication, motivating, rewarding, and adjusting undesirable behaviors all require a deep Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Baka Yoke

Baka yoke is the Japanese term for “fool proofing” or “idiot proofing”. Needless to say, it is not the most politically correct of terms, and has been replaced in common use by poka yoke, or “mistake proofing”. The principle is the same for both terms. Prevent mistakes rather than correct defects. The subtle difference between baka yoke and poka yoke is that the focus changes from the person (fool or idiot) to the process or Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Web Surfing Best Practices

Sharing best practices turbo-charges your Lean efforts. It dramatically speeds up your progress when you don’t have to reinvent the wheel for every problem. So, since you are on a continuous improvement site reading this, I am assuming that you’d appreciate a few time-saving tips on surfing the web. Finding Keywords on a Page: On Internet Explorer, hit ‘Control-F’ to pull up a ‘Find’ menu bar. Type in the keyword you are looking for, and Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Machining Time / Machine Time

Machining time is the time when a machine is actually processing something. Generally, machining time is the term used when there is a removal of unwanted material. For example, in a drill press, machining time is when the cutting edge is moving forward and making a hole. This is known as subtractive manufacturing, as opposed to the relatively new method of additive manufacturing, such as seen in 3D printing. For the purposes of continuous improvement Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Allocation (Resource)

Resource allocation is simply the art and science of parceling out the various resources available to an organization. We use resource allocation in our everyday lives. We have to choose how to divide our time, money, and energy. How do we decide? At home, we do it very informally. We often use gut feelings to decide if we want a new TV more than a trip to the tropics. Resource allocation, though, even when done Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Algorithm

An algorithm is simply a set of instructions for solving a specific problem. It is commonly associated with math or computers but applies to all problems. A troubleshooting guide is a form of algorithm, as is a recipe. Algorithms make life easier by standardizing the method to solve a problem, and help us avoid having to reinvent the wheel every time we encounter some obstacle. To truly be an algorithm, the set of instructions must Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Action Plan

Action plans are, in effect, roadmaps to achieve goals. They should contain a description of the improvement goal, names of people on the team, steps to be taken, names assigned to the steps, and due dates for steps. Some action plans are simple in their layout. Others add in additional features, such as a graphical timeline, a synopsis of the current situation, graphics that show completions progress, and other bells and whistles. Advanced action plans Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Action Date

Using an “action date” is a proactive approach to managing your workload. Whenever a task is unfinished, there is a next step. Frequently, that step is passively managed. Usually this means waiting for something to happen to allow work to continue. It could be waiting for a part to arrive, or for a customer to call back, or something similar. Rather than just leave things to chance, always assign an action date to a delayed Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Accounting

A company has to know whether what they are doing makes money, right? The people who know how to figure this out are the accountants. In the US, accounting is done according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). This provides a standard method of accounting so that when one company says they made “X” dollars in profit, if can be compared to the performance of another company. In order to make sure that everyone is Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Ad Hoc Query

An ad hoc query is simply a one-time request for information from a database. (Ad hoc is Latin for “for this purpose”.) Many database reports are standardized and are used repeatedly. They cover the vast majority of typical operations management needs. Ad hoc queries, though, play a big role in Lean. Often, the questions that teams have during a kaizen event cannot be answered with standard reporting functionality. A common mistake is to try to Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Lean Accounting

Accounting is a necessary part of any business. It is critical to know if the actions a company is taking are making it profitable, or if they are causing the business to bleed cash. Accounting in the best of situations has its challenges. But the advent of Lean has made for some tricky situations in which traditional accounting methods may actually show Lean efforts as having a negative impact on financial performance. This is most Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Engaging Employees in Lean: Podcast Interview with Jay Watson

I recently had the pleasure of spending some time chatting with Jay Watson about engaging employees in Lean efforts. Jay has worked at Motorola, GE, AlliedSignal, and Honeywell over his 35-year career, so the ideas he has about engaging employees are not just theory. He’s been doing this for a long time. In this conversation, we talk a lot about how an engaged workforce is the difference maker when trying to improve the performance of Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago