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Gotta Go Lean Blog

Gauge R&R

Gauge Repeatability & Reproducibility (Gauge R&R) uses a mathematical method to analyze the variation in a measurement system. Gauge R&R uses a statistical tool called ANOVA, or analysis of variance. It allows the person conducting the testing to separate out the variation cause by the operator, the gauge itself, and the contribution by the part being measured. Gauge R&R determines if a measurement process is repeatable, meaning if you measured the same thing several times Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Toyota® Production System

The Toyota® Production System began in earnest in post-World War II Japan as a way of managing operations in a challenging economic time. The Toyota Production System really began as a synthesis of Henry Ford’s operations and those of the U.S. supermarket system. Taiichi Ohno, often credited as the founder of the Toyota Production System, saw the value in using supermarket-like inventory management to make production systems more efficient. Among other things, the Toyota Production Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Is Your Leadership Style a Bottleneck to Creativity?

Leaders have a tough job. They are in charge, so the success and failure of an organization rests on their shoulders. It makes sense that they want to have a lot of say in how things are done. It is also true that most managers got to where they were as a result of their competence. Despite being the butt of a lot of jokes in cartoons and TV shows, most leaders didn’t ‘luck into’ Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Process Evaluations

Want a Second Opinion? Use Our Process Evaluations. The old saying goes, two heads are better than one. Nowhere is this truer than in continuous improvement. Use our Process Evaluation service to get a second set of eyes on your operation. Simply send us a video recording of your process, and we will return you a report full of the improvement ideas we identify. Let us help you get the most out of your continuous improvement resources. What’s the Benefit? Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Ums and Ahs: Improving Your Public Speaking

Most people are nervous about public speaking. One of the ways this nervousness comes out is in the form of ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’. A few aren’t a problem, but when every second word is ‘um’ and you pepper in the ‘ahs’ for good measure, the message gets lost in the delivery. Most people handle this by avoiding getting up in front of an audience at all costs. Public speaking is one of the greatest fears Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Six Sigma

“Six Sigma®” is one of two most common continuous improvement methods. Lean is the other. The term Six Sigma comes from the Greek letter ‘σ’ (sigma) that is used as the symbol for standard deviation. Six Sigma refers to how many standard deviations of the measured output of a process fall within the specification limits. Simply put, Six Sigma means that there are fewer than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. Many people know that the Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

A3 Process

The A3 process is a methodology for getting to the root cause of a problem and addressing it in a way that will permanently eliminate it. Following the A3 process entails a large amount of back-and-forth between managers and their teams. For that reason, the A3 process is well-matched to learning organizations—companies that constantly strive to get better. In short, the A3 process is as much a method of communication as it is a method Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago
A3 Problem Solving

A3 Problem Solving

A3 problem solving is a structured approach to resolving problems. It was popularized by Toyota but is now in widespread use. A3 problem solving is hard to replicate because it requires discipline to use it and persistence to go through the iterative steps of coming up with a resolution. It also highlights mistakes as part of the process of correcting them. Some people get very defensive about this. A3 problem solving is not intended to Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

A3 Management

A3 management is a structured way of running a business. A3 management focuses on using a scientific approach to problem solving that creates a learning organization. The key to A3 management is that there must be management problem solving processes in place. This means that there is a specific way to address problems, by everyone in the leadership ranks, rather than the typical ‘shoot from the hip’ style of leadership that many managers exhibit. That Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago
A3 Thinking and PDCA