Literally translated, “gemba” means “the real place”. To experienced practitioners of Lean, this means the place where work is actually being done or value is being created. NOTE: You may also hear the term as genba, with an “N”. Those who focus more on the traditional manufacturing roots of Lean commonly use this term synonymously, although slightly incorrectly, with “shop floor”. The shop floor is a gemba, but not all gembas are shop floors. As Read more…
Let’s start out by assuming that you understand the definition of Lean standard work and are familiar with the three main documents for standard work. Armed with that basic information, you still have one big decision to make. Where do you start implementing Lean standard work? It can be overwhelming to walk into an area and try to put standard work in place for the first time. Fortunately, there’s a straightforward, step-by-step method to implementing Read more…
Earlier this evening, I was recording some Lean audio training-my “Dirty, Dumb, or Dangerous” entry from The Continuous Improvement Companion. I thought I’d highlight one of the points I made in that article. (Remember-dirty, dumb, or dangerous tasks show a lack of respect for people, and should be eliminated.) Dirt is easy to spot. Granted, sometimes it works its way into nooks and crannies, or gets under guards and covers, but when you are looking Read more…
A takt time calculator is simply a tool, usually a spreadsheet, with the takt time calculations already programmed in. It is most useful for people who don’t routinely calculate takt time. The takt time calculator should take people through all the steps of determining takt time. Get Our Takt Time Calculator for FREE Takt time calculators vary. Some do it by shift, some by day. In any case, the calculator should take out the non-working Read more…
In the medical world, a symptom is just the visible evidence of a disease or injury. For example, swollen painful joints may be a symptom of arthritis, or nausea might be a symptom of food poisoning. In continuous improvement, symptoms are similar. They are the “tells” that let you know that there is something that is just not right with a process or product. They are often the only way to identify an underlying problem-the Read more…
I was sitting here looking at my computer, and my eyes wandered to the various ways my computer cables are organized. I wondered how other people organize cables and cords. First of all, why bother to organize cables? Because an organized and clean workspace is generally an effective workspace. (Read the entry on 5S in my Lean dictionary for more info.) Now, I’ve seen a lot of effective solutions for managing cables and wires that Read more…
After sitting for countless hours in front of the computer when I was writing my Lean book, I noticed that my washer and dryer started to malfunction. They started shrinking my pants. OK, maybe it wasn’t the dryer’s fault. It might have had something to do with my lack of activity. I decided to do something about the few excess pounds when my book was done. I embarked on a personal kaizen. Coincidentally, about the Read more…
The 7 wastes is one of the most important continuous improvement terms you will hear. Most of the Lean tools, at their core, focus on reducing waste to improve flow. The seven wastes provide a systematic way to categorize problems and identify improvement priorities. When assessing a process, looking for the 7 wastes helps Lean teams find more opportunities to streamline the flow of work. The 7 Wastes are: Defects Overprocessing Transportation Motion Waiting Excess Read more…
The definition of Activity-Based Costing: a means of attempting to accurately apply costs of running a business to a specific product or service. It entails identifying the “cost drivers”, or the things that drive the consumption of shared resources and using them to apply a logical proportion of overhead costs to specific products. In traditional costing methods, overhead may be applied by a broad brushstroke. All overhead costs may be applied, for example, at the Read more…
Authority is a formally granted power to make decisions. Authority is generally bestowed upon a position rather than a person. It is different than accountability. For example, a police officer has legal authority while he holds that job. His authority ends when he retires. Authority differs from leadership in that the latter is an attribute of the person. A person with strong leadership skills will be able to sway people even without formal authority. In Read more…
Accountability and authority are the yin and yang of leadership. Authority is the state of having power to give directions and make decisions. It is generally granted by an organization to individuals for the purpose of getting results in the areas they are responsible for. With authority comes the burden of accountability–having to deliver good results. Accountability comes from an external person or organization. That simply means that someone else defines the standard for you. Read more…
