We just posted a new video on our YouTube channel. It comes from our Data Collection Recorded Webinar. Data collection is a core part of any problem solving effort. Choosing the right types of data to collect goes a long way towards getting this step correct. This short video takes Read more…
A short while ago, Tim McMahon of the “A Lean Journey” blog and I hosted a webinar in which we talked about how to understand and evaluate the progress you are making as you reduce waste and increase value in your organization. (Note: the link above will take you to Read more…
The waste of motion is one of the seven wastes attributed to Taiichi Ohno, the father of modern Lean. Motion is, simply put, moving more than necessary when doing work. It can be large motions, such as walking between work areas, or small motions, such as flipping a screwdriver over Read more…
Policy deployment is the process of turning a strategic vision into an actionable task that frontline leaders and employees can commit to. Even with a great strategy and a highly effective team that is capable of making substantial improvements, a company can fall short of its goals. Why? The two Read more…
Policy Deployment is the (usually) annual process of reviewing the strategic goals of an organization and aligning the company’s resources towards meeting those goals. Hoshin Kanri is the Japanese term that means roughly the same. The literal translation, like many foreign words, is open to interpretation, but many versions seem Read more…
Well, with the right tools, and a better process, things get much easier. I am actually got a webinar recording posted on the same day that Tim McMahon and I presented it. Tim will be posting the slides up on SlideShare as well at some point in the near future. Read more…
Developing a winning team is critical to the success of a Lean organization. That’s because a strong continuous improvement culture demands the involvement of people throughout the organization. And people won’t want to take on that responsibility if they do not feel prepared for the challenge. In our April, 2011 Read more…
In January, I posted an article about ways to start building a continuous improvement culture in your organization. Tim McMahon and I revisited the topic in March when we did a live Lean webinar chat on the subject. Tim added some of his perspective, and we talked for nearly an Read more…
Most people see the automotive industry as a great way to show how to apply Lean concepts to your organization, but your own car can also provide valuable insight into the application of Lean tools. In this video, Tim McMahon of A Lean Journey and I discuss how an item Read more…
This A3 template can be used to create an A3 report, the communication medium for A3 problem solving. The A3 report takes its name from the “A3” size of paper that the report is generally written or printed on. (A3 paper is an international designation similar to the ledger size Read more…
A few weeks back, Tim McMahon and I hosted an online show in which we talked about how a pair of coffee makers can be a great backdrop for Lean lessons. They provide simple examples and are familiar to most people. They also have the advantage of not tuning people Read more…
The Decision Matrix Template is used to simplify the decision-making process and prevent emotional, gut decisions. In short, a decision matrix template helps users grade a set of options against a set of criteria. This template, like most decision matrix templates, includes a weighting system. It puts additional value on Read more…