The common interpretation of Occam’s Razor is that when all other things are equal, the simplest solution is probably right. More accurately, but in less common use, Occam’s Razor says that one should choose the hypothesis that makes the fewest new assumptions. In either case, Occam’s Razor is a tool Read more…
Being able to recognize objective vs. subjective information is an important skill for individuals in Lean companies. Objective vs. Subjective Definitions Objective: Information or data that is based in fact. Often numerical. Can be verified by an independent third party. Example: Math tests. Subjective: Information or opinions that are open Read more…
Negotiation is simply the process of discussing something of mutual interest and agreeing to terms. Negotiations typically involve tradeoffs. One side gives something of value to the other site to get something of value in return. Negotiations may be conducted for a one-time transaction, or for an ongoing relationship. The Read more…
Feeder lines are a very specialized branch of a main assembly line. Generally, they are used when there is a different amount of work required for an option or for the most time intensive product on a mixed-model assembly line. Feeder lines will run on their own takt time. The Read more…
Fear can paralyze us. It can keep us from trying new things, and mire us in bad situations when we are too frightened to take a risk to try to change things. Rather than talk in more detail about this, I am going to point you to another blogger who dives Read more…
Zero defects is a philosophy of Lean. It simply means that every process should be designed so that it is impossible to produce poor quality. The underlying premise, which is true in nearly every case, is that the cost of preventing problems is lower than the cost of fixing them. Read more…
Creating an organization that embraces continuous improvement is not easy. It takes strong, committed leaders who are willing to pay the up-front costs, and who resist the urge to harvest gains at the expense of future improvements. It takes a team that believes that when they make changes, they share Read more…
Acronyms and other mnemonic devices help embed concepts into people’s brains. As it turns out, many of the key concepts of Lean leadership start with “C”, creating a unique way to look at this core tenet of continuous improvement. Interestingly, this term started as the 4 “C’s” of Lean leadership, Read more…
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z We are sorry. We currently do not have any terms starting with the letter ‘X’.
At the heart of standardization is predictability. Standardization provides a predictable pace, predictable quality, and a predictable lead time. This predictability allows managers to make better plans. It allows marketers to make more accurate promises. And it allows employees to have a steady, reasonable pace throughout the day. Core Lean Read more…
I’m going to start out by saying that I fully expect to be blasted for this article. Challenging anything that Deming or Ohno or Shingo or Juran says is walking on thin ice in the Lean community. Despite that, I am going to do it anyway. Lately, I have been Read more…
Why Choose Live Online Training (Private Webinars)? At Velaction, we believe that you should have options in how you train your team. While face-to-face instruction is generally the most effective way to build skills in your team, it does have budget and logistics limitations. Whether you… only need a single Read more…