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 Read more…
I have to admit I am a fan of seeing what Google puts up on its site. I like seeing the creativity. So, I have to ask the question, is this a joke, or is this a quality problem? (I grabbed this image at about 11:20ish PST, 9/26/09) I’m leaning Read more…
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 Read more…
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 Read more…
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 Read more…
This downloadable Lean reference guide is part of The Continuous Improvement Companion.
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 Read more…
“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 Read more…
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 Read more…
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 Read more…
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 Read more…