When managers explain Lean to their employees, they always list the benefits. Lean improves productivity. It makes quality better. It gets products out the door faster. All true. But despite those benefits, Lean sometimes makes employees dissatisfied. Why? Let’s look at it from the perspective of my daughter when she Read more…
When you hear the term ‘competition’, you mind likely immediately pictures two companies competing for market share. Google and Microsoft locked in an epic battle. Oil companies fighting over drilling rights. Car dealers offering ever-sweeter incentives. But that’s only part of the competition at work you are likely involved in. Read more…
I frequently like to unwind by playing some basketball at a local gym. Actually, to be a little more accurate, I play something that is vaguely recognizable as basketball. You’d think that with my years of experience at process improvement, I’d learn how to fix my jump shot. The other Read more…
I saw a story today about an accidental email that informed nearly 29,000 applicants to a California university that they had been accepted. The problem was that they hadn’t. The news report focused on the impact this error had on the prospective students. While their experience was far from fun, there is Read more…
I was freshening up my draft of the brand entry for The Continuous Improvement Companion (click this link to go to its online Lean Dictionary), and thought it would make a good, quick post for the Gotta Go Lean blog. What came to mind? The fact that most people don’t immediately associate Lean Read more…
Would you go to a doctor whose credentials included only the following? Completed a six year program at ‘Scalpel University’ Certified in ultrasound technology Developed a medication distribution robot for hospitals What about one who only focused on the theory of healing, but never actually learned how to read an x-ray Read more…
Should Standard Work Documents Be Hand-Written or Computer Generated? There are two conflicting schools of thought on establishing your standard work procedures. Those in favor of computer-generated standard work documents such as Standard Work Sheets and Standard Work Combination Sheets point to the ease with which the information can be updated, and the Read more…
I am a devotee of 5S. I love what 5S does for my effectiveness at work. I keep things organized, make my workspace support what I do, and prioritize all my ‘tools’ (books, computer peripherals, etc.) so the most important things are at arm’s reach. Despite that, I still constantly Read more…
Let me ask you this question about the benefit of Lean. Is jogging a mile harder than sprinting a quarter mile? That’s the basic problem with pitching Lean as making a job easier. It’s not always an apples-to-apples comparison. Sure, Lean makes tasks easier. But the entire job might actually get Read more…
There’s a little pastry shop up the road from us. It’s just far enough off our beaten path that we have to make an effort to go there. My wife stopped in a few years back and got lousy service. I had gone around the same time, but I thought the Read more…
The current economy reminds me of a story about two guys walking in the woods. They come upon a grizzly bear up ahead on the trail. The bear sees them, and starts licking his chops as he starts down the path towards them. One of the hikers sits down and Read more…
I have spent the majority of my waking hours for the last three weeks or so staring at my computer screen. My bloodshot eyes have gotten to really dislike re-doing any work I have already done once. To prevent the waste of this rework, we at Velaction use a process to Read more…