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“Catalog engineer” is a derisive term used to describe someone with a lack of creativity when it comes to process improvement. The term describes those who immediately attempt to purchase an existing solution to a problem rather than try to figure out a method in-house. Process improvement will, of course, Read more…
The terms “back office” and “front office” refer to customer contact. Those that have direct customer contact are the front office. Others who work in administrative roles are the “back office”. The terms originally came from the physical layout of an office building, but with the advent of improved communication, Read more…
Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems are systems linked to a computerized control with an automated method of retrieving items from a designated storage location. The principle is that the machine rather than a person does the searching and retrieving. Most AS/RS units make significant use of vertical space, leading to Read more…
The Production Preparation Process (3P) is a powerful means of taking a big-picture look at how a product is designed and manufactured. It guides teams through the creative process of generating ideas, and then whittles the ideas down to one that will be implemented. A 3P project can focus on Read more…
A 100% inspection is exactly what it sounds like. It is a check on every single piece of work. The inspection can be done on both physical products on the shop floor, or information in an office setting. Most 100% inspections originate from a few main sources: Government regulations. Some Read more…
Remembering someone’s name tells them that you place value on them as an individual. It shows that you respect them enough to remember who they are. Unfortunately, many, if not most, people have an extremely hard time remembering names of people they see only periodically. In leadership or continuous improvement Read more…
A concrete head is someone who is resistant to the changes that Lean brings. Obviously, this is a derogatory term. The term “concrete head’ is the result of a translation from Japanese. In working with Japanese consultants, it appeared that the term was applied to individuals who displayed resistance, but Read more…
In accounting terms, an asset is an economic resource owned by a company or individual. Assets hold value because of the future benefit they can bring. An asset may fall into two categories—tangible and intangible. Tangible assets are what you would expect. Stuff you can touch—buildings, vehicles, machines, etc. Tangible Read more…
Standard work-in-process (or Standard WIP, or SWIP) is the designated minimum amount of material needed to keep your Standard Work flowing. It is one of the three main components of Standard Work. The other components include balancing the work to the takt time, and assigning it to a single operator. Read more…
A rule of thumb is simply a general process applied to a broad condition. They tend to have a wide-ranging application and are more based on accumulated experience and tribal knowledge than actual science. This is different from rules, regulations, Standard Work, and other forms of documented instructions. In those Read more…
Usually used in connection with a capital investment, a payback period is the length of time it will take to recoup the amount of money put into a project. The exact methodology for determining a payback period varies based on the way assumptions are made, and the formula used to Read more…
Waiting is one of the seven wastes first introduced by Taiichi Ohno, and still commonly used in modern Lean. Wait time is particularly bad because it consumes a non-renewable resource, and an important one at that: Time. Waiting occurs for a variety of reasons. People often wait for a machine Read more…