Passing on poor quality is a big no-no in a Lean operation. It is disruptive to flow when defects are found far downstream from where the error took place.
Poka yokes support this principle in two ways. The first is that they help to eliminate defects at the source. This is the optimum situation in which a defect never happens in the first place.
First pass yield is determined by multiplying the yield of all the processes in a system. The results are often far lower than expected. The more processes in the system, the more pronounced the dropoff can be.
Without the right systems in place, your improvement efforts will never reach their full potential. There is an ongoing chorus from Lean experts that you can’t just focus on tools and expect gains. The truth is that taking a tools-based approach will lead to improvement. It just pales in comparison Read more…
Leading an improvement oriented organization is not easy. It is even more challenging to lead one that wants to have a continuous improvement culture but is far from it. It takes a special individual to be everything that is required of a Lean leader. And it takes a special set Read more…
Not all continuous improvement tools are created equal. Some require a solid foundation to be effective. Some demand a level of structure that is not easy to attain at the beginning of a Lean journey. And some just require a higher level of CI experience to put to use in Read more…
One of the common mistakes that people make regarding continuous improvement is that they focus on the tools rather than systems. Lean is far more than the sum of its tools. That said, it is still absolutely imperative that team members are well-versed in the use of these tools within Read more…
Creating a business management system that drives continuous improvement involves more than just learning how to use a variety of tools. It is important to understand how those tools fit together into the systems that enable an organization to thrive. This set of modules from level 2 of our continuous Read more…