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Gotta Go Lean Blog

Why Inspections Make People Take Production Risks

Generally speaking, people view inspections as a good thing and a sign of good quality. The truth is that inspections are generally a sign of the opposite. Unless mandated by some legal requirement, inspections are an acceptance of poor quality. Think about why we inspect. We do it because we keep getting bit by the same problem happening over and over, so we inspect to make the pain go away. The problem is that what Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

ATP / Available to Promise

Available-to-Promise, or ATP is a logistics function, usually of ERP (enterprise resource planning) or MRP (manufacturing resource planning) software, that allows a person or system taking an order to commit to a delivery date for a customer. The algorithms within the software will determine how those dates are calculated, and how realistic they are compared to the situation at gemba. The software that determine available quantities can be based on forecasts or on actual quantities. Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

5 Levels of Teamwork

In the latest episode of our “Ramblings of a Continuous Improvement Coach” video program, I talk about the 5 levels of teamwork. Now teamwork is a common buzzword in most organizations, but there is often a disconnect between what the parties involved thinks that means. So, this video clarifies the levels of teamwork to help manage expectations, but also gets into some discussion about how you have to manage goals and expectations differently if you Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

University Lean Training Programs

Many universities have standalone Lean programs, or have it integrated into its curriculum. University-earned credentials tend to carry a bit more weight than private companies. While there are many universities in these categories, there are a handful that are more well-known for their programs than others. Purdue University https://www.purdue.edu/leansixsigmaonline/ University of Michigan. U of M has the benefit of having Jeff Liker on its staff. He is the preeminent author on the Toyota Production System. Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Toyota

Toyota is ground zero for modern Lean. It is where all of the historical advances in manufacturing technology and operational leadership and supply chain management came together in what is recognizable as the current version of Lean. Taiichi Ohno is widely credited with being the most instrumental person in creating this new production system within the company. Toyota remains at the front of the pack in implementing Lean to this day, but it is no Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

SME (Formerly Society of Manufacturing Engineers)

SME is a non-profit organization that is geared towards helping companies with innovation and growth through the promotion of manufacturing technology. It also emphasizes training the workforce and “connecting the manufacturing industry”. Its original target audience was manufacturing engineers, but it has since rebranded itself to appeal to a wider group of professionals. It offers a variety of training and events. https://www.sme.org/

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Shingo Institute

The Shingo Institute is part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. Its namesake is Shigeo Shingo, the man responsible for documenting the early improvements made by Toyota and spreading Lean to the western world. While the Shingo Institute provides training, its most notable activity is awarding the Shingo Prize to companies that exhibit organizational excellence. It also awards the Shingo Publication Award, presented for writing that “has had a significant impact and advances Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Shingijutsu

This is a tricky entry. There is a lot of corporate politics, personal opinion, and vague memories that go into it. This consulting group, however, is important to the development of Lean in the US, so deserves a place in this list. A bit of background. In the rapid growth days of Lean in the late 1990’s, Shingijutsu was a prominent consulting group in the Lean community. They were exclusively Japanese consultants who operated with Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

NIST is the government agency that sets and maintains standards for measurements in the US. A standard is essentially the reference against which measuring devices are calibrated. Think of your ruler or tape measure. How long is the space between each tic mark? Without a single definitive source, each manufacturer of tape measures would have to guess. They would likely be close, but there would be no way to know for certain that the dimensions Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Motorola

Motorola is the birthplace of Six Sigma. It was conceived by Bill Smith, an engineer at the company, in 1986. Many of the concepts within Six Sigma had been around for a while, but this was the first time that they had been organized into a cohesive system for making improvement. And it was quite successful for Motorola. They reportedly saved billions of dollars from their efforts. While Motorola has lost its place of prominence Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Lean Global Network

The Lean Global Network is a collaboration organization that boast the membership (as of 2020) of 30 institutes around the globe. This includes both the Lean Enterprise Institute in the US and the Lean Enterprise Academy in the UK. Its stated goal is “making things better by advancing lean thinking and practice throughout the world.” http://leanglobal.org/

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Lean Enterprise Institute

LEI is a non-profit based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1997 by James Womack. Its mission is listed on the website as “Make things better, through lean thinking and practice.” It does publishing and training events, and has a wealth of information on its website. One of LEIs flagship services is its annual summit. https://www.lean.org/

By Jeff Hajek, ago