Many people tend to have a great deal of self-doubt. When the person is also a recognized expert in a field, the combination of this self-doubt and the accolades they receive from others creates a phenomenon known as “imposter syndrome”. This is where the person secretly does not believe that Read more…
ISO is a non-governmental, international organization with a membership consisting of 165 national standards bodies. While it has no real authority over its members, it strives to (according to its website) “share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges.” Read more…
Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa (July 13, 1915 – April 16, 1989) was a professor of engineering at the University of Tokyo. He is most widely known for his work in the field of quality. He is credited with propagating the concept of quality circles (Deming shares in recognition for the growth Read more…
W. Edwards Deming is credited with popularizing the term “instant pudding” in continuous improvement. More accurately, he states that there is no instant pudding in CI, and that you should not expect immediate results. He lists this desire for quick and easy fixes as an obstacle to improvement in his Read more…
Indirect costs are those expenses that are not directly attributable to a single cost center or cost object (product line, service, etc.) Indirect costs may include shared resources or overhead. Administrative costs, website costs, IT infrastructure, and similar expenses fall into this category. One of the big challenges with indirect Read more…
People make decisions every day about what tasks to add to their schedule. They basically have two choices. They can do the important stuff, or they can take on the urgent stuff. Urgent things are due immediately, and often have people hounding the taskee to get them done. Important things Read more…
In continuous improvement, you often have to go out and collect information from people. Sometimes it is from observations. Often, though, you will be speaking directly to people doing the process, and you will be asking them questions. Keep in mind one important distinction. Interviews generally seek answers. Interrogations seek Read more…
Investments trade current resources for future gains. The most common forms of investment include: Financial holdings designed to provide a return on investment (ROI) in the form of appreciation, dividends, or interest. Physical holdings intended to appreciate or generate income, such as real estate Physical items used to create other Read more…
An internal setup is a task done to get a machine ready to switch from one product type to another that must be done when the machine is stopped. Obviously, the problem is that internal setup limits the time a machine can be running. As part of any setup reduction Read more…
Interruptions plague workers, especially in the office. This simple log lets employees gain a better understanding of how much time they lose due to interruptions. It also helps them understand, and resolve, the root cause of the interruptions. Get Our Interruption Log for FREE
A supplier who is a part of the same company as its customer is an internal supplier. They may provide products, services, or other resources. They are the upstream processes and the support groups that provide their coworkers with the tools, materials, and work-in-process to do their jobs. Internal suppliers Read more…