Nagara is a Japanese term meaning “while doing something”. It simply means to do more than one thing at a time. For example, a person may be able to assemble two parts while walking. In practice, though, the application of the nagara principle is limited. In most cases, a process Read more…
The Noise to Constant Sheet is a tool for organizing and prioritizing effort in an improvement project. The first step to creating a consistent, correct output of a process is to reduce variation. This form lists the noise in a process (the randomness or uncontrolled aspects) and asks teams to Read more…
Net Present Value (NPV) comes from the principle that money today is worth more than the same face value of money tomorrow. Would you rather have $1,000 today or $1,000 in 5 years? That question is easy to answer. Most people would take the money immediately. What about this one: Read more…
A night shift is just what it sounds like. It is the second (or third) shift at a facility after the normal day shift ends. A night shift usually exists for one of two reasons. In production environments, a night shift adds capacity without needing to buy extra equipment. This Read more…