Psychology of Lean

Lean tools are relatively simple to implement. Setting up a management system is significantly more complicated, but it is still not the most challenging part of creating a robust continuous improvement culture. That title goes to understanding how improvement and change affects people. Lean psychology is hands-down the hardest aspect Read more…

Algorithm

An algorithm is simply a set of instructions for solving a specific problem. It is commonly associated with math or computers but applies to all problems. A troubleshooting guide is a form of algorithm, as is a recipe. Algorithms make life easier by standardizing the method to solve a problem, Read more…

Action Date

Using an “action date” is a proactive approach to managing your workload. Whenever a task is unfinished, there is a next step. Frequently, that step is passively managed. Usually this means waiting for something to happen to allow work to continue. It could be waiting for a part to arrive, Read more…

Accounting

A company has to know whether what they are doing makes money, right? The people who know how to figure this out are the accountants. In the US, accounting is done according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). This provides a standard method of accounting so that when one company Read more…

3 reals-look at real work at real place

3 Reals

The ‘3 reals’ ties closely to the concept of gemba. The premise behind the ‘3 reals’ is simply that you can’t learn about something unless you go to the point of impact and look at what is actually happening. The 3 Reals Go to the real place… To observe the Read more…

Six Sigma

“Six Sigma®” is one of two most common continuous improvement methods. Lean is the other. The term Six Sigma comes from the Greek letter ‘σ’ (sigma) that is used as the symbol for standard deviation. Six Sigma refers to how many standard deviations of the measured output of a process Read more…