There are two basic definitions for decision point. The first is on a macro level. It is the latest point in time when a decision must be made within a plan. In many cases, it is advantageous to delay making a final choice until the last possible moment—it keeps options Read more…
Not that many years ago, people could choose not to use computers. In fact, many people did not have access to a computer at home or at work. But things have changed. According to Statista, as of 2019, 89.3% of US households have a computer. And many of the last Read more…
The Lean office is the result of the progression of Lean from the shop floor to the office environment. It was logical and inevitable that continuous improvement would move from the assembly line to create the Lean office. Why? A significant portion of a manufacturing company costs are administrative. And, Read more…
To understand problem solving, one must first have a clear definition of what a problem actually is. A problem is simply a gap between an expectation and reality. The most common way people look at this relationship is that they focus on a change in performance, meaning that the reality Read more…
Evidence is the data that supports a theory. It is what separates opinion from fact. Lean relies heavily on problem solving to make improvements. In order to get to the root cause of a problem, people in Lean companies must act like detectives, uncovering evidence to understand processes better. Evidence Read more…
8D Analysis is a problem-solving methodology. It takes a step by step approach to identify the root cause of a problem and permanently eliminate it. Because there is a cost in terms of time and effort in using a formal methodology such as 8D analysis, it is usually only done Read more…
The scientific method is one of many problem solving techniques. There are 5 basic steps to the scientific method. Observation: Gather facts and data about a situation. Form a hypothesis: In this step of the scientific method, the user makes a statement about what is happening and why. In effect, Read more…
Why Not Dream Big? As I was driving the other day, a license plate frame caught my eye. It said something like “I’m driving my silver dream.” The car was nice – a Japanese import that probably ran about $20K new, but has been out of production now for several Read more…
Optimization is the act of making a system as effective as possible by adjusting the controllable variables. In a nutshell, optimization means figuring out where to set all the controls to make the company, system, process, or other aspect of your life do what you want it to do. “Effective” Read more…
A spaghetti chart is a visual depiction of the flow of a person through their workstation. The spaghetti chart may also be used to depict the flow of information and materials as well. Typically, the chart is done on a Standard Work Sheet, mostly out of convenience. The sheet may Read more…
The scope is the boundary of something in business. It may apply to an agreement, contract, set of responsibilities, or project. The scope defines what is covered and what is not. In Lean, the scope is most commonly used to refer to the boundary of what a project will cover. Read more…
A decision tree is a tool that helps calculate the expected values of the choices that are available to you. It uses probabilities of events happening and estimates of each possible outcome to help you make a decision. For example, if you called in to a radio contest where you Read more…