Assumptions are pieces of information that are presumed to be true, often without any evidence to support them. In Lean, people often resist changes by presenting assumptions as fact. “Our customers will never go for that.” “We need all these parts, or the line will shut down.” “We can’t get Read more…
What’s the biggest difference between how shop floor (gemba) work and office processes flow? It’s not what you might think. A task is a task, whether you are grinding out burrs, installing an electric motor, or entering data. Sure, the motions are different, but in truth, the mechanics are similar. Your brain Read more…
The 5 Whys problem solving tool helps you with root cause analysis. It gets you to the heart of a problem. When you identify an issue or an abnormal condition, ask why it occurred, but don’t stop there. Continue to ask why several more times. Try to go 5 questions Read more…
A while back, I was at clinic for a flu shot. As I was waiting in line, I could hear one of the nurses in the other room loudly describe her manager in unpleasant terms. The main gist of the RN’s complaint seemed to center around productivity. According to the Read more…