There is a theory called collective intelligence that says groups of people are smarter than individuals. Let’s look at a simple example of how this works. Imagine I listed the names of several states up on a board, and asked a room full of people to rank order the states Read more…
Gauge Repeatability & Reproducibility (Gauge R&R) uses a mathematical method to analyze the variation in a measurement system. Gauge R&R uses a statistical tool called ANOVA, or analysis of variance. It allows the person conducting the testing to separate out the variation cause by the operator, the gauge itself, and Read more…
I have to admit I am a fan of seeing what Google puts up on its site. I like seeing the creativity. So, I have to ask the question, is this a joke, or is this a quality problem? (I grabbed this image at about 11:20ish PST, 9/26/09) I’m leaning Read more…
When an organization embarks on a continuous improvement journey, few people may have a strong understanding of how to implement a Lean business system. There also may be a shortage of people who understand the Lean tools well. This lack of knowledge does not just apply to team members. Leaders Read more…
In some jobs, experience is critical. I want to be treated by a doctor who has seen every symptom for every disease. I want my pilot to have logged a massive number of flight hours. The few times I’ve needed a lawyer to prepare legal documents for me, I’ve chosen Read more…
Generally, on the spot reprimands and ‘attaboys’ reinforce the wrong behavior…by leaders. Consider this. A leader is in charge of an average performer who has a bad day and really botches something up. The leader pulls the laggard off to the side, and gives him a stern ‘taking to’. The Read more…
So, I was thinking about my post from yesterday on customer service and retention and wanted to add another point. I really didn’t talk about the attitude of the employee at the front desk-the voice of the company. Now, she was civil to me. There was no evil cackle as Read more…
What does Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) have to do with the sports industry? Well, I was reading Men’s Health and saw an article that turned out to be a pro athlete TPM “how to” guide. (May, 2009. Major League Muscle.) The piece was about Scott Boras, a sports agent who Read more…
Heijunka is the Japanese term for level-loading or production leveling. It is intended to smooth out the peaks and valleys of customer demand into something flatter to create conditions that make standardization easier. It also stabilizes the product mix to support Standard Work. Heijunka, pronounced High-June-Kuh, is a workaround for Read more…
An andon light is one of the most common forms of visual management that is used in Lean. It is a staple in the bag of Lean tools because it is highly effective at keeping operations running smoothly. In Lean, the term “andon” most often refers to a signaling system Read more…
Earlier this evening, I was recording some Lean audio training-my “Dirty, Dumb, or Dangerous” entry from The Continuous Improvement Companion. I thought I’d highlight one of the points I made in that article. (Remember-dirty, dumb, or dangerous tasks show a lack of respect for people, and should be eliminated.) Dirt Read more…
After sitting for countless hours in front of the computer when I was writing my Lean book, I noticed that my washer and dryer started to malfunction. They started shrinking my pants. OK, maybe it wasn’t the dryer’s fault. It might have had something to do with my lack of Read more…