A Lean Journey

Memorial Day is a Time for Remembrance

2012-05-28T05:00:00.001-04:00

Memorial Day is a time to remember the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is a day to celebrate former and present service members who protect our freedom . “If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse...

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Lean Quote: Change Leaders Create Constancy of Purpose

2012-05-25T05:00:00.001-04:00

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve. "Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive and to stay in business and to...

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Celebrating A Lean Journey's Third Year With Some Hansei

2012-05-23T05:00:00.001-04:00

Hansei is Japanese for "self-reflection". It is the practice of continuous improvement that consists of looking back and thinking about how a process can be improved. Without this activity you stop learning and improving. So it is important as I celebrate my third year blogging that I take some time to reflect on this achievement. Three years ago today I started A Lean Journey Blog and it truly has blossomed into a labor of love. As I have said before I never realized...

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Quality Improvement in Government?

2012-05-22T05:00:00.002-04:00

In Paul Borawski’s ASQ post this month he raises the question about quality improvement in the public sector: So, the big question of course is–why? Why do citizens expect and demand so little accountability for the poor use of resources in government? Why do so few leaders charged with leading countries, states, provinces, and cities require improved performance? Like Paul there is no doubt of the direct applicability of quality concepts, techniques, and tools to assure improved...

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Webinar: Checking Your Lean Progress

2012-05-21T05:00:00.001-04:00

It has been a while since Jeff Hajek and I have been able to get together to do a webinar. A big reason on my side has been the fact that I started a new job last fall. Jeff has been busy with new products for Velaction Continuous Improvement. Now we are pleased to bring you a new webinar this week called "Checking Your Lean Progress". This will address probably the biggest question we are routinely asked "How do I know I am Lean?" or "How do you measure Lean progress?". We hope you can plan...

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Lean Quote: Ability, Motivation, Attitude

2012-05-18T05:00:00.001-04:00

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve. "CAbility is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." — Louis "Lou" Holtz...

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Daily Lean Tips Edition #31

2012-05-16T05:00:00.002-04:00

For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips. It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey. Another great reason to like A Lean Journey on Facebook. Click this link for A Lean Journey's Facebook Page Notes Feed.Here is the next addition of tips from the...

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The Six-Step Problem-Solving Process

2012-05-15T05:00:00.001-04:00

We are all faced with problems to solve in our workday. There are many problem-solving methods, and the six-step method is just one of them. The problem for most people is that they do not use one process to solve problems and issues or to make decisions. Another problem is that people are not consistent in how they solve problems. They do not find something that works and then do it the same way over and over to be successful. The Six-Step Problem-Solving Process is described...

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Leveraging Quality to Achieve Your Business Goals

2012-05-14T05:00:00.002-04:00

Every year companies ratify and formally commit to their quality policies but are they more than words on paper. It should be part of the culture of the company. Employing quality methods and practices in everything you do provides a firm foundation for your business and can be a determining factor in your success. To create a culture of quality, an organization must align its organizational processes with quality planning and desired outcomes. Quality leadership starts with the leaders who...

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Lean Quote: Continuous Improvement is About Finding Better Methods

2012-05-11T05:00:00.001-04:00

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve. "Continuous improvement is nothing, but the development of ever better methods." — Mary Walton The focus of Lean Thinking is to foster an...

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Management Improvement Blog Carnival #166

2012-05-10T05:00:00.001-04:00

I am pleased that John Hunter of the Curious Cat Blog has asked me to host the next edition of the Management Improvement Carnival. The goal of which is to highlight recent management posts of interest. John is a brilliant mind and prolific writer whose site I read regularly. I am delighted to contribute to this carnival with some highlight on Lean, learning, respect for people, and success. Explaining Lean in Their Own Words: Lean Manufacturing and The Toyota Production System – John...

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Top 3 “Old School” Apps for Lean

2012-05-08T05:00:00.001-04:00

We have all heard the saying “there’s an app for that.” And for most things this is surprisingly true. But for Lean there really are no shortcuts. The tools are not particularly difficult which is in-part its success. Learning what tools to use in what situations takes some experience if you are not familiar. Now that I got your attention you are probably expecting 3 digital apps you can use on your smart phone or tablet but those really undermine the importance of going to the source and...

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Creating A Quality Focused Culture

2012-05-07T05:00:00.001-04:00

A reader recently asked me how you go about creating a quality focused culture. Building a quality culture is not an easy task. A quality culture starts with managers who understand and believe the implications of the systems view and know the necessity of serving customers in order to succeed. The result of that understanding is a culture where a positive internal environment and the creation of delighted customers go together. It is a culture that naturally emphasizes continuous improvement...

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Lean Quote: Opportunity is Dressed as Hard Work

2012-05-04T05:00:00.001-04:00

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve. Today's Lean Quote is brought to you by Matt Wrye, blogger at Beyond Lean. Matt has a been a good friend through my online Lean trials and...

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Kanban Flow - A Free, Fast, & Flexible Kanban Tool

2012-05-02T05:00:00.000-04:00

My experimentation with personal kanban systems has been well documented here. I am a fan of using a digital personal kanban board to manage tasks and projects for work, personal, and blog activities. Now there is a new tool to help you be more productive. It is webapp called KanbanFlow. KanbanFlow is completely free to use, and once you've signed up the 2 minute tutorial will walk you through the process of creating tasks, moving them across your boards, flagging your to-dos with...

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Demonstrating Commitment Is A Combination of Support and Improvement

2012-05-01T05:00:00.002-04:00

Last week’s Lean Tip shown here: Lean Tip #452 - Commitment from management is a “MUST”. In fact, it is the driving force. Procedures, tools, and database are all useless if the management does not want to see an improvement culture in the organization. The employees of the organization will not care, if the management themselves do not show the attitude to follow the right path.Sparked some comments spearheaded by Jamie Flinchbaugh about management not knowing how to demonstrate commitment....

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Lean Roundup #35 – April, 2012

2012-04-30T05:00:00.000-04:00

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of April, 2012. You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here. Shingo's Network – Bruce Hamilton explains Shingo's concept of production as a network of process and operation. Commitment – Joe Wilson says if you want to start a Lean transformation you need to start with commitment not 5s. Addressing Problems With Countermeasures Rather Than Solutions – Gregg Stocker explains the difference of...

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Lean Quote: Empowerment Leads to Success

2012-04-27T05:00:00.001-04:00

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve. "An empowered organization is one in which individuals have the knowledge, skill, desire, and opportunity to personally succeed in a way...

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If you are a manager, then think of yourself as a queue

2012-04-25T06:00:00.001-04:00

The role of management should be an important one for organizations. Management can be defined as the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively. Unfortunately, sometimes management in not the business leader it should be but rather the bottleneck. In Bob Emiliani’s recent newsletter he explores the notion of managers as queues: The method that managers normally use to process information is...

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In a Strong Safety Culture, Safety is Everyone’s Job

2012-04-24T06:00:00.001-04:00

Creating a safety culture takes time. In a strong safety culture, everyone feels responsible for safety and pursues it on a daily basis. Safety should part of everything we do. It is everyone’s job, every day. In fact, nothing is so urgent or important that we cannot do it safely. Integrating safety into our daily lives reduces risk of injury and other losses. In offices, a safety focus helps us avoid ergonomic injuries or slips and falls. It also teaches us things like how to safely...

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Daily Lean Tips Edition #30

2012-04-23T05:00:00.001-04:00

Lean Quote: Teach Problem Solving As They Occur

2012-04-20T05:00:00.000-04:00

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve. "The best time to train workers is when an error is first detected. It also is the best time to solve a problem." — Dr. Ryuji Fukuda, VP of...

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Gemba Walks: Go See, Ask Why, Show Respect, and Follow Up

2012-04-18T05:00:00.001-04:00

My friend and blogger Tom Southworth recently delivered a short presentation on Gemba Walks. Tom presented this lesson as part of CONNSTEP's "10 Minutes: 5 New Ideas" series. In just 10 minutes, learn the vital steps needed to ensure your gemba walk is a successful one. You'll learn the reasons why this is a necessary function and what you should be looking for when visiting the real or actual place.The purpose of Gemba walks is to fully understand the current state with facts. The word...

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Three Styles of Communicating and Meetings

2012-04-17T05:00:00.001-04:00

Communication is essential for effective functioning in every part of an organization. Although marketing, production, finance, personnel, and maintenance departments may receive direction from corporate goals and objectives, communication links them together and facilitates organizational success. Meetings are a common means of communicating in organizations. Although the reasons people meet are varied, meetings generally fall into three types: Information-giving meetings are used...

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Quality Can be a Thankless Job But It Doesn't Have to Be

2012-04-16T05:00:00.002-04:00

In ASQ’s post this month from Paul Borawski, he asks if quality professionals are happy at their job. You might be wondering why this question is necessary but that is because quality professionals sometimes have a thankless job. Quality professionals are expected to possess in-depth knowledge on a variety of both complex quality issues and general business skills. In addition, although they are often the first to receive complaints when products fail, they seldom get praise when...

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