Lean Simulations

Office 5S Video - How far do you go?

2012-02-06T20:54:00.000-05:00

I dragged this office 5S video out of the youtube archives. The Wall Street Journal does an expose on office 5S, the pros and cons. Named, "Cluttered Cubicles Go Lean with 5S Rules," the video focuses on the clean up aspect of 5S and the strict enforcement by the 5S police.

Is Office 5S Even Necessary?

Coming from a manufacturing background, my focus has always been on the value added processes on the shop floor. Of course, I try to set an example by keeping my own work space clean, but waste that hits the bottom line is generally found in the factory. 5S in the office is often an after thought and sometimes a bit of a humorous activity!

When your value added activity is the office, then 5S is a bit more important. If you work in a bank, an insurance office or some other kind of transactional environment, and your bread and butter is made by shuffling papers around, then you better make sure you shuffle efficiently!

Just remember that the less shuffling you do, the more waste is eliminated. And proper office 5S can help.

Contrary to the Wall Street Journal's video below, office 5S doesn't just mean labeling a spot for a stapler and hanging your plants with proper clips (not staples). You don't want to drive your coworkers crazy!

Identify the Office Value Stream

In the office it's a bit more difficult to see where the value stream is, compared to a manufacturing floor. Many transactional processes are hidden in computer software and emails. However, it's important to identify the value stream, so you can focus your 5S efforts here. If a stapler is critical to your process, it might make sense to label it. But more likely your stapler is a small part of the value you present to your customer.

Consider highlighting key items like hand-offs, approvals, work in process, time sensitive material etc. These are the things that can improve your process.

A clean office can improve morale, productivity and it looks good to your customer. But 5S is not about a pristine office. 5S is about making problems visible. When you highlight the critical parts of your process and make them visible using the 5S methodology (Sort, Set-in-Order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain) then you'll be able to see at a glance when your process is deviating and take steps to address it.

Make your problems visible, so you can fix them!

A great training game to introduce the basic 5S concepts to your office is the 5S Numbers Game.

That being said, take a look at the video. What do you think is good 5S behavior and what do you think is taking 5S too far? I'd love to hear your comments!

I've added this video to my monster list of free lean training videos!

A3 Problem Solving Template - Overprocessing?

2012-01-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

Looking for an A3 Problem Solving Template?
Why not just use a blank piece of paper?!

Keep reading, there's some links to templates below ;)

Many of the best A3's are written from scratch, with no fancy computers. I find that when I need to draw little graphs, flow charts and arrows, nothing beats a pencil and an eraser. Sure, you can power up your desk top, size an appropriate excel or Visio sheet, add diagrams and text, but if it's a race, I'll beat you with my pencil!

For me, a computer generated A3 is a good example of Overproduction, one of the Lean 8 Wastes, but there are times when a template does come in handy, especially as a quick handout to those new to lean.

A3 Problem Solving Template?

If you've never heard of an A3 and you have no idea what I'm talking about, I will describe one as succinctly as possible. For that is the purpose of an A3, to summarize your problem or project on a single sheet of paper. The A3 refers to the size of the paper (a Japanese or European size very close to an American 11 x 17). Since many problems can be quite complicated, the challenge of an A3 is to present the material as clearly as possible; short and to the point, i.e. succinctly.

An A3 makes a great presentation tool to describe your problem or plan to others. However, this tool has evolved over many years to become more than just a presentation aid. The A3 has become a problem solving method that stands on it's own. In fact entire books have been written about it, like Art Smalley's: Understanding A3 Thinking: A Critical Component of Toyota's PDCA Management System.

How does the A3 report become a problem solving technique exactly?

Here's where a template comes into play. An A3 contains certain critical information. There's a problem statement, and there's a current condition analysis. Then there's a planning section, with future condition goals. Finally, the action steps are lists. Now, no two A3's are identical and many list points differently, but the main idea is that this single page document creates a plan for a specific problem. It becomes a strategy map that can be referred to and keep the team focused on a goal.

Developing an A3 requires you to do some research to find out what exactly the basic problem and current situation is. Following the A3 steps ensures you keep on track to reach your goal of solving the problem. And that's where templates can be handy. The template is a guide to make sure you've covered all your bases. An A3 template can be a training tool to help you understand the A3 process. What are the steps? What information do you need? What is important and what can you leave for later?

For some great examples of A3's, check out the A3 dojo at lean.org.

Download some A3 Problem Solving Templates below:

Since every problem is different, there are several basic A3 templates.

I found a bunch of different A3 templates on the Oakland University website, home of the Pawley Lean Institute. There's a basic A3 Report template, with prompts, for reminding you what to put in each section. Then there's two other A3 templates, one with six headings and prompts and one with seven headings that's blank.

Since the template really consists of just a bunch of headings, you will likely be working on your own blank paper. You can use the A3 with prompts to remind you of the information required, and space your own headings accordingly, depending on how much text you're putting in each section.

As a general rule, the current condition is written on the left and the countermeasures and future condition on the right.

Click here to get your A3 problem solving templates from the Pawley Lean Institute.

I've added these A3 templates to my list of helpful lean tools and downloads.

Remember to head over introduce yourself on my page designed specifically for YOUR self-promotion!

Toyota University Lean Video

2012-01-24T06:49:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesting simulation from Toyota University. Having been in the "lean business" since before the term lean was coined, Toyota has developed all kinds of lean or TPS simulations over the years for internal training. Occasionally the "Toyota University" is opened up to outsiders, but mostly this is an in-house training centre used by Toyota and their suppliers.

This video shows one of the lean training simulations developed by the experts at Toyota. As you can see, the game uses toy car manufacturing (what a surprise!) to illustrate pull production. Different coloured kanban locations show which type of car is required.

You can see the last guy with the stop watch taking a car at specific intervals from the coloured locations. He is the customer. When the car is taken, the coloured spot is replenished with a car from upstream. This triggers the fabricators to build another one of that colour. A classic kanban set-up!

Has anyone had any experience playing this particular game? Has anyone "graduated" from Toyota University? Add your opinion to the comments below!

Toyota University Simulation Video:

I've added this video to my list of lean games and simulations!

Single Piece Flow vs. Batch Production - Video

2012-01-16T21:22:00.000-05:00

Single Piece Flow vs Batch Production

Most lean games and simulations run in phases, contrasting the traditional batch production techniques with lean single piece flow processes. Whether you use paper airplanes or pennies, these games are perfect for really showing people the differences. When you experience single piece flow in a hands on activity, it's easier to internalize the key parts, so it will come back to you when you're working on your own projects.

For those times you don't have the time or space to run a full-fledged game, however, nothing beats video. Sure, you can describe single piece flow by comparing Subway sandwiches to a batch barbecue party. Examples help to hammer the point home. But many people are visual learners and need to see for themselves.

The video below shows the primary benefit of single piece flow using a simple, graphical illustration. Single piece flow shortens the lead time. It's as simple as that. You can show this with a lean game and get your teams to compete against each other.

Or you can show this 47 second video! In "real time", you can see how quickly the customer receives their order. You can see the reduction in inventory. You can see less work in process.

And you can see the order fulfilled in 29 seconds vs 60. Half the time! Imagine how much time you save with a longer chain of processes.

Because the video's so short, you can easily work it into your session, between phases of a lean game or after a more intensive sit and listen session.

Just remember that when you shorten your lead time, you become more flexible. And in these uncertain economic times, who wouldn't value flexibility over heaps of inventory.

I've added this video to my list of lean training videos. Check it out and feel free to comment on your favourites!

TQM Training Video - Learn Lean by Stacking Chairs

2012-01-03T21:24:00.002-05:00

The video below shows a group of people stacking chairs. The simple task of moving chairs from one spot to another has been broken down into fundamental steps, analysed and improved. The different methods used show how a lean approach and the fundamentals of Total Quality Management can reduce overall cycle time and improve quality.

As a training tool, the video is interesting to watch and should spark some valuable discussion. You could also try it with your own group by simulating the steps shown in the video.

The simulation is broken down into seven steps or phases. Each one demonstrates an incremental improvement in the previous process. I've described the steps below in case you don't have time to watch the 10 minute video, but I encourage you give the video a chance. It has excellent production value and some quirky humour.

First phase:
Free for all. Everyone takes one chair at a time, and adds to the new stack. Each person has to walk with a chair, then walk back to get another one until all chairs are restacked.

Second phase:
Bucket line. Form one line and hand each chair down the line. Reduces walking and improves cycle time significantly.

Third phase:
Go faster! The participants are "encouraged" to go as fast as possible and not to let any issue stop the line. Result stacks are disorganized and falling over.

Fourth phase:
Introduce defects and allow the defects to continue through the line. Argument and mayhem at end of line.

Fifth phase:
Catching defects before they continue. No effect on final quality.

Sixth phase:
Re-balance work and add two people to bottle neck process, the chair stacking. Significant cycle time improvement with no impact on quality.

Seventh phase:
Realize that there is still too much waiting in system and remove three people. These people are used to set up an additional line, increasing output even more. Shows flexibility of process, since output can be increased or decreased depending on customer demand.

I've added this video to my list of lean videos and since it's a great lean game, I've also added it to my list of lean games and simulations.

5S Red Tag Process - The 5S Numbers Game Revisited

2011-12-18T16:25:00.000-05:00

After all the holiday shopping and red tag sales, I figured I'd start the new year with some red tagging of my own. I'm not planning to get rid of some old posts, but update a classic lean game with a new variant. I wrote about the 5S Numbers Game way back in April of 2010, and it could use a little refreshing.

The 5S Numbers Game is a simple pen and paper lean game that can be used while teaching the 5 S's: Sort, Set-in-Order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. With a little effort, you could easily make your own version.

Every person is given a booklet. As each "S" is taught, the class flips to the appropriate exercise, where a group of numbers need to be found and crossed off. While progressing through the 5S process, the numbers become easier to find, since they are sorted, ordered, organized, and standardized.

There are a number of versions floating around out there on the Internet, but recently I came across this one which incorporates the 5S red tag process. How do you red tag a number on a piece of paper? By slapping a red tag sticker on the numbers that aren't needed! Maybe it's a little much for a simple 5S exercise, but there's a few other tweaks that differentiate this game from the original 5S Numbers Game I posted about, including colour coding for visual control!

Now, I understand that doing is the best way to learn. And 5S is one of the easiest lean techniques to learn about while doing. Naturally, we all want to get our teams out there to organize and standardize, but as an introduction to 5S, the 5S Numbers Game is a simple activity that everyone will enjoy. I've used it successfully during kaizen events. A little competition always excites the group.

Here's the latest game with the 5S red tag process, embedded for everyone to see.

Post a comment if you've used the 5S Numbers Game in your training sessions and tell us about it!
5S Numbers Variant

I've added this game to my massive list of Lean games and simulations.

Lean in Education - The kids are alright!

2011-12-11T18:33:00.001-05:00

Lean in education? It's about time!

I found a series of great videos about Lean recently. They were made by students from a grade 7 and 8 class for their lean project. I'm not exactly sure what I like most about these videos. Is it that someone is teaching Lean in school? Or maybe it's because these kids seem to understand it so easily. Not only is it a good learning experience for the kids, but they're actually coming up with small improvements to help their school. It's a win win.

In my internet browsing, I haven't found too many examples of Lean in education. Of course, every kindergarten teacher knows how to label their boxes so toys get put back properly. And I'm sure some large school systems are using versions of lean for optimizing their educational methods. But this is the first example I've found of lean actually being taught in the classroom.

As a project based activity, the children get to work on their own process improvement. Some children chose to focus on their own space, while others worked on systems within the school itself. They're learning valuable skills, from from conception of the ideas, problem solving, right up to the presentation of the project on video. I wish I could have done something like this while I was in school!

And they know their stuff! Visual controls, waste reduction, 5S and organization, standard work and checklists. It's all there. A perfect learning opportunity for them and for us.

Here's one of the projects focused on improving a bedroom work area. Not just tidying up, this guy's thinking about reducing motion, waste and 5S!

Improving the school is another added bonus. Every lean initiative has a focus, not just training. The projects done in the school seem to help out a little bit here and there. Not only are the children learning valuable skills, the school is gaining improvements. With all these small kaizens going on, the school culture is bound to change and improvements will continue outside the curriculum.

Here's another interesting project for organizing the school's PE room:

The next one shows a standard work developed for cleaning the class microwave:

There's a whole bunch more of these, so check out the CcsProductions7and8's youtube channel for all the videos!

So, what do you think? Is it time to introduce lean into the standard education curriculum?

I've added this to my huge list of free lean videos, since we can all learn something from these!

Incentives are bad. The Candle Problem with a twist!

2011-12-03T10:44:00.001-05:00

You're locked in a room with only a candle, a box of thumb tacks and a matchbook.

Task: Attach the candle to the wall.

That's it! A simple thought experiment. Great for getting the problem solving juices flowing. Sure, it's no lean game, but it doesn't take long and there's fire involved, so it's a winner in my book.

Duncker's Candle Problem has been around since 1945. Developed by psychologist Karl Duncker, it was meant to measure the influence of functional fixedness on problem solving ability. This is a fancy way of saying that people need to set aside their biases of using an object the way it's traditionally used.

James at www.everlearn.co.uk commented in my "Introduce Yourself" post and I followed his link back to this game, called "Strike a Light." He put together a small .pdf describing the candle game and how to run it, including several helpful discussion points.

In addition to getting his team to think outside the box, he also discusses the addition of incentives and how this influences the outcome. Hint: it has a negative impact on creativity.

I'm not generally interested in psychology, but I found this little experiment interesting. In particular, the psychology of motivation is relevant to lean and other change agents, since we are all trying to motivate teams. Motivation and incentives need to be properly understood when setting up Employee Suggestion Programs.

James also links to an interesting TED talk by Dan Pink on motivation which, like most TED talks, is well worth watching.

So what's the solution to Duncker's Candle Problem?

Don't light the candle! Ignore the matches completely. Just use the tacks to stick the box to the wall and put the candle in it.

Find the all the details at http://www.everlearn.co.uk under Resources.

And what's the answer to employee motivation? Do external incentives really block creativity? You tell me.

What do you think about incentives? Good, bad, ugly? Do you have an employee suggestion program? How is it set up?

Lean Manufacturing in the News! November 2011 Review

2011-12-01T20:39:00.001-05:00

Guess what! I just launched a new cafepress shop where you can order some cool lean gear for Christmas. Check it out!

We begin this month's review of Lean in the news with a little back and forth "discussion" on the lean blogs.

Assembly Magazine started it off with this article:
Lean Manufacturing Transformed Whirlpool

Kevin Meyer at Evolving Excellence wrote this rebuttal piece:
Assembly Mag Thinks Whirlpool is Lean. Really.

At which point Assembly Magazine decided to take the bait and respond with this:
Lean vs. Outsourcing at Whirlpool: The Real Story

Then Bill Waddell responded again in his weekly wrap-up at Evolving Excellence:
Wrapping Up A Short Week

Those guys at Evolving Excellence don't pull any punches. That's why I love reading their little blog. Good times.

Now on to a few more news articles related to lean:

Don't forget to make your voice heard on my "Introduce Yourself" page!

Is Lean Worth the Investment?
ThomasNet News

Nugget Co. officials learning lean-manufacturing techniques
San Antonio Business Journal

At 25, Toyota plant still lean, flexible, world-famous
Lexington Herald Leader

Toyota chairman Fujio Cho visited UK to see Lean Systems Program his company inspired
KYForward.com

United Alloy ditches conventions—and business booms
Janesville Gazette
Company goes ‘lean’ to up productivity
Muskogee Daily Phoenix

Has Continuous Improvement Met Its ROI Match?
Chem Insider Daily

How Katsu Uno promotes a culture of continuous improvement at Hirotec America
Smart Business Detroit

Lean Assessment Excel Tool and Over 70 Other Lean Templates!

2011-11-23T22:08:00.000-05:00

I was looking for a lean assessment form and I found this document on scribd.com. This is not just a lean tool, it's more like a lean tool box. Including the lean assessment form, there's over 70 excel and word files!!!

Seriously... 70 different documents. Someone put a lot of time and effort into these forms.

Some of the more interesting and useful templates include a lean scorecard, a lean assessment, control plan, FMEA, red tags, gauge r and r's, capacity planning sheets and really much, much more. These are all free and you can just click on the filename and it will download to your computer.

And there's more!

In addition to the templates and tools, there's a ton of .pdf files showing many lean presentations covering history of lean, 5S, kanban, kaizen, capability etc.

There's so many that I haven't really had time to look through all of them. I'm posting this more as a bookmark for myself as well as to share with everyone else. I'm hoping that if I'm ever looking for a certain document, I'll find it in this list.

This is truly a one stop shop for lean documents. There's even an attendance sheet!

Make sure you sign it.

Lean Six Sigma Tools Free

If you can't see the embedded version above, then you can view all the files directly here.

I've added this post to my list of lean tools and downloads, which includes other fun documents like the Online Takt Time Calculator and Changeover Analysis Template.

Kanban Pizza Game - Lean, Meet Your Nemesis, the Bake Oven!

2011-11-16T17:38:00.001-05:00

There's a new lean Pizza game out there called the Kanban Pizza game. Created by the people at agile42.com, this kanban game bears more of a resemblance to Mr. Happy Face, then the VSM Pizza game. Instead of making paper heads, your team assembles pizza slices.

I have to admit that any game with Hawaiian pizza as a product choice is okay in my book!

Although developed from an IT background, the purpose of the Kanban Pizza Game goes beyond the software industry:

With the Kanban Pizza Game from agile42 you can find out how Kanban feels like. While common Kanban games are usually focussing only on the flow in an existing Kanban system, our new Kanban Pizza Game shows in addition how to get from an existing process to a Kanban system.

Like many lean training games, the Kanban Pizza game uses a phased approach. Start with an existing process, make pizza slices as fast as you can. Then introduce work-in-process limits and see how the process improves.

What I like about this game is that they've incorporated a wait time into one of the processes, the pizza oven! Many times we have to wait for something in our processes, whether it's a curing oven in manufacturing or a decision to be made in a service environment. It's hard to naturally fit this type of feature into a paper simulation, but the pizza oven is a good match.

The game documentation gives a decent overview of the process and how to run the Pizza Game, but lacks a detailed step by step instruction set. I'm sure you can easily divide up the work (cutting, gluing, colouring, baking) among the people in your training session, depending on the size of your group. The process steps don't matter so much in these games, as long as you can create a bottle neck somewhere, so the work builds up.

It would be nice to know how the pizza oven was physically represented. I've left a comment on their blog to see if they will divulge this information.

You can see a few pictures of the Kanban Pizza game in action on Flickr! And I think the oven is a just a letter-sized piece of paper.

Overall, I think this a great exercise to demonstrate the benefits of Pull systems vs batch production. Whether you're working in an IT environment or a manufacturing plant, these types of games are universal.

And afterwards you can order real pizza for the group!

Check out all the details for the Kanban Pizza game on agile42.com, including a downloadable .pdf file.

I've added this game to my collection of Lean training games.

Don't forget to drop in and say hello on my Introduce Yourself page!

5S Process Tip - The Easiest Way to Dispose of Red Tagged Items

2011-11-09T20:57:00.000-05:00

The first step in the 5S process is to "Sort." This is simple. Take whatever you don't need and remove it from the work area. Only the tools necessary for the job remain.

The next steps in the 5S process are to "Set-in-Order" and "Shine." Soon your work cell will be lean and clean. But wait! Before you get there, you need to get rid of the items you took out of the area.

Using the red tag process, items are dutifully tagged, tracked and ultimately reused somewhere else, or trashed. But there are always some obviously useless items that don't need tagging. They will go straight to the garbage. Unless it is sensitive and confidential material, then it needs to be delicately removed, monitored, shredded and disposed. You can pay companies big bucks to come and shred all your stuff.

Or you can improve the 5S process with this elegant solution for disposing of sensitive material.

5S Process Tip: Blow it to Smithereens!

Please note: Using this method may make the "Shine" phase a little more cumbersome.

Lean News - October 2011

2011-11-08T06:27:00.001-05:00

Lean news bits from the last month.

I know I'm a little late with this, seeing as it's November 8 already. but most of the articles are from the last two weeks or so. Older news can still be interesting too.

Don't forget to say hello in the new "Introduce Yourself" comment section!

Lean manufacturing's oversized claims
Canadian Business

For Ariens, weather trumps economy
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Hospital’s vital signs improving
Standard Freeholder - Cornwall, Ontario

Lean Manufacturing Operations Propel Caterpillar Forest Products
Industry Week

Lean: getting a better grip on King County's cost-spending curve
Seattle Times

Adopting Toyota philosophy saves healthcare business
Vancouver Sun

Hi! Managers: Choose 'Lean' to stay keen and meet the challenges of business
The Nation - Thailand

'Error proofing' helps prevent mistakes, boost customer satisfaction
Petoskey News

Single Piece Flow vs Batch Production - Stuffing Envelopes

2011-10-31T06:43:00.001-04:00

When you have only one person in a work cell, what are the benefits of single piece flow? What's the difference between running in batch mode, or running one piece at a time? There's no inventory to build up between operations, so is there a benefit?

The video below shows a simple operation, stuffing envelopes, done with one person. You can compare the single piece flow version with the batch version, since they are being produced side by side.

Although there are four people in the video, they're working independently, so there's really only two processes to compare. On the right, the participants are stuffing envelopes one at a time, finishing each one completely before starting the next envelope.

The people on the left are batching the envelopes. First folding all the papers, then putting them in the envelopes, and then sealing them all.

You can immediately see the difference, with the "one at a time" process producing finished envelopes earlier. There's a huge benefit to the customer, since the lead time to delivery is significantly faster.

This is a simple exercise to perform in a training session using items commonly found in any office.

I've added this game to my list of lean games and simulations.

Don't forget to tell everyone about yourself on my introduction page!

Introduce yourself!

2011-10-20T06:43:00.001-04:00

I've added a page to the sidebar on the right called "Introduce Yourself," where you can write whatever you want in the comments. You can describe yourself, what you do and post your links. Are you a consultant with a website to promote? Do you work at a small company, large company? I'm interested in who's reading this blog and saw this idea on a different blog. I thought it might be an interesting experiment.

So head over and let me know who you are!

Value Stream Mapping - Current State vs Future State

2011-10-17T03:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a Value Stream Mapping video example from the fictional "Naples Sailboat Company." You may remember the previous video I posted where they introduced kanban using simple plastic sailboats. In this video, the process is outlined with a current state Value Stream Map.

Using sticky notes and a whiteboard is an interesting method for value stream mapping. I guess you can move things around easier when you create your future state map. I prefer good old paper, since I get to keep a physical record of the map when we're done.

The video is a good example of how to walk through a process, highlighting where inventory is stored and how the information flows.

Current State Value Stream Map:

I like seeing before and after videos. Instead of just highlighting a problem, they usually give you a solution as well. In this case, we get to see an improved value stream map.

Future State Value Stream Map:

If you liked these videos, make sure you check out my huge compilation of lean videos.

The Lean Dot Game - Stick it to the Man!

2011-10-10T03:00:00.001-04:00

Do you want to run a lean training simulation, but don't have the budget for a complicated Lego set? Need a game that uses stuff you probably have lying around the office? The Dot Game is a great little simulation that's less complicated than Mr. Happy Face and a lot lighter than the Penny Game.

What is the Lean Dot Game?

The Dot Game is a variation of the Lean Cups Game, but simpler, using sticky notes and different coloured dots. The dots are just circular stickers that you can pick up at any office supply type of store.

The game runs in 3 rounds or 20 minutes each, depending on how much time you want to spend on discussion. At this length, it's easy to mix it into an all day training session while teaching core lean tools like value stream mapping, 5S and 8 wastes.

Or you could run the 3 rounds back to back and squeeze it into a hour-long presentation.

The Dot Game is ideal for teaching the basics of lean production, since it simulates a process that everyone understands. There's multiple steps, multiple processes, potential for quality problems, a bottleneck, unbalanced flow and significant overproduction.

How does the Dot Game Work?

Your group of highly trained experts get to master the skills of sticking sticky dots to sticky notes. That's right, those executives who make six figure salaries, will be seated around a table doing arts and crafts. Don't worry. It's worth it when you can get them to understand the basics of lean.

Each sticky note has to have six dots applied to it in a very specific pattern as shown:

Make those blue dots touch, but not overlap!

There are eight roles in the game. It's designed for software developers as written, so the job titles refer to different developers within a software design process. Really, the names don't matter. You're just putting dots on post-it notes.

Here's the steps:

1. Business Analyst - Picks 6 post-its
2. Technical Analyst - Puts on yellow dot
3. Designer - Puts on red dot
4. UI Developer - Puts on green dot
5. Developer - puts on both blue dots
6. Tester - discards anything of poor quality
7. Project Manager - uses stopwatch
8. Customer - receives the finished product

That's it!

Run the game in three rounds. Like most lean games, the first round is a free for all, with lots of positive encouragement (shouting!) to ensure each person moves as fast as possible and makes lots of WIP.

The second round, you get closer to single piece flow, implement work in process limits and minimize the inventory.

The third round you can look at smoothing production and optimizing the work cell.

Where can I get the Dot Game?

What do you mean, where can I get the Dot Game? Look in your supply cabinet at work, or head on over to Staples. You need post-its and stickers.

But what if I want even more?

Maybe you want some improved directions, and instructions for the participants? Then head on over to www.netobjectives.com. There, you will find a Dot Game .pdf file with all the instructions you need, as well as work instructions. If you can't find the Dot Game with the link above, then enter "dot game" in the search field at the upper right of the page.

Be advised that registration is required for netobjectives, but they haven't sent me any spam. So if you don't mind the occasional email about training events, you can get your hands on this .pdf file.

Or you can check out this other version of the dot game, which is a bit of a lower resolution version (it's a fax), but ultimately accomplishes the same thing. In fact, the rounds are explained in a bit more detail.

I've added this game to my huge list of lean games and simulations.

Lean News for September

2011-10-03T03:00:00.000-04:00

Lean in the News last month:

New study downplays effects of lean manufacturing - Reuters

‘Lean Startup’ guru shares his secrets - Boston Herald

Can Lean Six Sigma Reduce Government Waste? - Industry Week

Lean Principles and the Dental Office - Dentistry Today

Piper Calls on Lean Principles to Produce New Jet - Assembly Magazine

Product designer gives patients privacy in hospital - The Telegraph

Christensen Shipyards embraces rapid change to weather recession - The Columbian

Facebook changes will help advertisers, while leaving users more exposed - Washington Post

How Jabil Circuit defies the flatlining global economy, for now - St. Petersburg Times

Architecture firms discover benefits of getting 'lean' - Cincinnati Business Courier

Lean Goes Clay

2011-09-29T07:12:00.000-04:00

I commissioned this fun little video to celebrate my purchase of a real domain name. Yes. Leansimulations.org is live, so update your links.

The clay people demonstrate some key lean principles, including 5S and single piece flow. And it's really short, so more of an entertaining interlude than a training tool. I'm aware of the irony of promoting flow with a "stop" motion video. Ha.

Pull Systems that Rock

2011-09-26T03:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I feel sorry for push systems. You know, they get a bad rap. But there was once a time when batching and push sytems were all the rage.

We all know how lame the Everly Brothers are. Right? You mean, you haven't heard of the Everly Brothers? Me neither, but they're from a different time. My mom listened to them!

Apparently they were cool for awhile, and they made a lot of money. But now they're a little passé. A little old. Just like push systems. They worked well for awhile and now there's just no place for them anymore.

But Led Zeppelin? That stuff endures, man. I can listen to Jimmy Page for hours. He just rocks. And according to this old blog post by Richard Durnall, pull systems are like Led Zeppelin. They were invented awhile ago, but they still rock hard!

As you can see from the illustration above, pull systems truly do rock. And so does that blog post. Using simple markers and paper, Richard illustrates the difference between push and pull systems.

I chose to link to this old blog post because it demonstrates excellent presentation skills. You don't need a computer and fancy Powerpoint slides to teach Lean. You just need some large pieces of paper and a plan. And if you can throw in a little humour, that generally helps.

So check out the rest of the blog post and learn about supermarkets, flow, and double guitars. Because as Jimmy says:

"Create pull-based systems where possible."

Making Lean Reference Cards - A Lean Game that Never Ends!

2011-09-19T06:58:00.001-04:00

The problem with many lean games is they produce waste. That's right! Most games designed to teach lean concepts, like how to eliminate waste, actually end up creating waste. How many times have you finished a Lego simulation, then asked everyone to take apart their Lego pieces and put them back box? Or worse, after folding a bunch of origami cranes or paper airplanes, thrown them all into the recycling bin? Waste!

Fortunately someone has considered this problem and come up with a solution! Introducing the Never Ending Card Simulation! With a name like that you might conclude that the solution is never to stop the game, then you don't have to clean up, but it's a little more clever than that.

In the Never Ending Card Simulation, you actually create something of value during the game. The end product isn't a lego car, or origami frog. It's a lean reference card!

This video introduces the Never Ending Card Simulation game and explains how the card works:

As you can see from the video, "never ending" refers to the type of reference card, not the game. The card is like an Escher drawing. You can keep opening it and eventually you get back to the beginning. It opens up forever.

The simulation comes complete with all files necessary to run the game, including detailed work instructions and a video instruction by a 10 year old.

So what do I think?

I love the lean reference cards. I'd be flipping through them continuously, after the game is over, so they're a good take away for your participants.

The instructions don't tell you how to facilitate the game, but if you head over to the actlean site, you'll find another video of a session in action, so you can get tips from there, particularly on how to switch from batch to pull production.

The Never Ending Card Simulation is a perfect process to break up and analyze. In the video they use special tools for cutting and scoring the cards, you could probably get away with running this game with a pair of scissors.

The only thing missing for me is a bit of model variation. For a game of this complexity, I'd like to see different lean reference cards being made, so that customer demand could be varied. That way the true benefit of kanban and buffers shine through.

The Never Ending Card Simulation is a complete package. All you need to run the game is available on the actlean website. I might try to make the Never Ending Card myself, just to have one of these nifty lean reference cards.

I've added this lean game to my huge list of lean games and simulations.

Value Stream Mapping - A 5 Part Video Series

2011-09-12T03:00:00.000-04:00

Continuing the Value Stream Mapping theme, here's a 5 part video series on value stream mapping from Simplex Improvement. You may remember Simplex Improvement as the creator of the peanut butter and banana Standard Work video.

This Value Stream Mapping video series brings the same kind of extensive coverage and interesting analogies. Each of the five video sections is almost 9 minutes long, so there's plenty of information here, yet bite-size pieces to watch in multiple sittings.

Introducing value stream mapping, the first video talks primarily about the purpose of doing a value stream map. Comparing the process to a jigsaw puzzle, the value stream map is the picture on the puzzle box. When putting a jigsaw puzzle together, you need to focus on the complete picture to determine where the individual pieces fit in. Otherwise you have no targeted approach and your randomly trying to fit pieces together. A recipe for failure.

It's a great analogy. Unless you're putting together sky pieces, then good luck!

As well, we get to learn about the downfalls of the "Peanut Butter Spread" strategy, where instead of focusing our lean efforts on one particular value stream, we try to spread our efforts over the whole plant, making only marginal improvements that may not stick. I love these analogies, since they're easy to remember when teaching lean.

I've embedded the first video in the series below. When the video's completed, you can click to get to the next one in the series. Or head on over to Simplex Improvement to see them all.

Euro crisis explained with Lego

2011-09-08T20:51:00.003-04:00

Just saw this today and found it funny, since I love Lego. And fitting since Lego is headquartered in Denmark.

For the detailed explanation of what each number represents go to the original article.

Value Stream Map Examples

2011-09-05T16:08:00.000-04:00

Value Stream Map Examples for review and comparison

After 4 posts about value stream mapping, I thought it would be useful to show a value stream map example. It's easier to learn by seeing examples of how other people use this lean tool.

I tried to choose value stream map examples from different areas, including the environmental and software industries, so there's a variety of multiple processes for you to look at.

I like seeing how different the maps turn out, depending on the process. Each value stream map reflects the uniqueness of a specific business, yet they all share common terminology and symbology, making them easy to follow.

Just like a road map helps you find your way through unknown territory, a value stream map guides you through an unfamiliar process.

5 Value Stream Map Examples:

For each example below, I've included the link for the source file. In some cases there's a detailed explanation of how the value stream map was created. I encourage you to click on those links to find out more about each map.

Example 1:

http://www.strategosinc.com/present_vsm.htm

Example 2:

http://www.epa.gov/lean/environment/toolkits/environment/fig3.htm

Example 3:

http://www.pqa.net/ProdServices/leanmfg/ValueMapping.html

Example 4:

http://syque.com/quality_tools/tools/Tools60.htm

Example 5:

http://www.michaelnygard.com/blog/2008/02/outrunning_your_headlights.html

News Flash! Lean Manufacturing in the News

2011-09-01T03:00:00.001-04:00

August Lean Manufacturing Headlines

Test & Inspection: Leak Test Process: Using Lean and 5S to Drive Manufacturing Process Improvements

Freudenberg-NOK Manchester Plant Demonstrates Lean, Six Sigma to Presidential Hopeful Newt Gingrich

LEAN manufacturing and JIT under pressure

From figure skaters to the factory floor

Supply Chain News: Can Just a Little More Lean Revive US Manufacturing?

Five Common Lean Maintenance Missteps

Feature – Watching the lean machine

QVCC instructor takes lessons from jobsite to classroom

Province uncorks cash to boost labour, tweak technology on vineyards