Lean Six Sigma Academy

Who will you hire?

Ron Pereira — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:33:41 +0000

Which do you feel is more important – hard work and hustle or brains and intelligence?

In other words, if you had to choose between the following two people to run your family business… who would it be?

Person 1: Average intelligence but an unbelievable drive to succeed. This person has had to work hard for everything they have ever gotten.

Person 2: Off the scale intelligence but an average drive to succeed. This person has always been the smartest around and, as such, has never really had to work hard at anything in their life since most things come naturally.

What do you think? Who will you choose to run your company?

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Lean Leaders, circa 2020

Ron Pereira — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:58:03 +0000

Guest Post by Michael Lombard of the Lean Builder Blog

Have you seen any of Conan O’Brien’s “In the Year 2000” skits? They were funny when he started doing them way back in the 90’s, and were even funnier when he kept doing them long after the turn of the millennium.

I don’t know if it was the quasi-futuristic clothing, the dude with the falsetto voice, or Conan’s ridiculous predictions, but that was some hilarious television.

In that same spirit, I’d like to make some ridiculous predictions about what Lean Leaders will be like in, let’s say… 10 years from now (in the year 2020). Here goes:

Prediction #1: In the year 2020… Lean Leaders will do a great job of utilizing Social Media.

I predict this because Lean Leaders place a high value on collaboration, just-in-time communication, and overall organizational awareness…all of which are enhanced by social media. Just check out some of the things Hal and the gang at Lean Project Consulting are already doing with micro-blogging and other tools. Or check out this list of Lean folks I follow on Twitter.

I predict Lean Leaders in 2020 will utilize micro-blogging, blogs, collaboration software, and yet-to-be-invented tools to improve the flow of knowledge and communication in their organizations.

Be honest, do you chuckle when you hear the word ‘Twitter?’

Prediction #2: In the year 2020… Lean Leaders will be leaders in Project Management.

Project Management as a profession is a relatively new phenomenon. It has arisen in response to the chaos that globalization and innovation have wreaked upon organizations in recent history. Products and processes have to be constantly reinvented nowadays to keep pace with the market, so organizations have to constantly manage a portfolio of change projects.

Good project management (i.e. the PMI PMBOK methodology) provides a solid base of stability for projects to be performed. However, as Lean Leaders understand, creating process stability is not the end, but the beginning of improvement. Taking Project Management beyond basic stability and into radically improved flow will be the next great leap for Project Management, and I predict it will be the domain of Lean Leaders.

Have you used Scrum or the Last Planner System? Check it out if you want a preview of what mainstream Project Management might look like in 2020.

Prediction #3: In the year 2020…Lean Leaders will have infiltrated a wide range of industries.

This is already happening. Lean Healthcare, Lean Construction, Lean Military…you name it—Lean advocates are seemingly everywhere now, just in small numbers at the moment. By 2020, I see Lean becoming more generally accepted and Lean Leaders becoming more common in a wide range of industries.

I say this because global trends seem to indicate that resources of all sorts (money, energy, water, etc.) will become more and more scarce, thus placing a premium on the ability to minimize waste—the domain of Lean Leaders. Every industry will be affected by these global trends to some extent, which should create broader demand for Lean Leaders.

Are you pioneering the use of Lean in your industry? If so, let’s hear about it!

Prediction #4: In the year 2020… Lean Leaders, out of necessity, will get really good at organizational design.

Pop quiz—If Lean is a clearly superior approach to management, then why hasn’t it become the standard for all organizations? Why have we yet to make the great leap?

Maybe it’s because we have failed to address deeply ingrained organizational barriers, such as: antiquated accounting systems, short-sighted employment practices, pathetic talent development strategies, rigid vertical management structures, and so on. We need people who can address these issues with authority.

Many of the most talented Lean Leaders I’ve met have had backgrounds in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Logistics, Operations Management, or Six Sigma. They’re highly technical people. I predict that future Lean Leaders will not only be technically skilled, but will also display a much deeper understanding of organizational factors. We need to take the big organizational decisions out of the hands of the bean-counters and put them in the hands of the people that can tell the difference between value and waste.

If there was one thing you could change about your organization’s design that would help your Lean initiative, what would it be?

Prediction #5: In the year 2020… things will be so radically different that my predictions will seem as ridiculous as Conan O’Brien’s.

But that’s okay. My hope is that Lean Leaders will surpass my predictions sooner than expected, and that by 2020 they will already be figuring out new ways to improve the world that we’ve yet to anticipate. In so many ways, they already are…which makes right now, 2010, an exciting time to be around the Lean world.

Don’t you agree, Lean Leaders?

About the author: Michael Lombard is a Lean advocate and Project Manager, based in Dallas-Ft. Worth, currently exploring career opportunities in all industries and locations. You can view his profile here, his Lean Builder blog here, or contact him directly at mlombardjr@gmail.com.

The Goal: A 2 Second Improvement Each Day

Ron Pereira — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:09:11 +0000

Another hat tip to Jon Miller for first posting this video of Paul Akers and the FastCap team practicing lean thinking.

What you think of this process? Do you do something similar at your place of work?

Lean in Hospitals: Running Free vs. Coordinated Efforts

Ron Pereira — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:08:41 +0000

Guest Post by Alicia C. Simmer of KHC

There’s a choice to be made in how hospital leaders approach implementing lean: either let lean run free or force lean efforts to be coordinated.

Running Free

In the ‘running free’ approach, power is distributed to departments and groups to make improvements => the on-the-floor experts focus on their issues and make changes that allow them do the right things, the right way.

This sounds great, right?

People are empowered to change their environment. Lean becomes incorporated into the culture and mindset of the hospital staff. Change and efficiencies are realized where the rubber meets the road.

Hospitals have a history of this approach, based on the theory that since change is so hard to accomplish, small changes anywhere are sure to make the situation better.

Is This Really Better?

But is that really better? This uncoordinated approach can lead to waste-shifting rather than waste-elimination, and the voice of the customer is very easily lost.

While small teams work in their silos, patients flow through the entire system, using resources at almost every level. The lack of coordination minimizes each Lean accomplishment because the work is isolated in the individual environment, leaving the patient to work around the inefficiencies of a non-systems based approach.

What do you think?

It makes me wonder if instead, leaders should begin with goals derived from the ideal patient experience, and then work on Lean projects that produce strong, standardized processes across the hospital or hospital system.

Hospitals/healthcare is the slowest industry to change, so we can learn a lot from manufacturing.

What do you think? Should we focus our efforts in a coordinated manner or allow the running free mentality to continue?

Alicia C. Simmer, a senior healthcare consultant with KHC, shares some insights on implementing Lean in hospitals. She runs Lean operational improvement projects for healthcare facilities and new facility planning projects, and she can be reached at asimmer@khcthink dot com.

Learn How to Receive Lean Training DVDs Valued at $795 for Free

Ron Pereira — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:25:42 +0000

A year ago I, along with my good friends Jon Miller (Gemba Panta Rei) and Kevin Meyer (Evolving Excellence), began one heck of a journey as we launched Gemba Academy.

We started with humble beginnings – 1 course with 12 videos and 0 customers. Booyah!

Growing Up Quickly

But, after a lot of hard work – and lots of PDCA – I’m excited to say that we now offer more than 70 videos covering a wide range of topics including 5S, the 7 Wastes, Value Stream Mapping, Quick Changeover, and Practical Problem Solving.

And while this definitely makes me happy, the most amazing – and humbling – part of the journey has been the fact that we’ve managed to reach such a vast and dynamic group of amazing customers with the good news that is lean manufacturing!

1 Year Anniversary: Free DVDs

So, to celebrate our 1 year anniversary we’ve decided to run a special promotion.

The gist of the promotion is this… anyone that purchases an online subscription to a single course or a package of courses receives the accompanying DVD or DVDs absolutely free.

For example, if someone subscribes to our most popular online offering – The Complete Lean Package - for either 6 months or 1 year they’ll also receive the Complete Lean Package on DVD (an 11 DVD set valued at $795) FREE of charge.

First 500 Customers Get the Goods

This promotion is effective immediately but is only valid for the first 500 customers or until March 31, 2010 – whichever comes first. So, if you’re reading this message on Sunday, when I first posted it, you have a head start on the rest of the world!

To learn more please visit our website for all the details.

Thank You!

Finally, I know many clients of Gemba Academy are regular readers of LSS Academy.

As such, I’d like to extend my most sincere thanks to you. Words cannot express how much I, and the rest of the Gemba Academy team, appreciate and value you.

The Lean US Senator Preaches the Gospel that is Lean on Fox News!

Ron Pereira — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:59:33 +0000

Hat tip to Jon Miller for first posting this video of Paul Akers preaching lean on Fox News. Yes, preaching lean on the most watched news station in the free world – Fox News. Check it out for yourself!!!

3 Life Lessons P90X Has Taught Me

Ron Pereira — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:55:36 +0000

I awake to the sound of my iPhone alarm clock ringing. It’s 5:15 AM. Are you kidding me?

I lay there for about a minute. Then, my dog Lexi, who is 15 years old and losing her mind, comes to my side of the bed and begins her ritualistic, and unbelievably annoying, routine of turning in a circle and barking under her breath.

It works. I crawl out of bed… walk to the kitchen and feed her.

My other dog, Buddy – who is also 15 and lost his marbles a long time ago – just lays there. I’m guessing he wonders why anyone in their right mind would get up this early.

And so it begins

My next move is to pull on some workout clothes, grab some water, and walk to my dimly lit living room.

It’s just me and my psychotic – but ever so loyal – dog Lexi.

I turn on the TV, press play on the DVD player and begin approximately 60 minutes of pure pain called P90X.

If you’ve never seen the infomercial or heard of P90X you can learn about this extreme home workout program here.

I’m several weeks into the program and am seeing results. I’ve lost around 10 pounds, I’m back a belt notch, and I feel better than I have in years.

But, equally important, P90X has awakened a part of me that has been dead for many, many years.

In fact, the things I’ve learned since starting the program are definitely applicable to all aspects of my personal and professional life. And, I contend, they’ll likely apply to you as well.

1. Stop making excuses

The hardest thing about making a change to a business or manufacturing process, or your life, or really anything for that matter is the first step.

Being honest, I bought the P90X package a few months ago and sat it in the corner of my bedroom where it commenced to collect dust.

I made every excuse I could as to why I hadn’t started to my wife, and most importantly, to myself.

Finally, enough was enough. I grabbed my drill and mounted the pull up bar above my bedroom door.

I then put on some shorts and started the journey that very day.

The Lesson: The only way to make progress of any kind – in any endeavor- is to stop making excuses and start.

2. Weakness Leaving The Body

With a tremendous amount of sweat, and definitely a few tears, I made it through that first workout.

Truthfully, it nearly killed me and I definitely hit the pause button a few times to collect myself.

A day later I felt pain throughout my body like I hadn’t felt since my days as a high school wrestler in Greenville, Ohio.

I groaned about it on Facebook looking for a little sympathy from my family and close friends.

What did I get? I’ll tell you what I got.

My big brother replied with this simple, yet profound statement, “Ronnie, that’s just weakness leaving the body… keep at it.”

The Lesson: Progress of any kind will almost always start with some type of pain – physical, psychological, or financial. Those that can persevere through the pain will have a chance to win. Those that run from the pain will almost certainly fail.

3. Progress is Contagious

I did keep at it. The first week was brutal and I did skip a few days since certain parts of my body simply wouldn’t move. But I didn’t quit.

Instead, I kept at and slowly began to get the hang of it. And now that I’m seeing results I’m starving for more.

I can honestly say that I’m looking forward to the workout tomorrow morning since, I know with 100% certainty, my getting out of bed each morning at 5:15 and bringing it as P90X apologists like to say is making me a healthier, happier, and more productive person. And, you know what? That totally motivates me.

The Lesson: Progress is contagious. Once you get past the initial pain and begin to taste success, even just a little, you’ll want more. So, assuming you’re venturing towards something worthy and feasible, this motivation is nothing but good.

To Be Continued

Obviously, this story has just begun. Stay tuned as I’ll share my thoughts and progress over the coming months.

Oh, and for the record, please don’t expect any “before” and “after” pictures. Don’t get me wrong… you’re the best readers of the entire blogosphere… but posting shirtless pictures of myself on this blog is really pushing our relationship to a level I am not certain I’m comfortable with just yet!

What do you think?

What do you think? Do any of the 3 points above resonate true for you? Why? Why not?

The Rolling Tool Cart

Ron Pereira — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:47:01 +0000

I recently came across the video below and was intrigued by many aspects of this “rolling tool cart.”

Here are some of the things I liked.

It was made for around $50 according to this article.
It’s on wheels
It can be moved to point of use eliminating motion
It seems to be relatively safe to use
It doesn’t take up much space

Here are some things I think could be improved.

Do we really need that many tools on one cart or should we only focus on the tools we use most?
If something was missing would we know?
While labels are not everything… I’d at least like to see the drawers labeled.

What do you think?

What do you think of this? Thumbs up or thumbs down?

5 Questions to Ask Before You Attempt to Implement Kanban

Ron Pereira — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:04:03 +0000

My first manufacturing experiences were with two different multi-billion dollar manufacturing companies who happened to run massive ERP systems meaning we had massive MRP systems running the shop floor. Sound familiar?

Anyhow, as a young lad out of college I just assumed this was how everyone operated. I also assumed everyone dealt with the issues of the “system” saying there were 150 widgets on the shop floor when, in fact, there were only 78.

As an aside, I once remember a conversation I had with a production control manager who assured me we had enough parts to complete a particular job. In fact he vehemently pointed to his monitor and said, “Look, we have over 300 parts!”

I was younger then, and less politically correct than I probably should have been, and went on to explain that I didn’t give two you know what’s what his computer said… I was just down on the floor and saw with my own eyes that we had less than 100 parts!

Go to Gemba

Well, after convincing him to get up out of his chair we went to the floor together and he saw that I was right.

I wish I could say we turned MRP off and implemented heijunka and world class kanban loops… but, alas, we didn’t.

It wasn’t until later in my career at another company that I saw how well kanban can work when implemented properly – the key words being implemented properly.

You see, I have also witnessed kanban failures and it’s not pretty. Not pretty at all.

5 Things to Verify Before Implementing Kanban

With this said, here are a five questions I would strongly encourage you and your organization ask before attempting to implement kanban.

Do you have the necessary in house expertise? In other words, do you have someone on your team that has worked with kanban before? If not, I would encourage you to seek help from outside resources. Hire some help or go visit some companies that are successful and do some intense benchmarking.
Do you even need kanban? Here’s a dirty little secret… kanban is not the end all, be all to a lean system. In fact, if your company’s information and material flows smoothly from the moment you take the order until you ship and collect cash… rock on with your bad self! You probably don’t need kanban. Continue to focus on improving flow and reducing lead-time.
Do you understand what heijunka is and why it’s closely connected to kanban? Attempting to implement kanban without first leveling and smoothing production is absolute suicide. It’s like trying to run a marathon with a clamp on your nose and duct tape over most of your mouth.
Is your production process stable? If you are producing defect after defect or your machines are constantly breaking down you must address this first.
How are your changeovers? If you are to level and smooth production via heijunka (see above) quick and efficient machine changeovers are highly recommended. So start here if needed.

Now, these are just 5 questions to consider. I am not pretending to assume this list covers everything… but it does include 5 questions you should definitely contemplate before attempting to implement kanban into your production system.

What do you think?

Do you agree with my list? Would you add anything? Do you have any kanban success stories or, gasp, horror stories? If so, what went right? What went wrong?

The Ultimate Sacrifice: Serving Others

Ron Pereira — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:43:04 +0000

Note from Ron: This might be the most significant article I have ever written on this blog. Please read it all the way through as I need your help.

Someone close to me and my family has recently re-deployed to Afghanistan… for the fifth time. Yes, 5.

When I think of how brave this person is I’m left feeling a bit unworthy.

I mean I do work hard for my family and try to be a good citizen… but I’ve never purposely put my life on the line in order to protect the freedom of people I don’t even know.

My Selfishness

In fact, if I’m being honest, I rarely think of the brave men and women who leave their wives, husbands, and children for months upon months in order to serve.

You see, I’m too busy worrying about stupid ass TV shows like Undercover Boss or whether there will be a new Criminal Minds episode this week or whether that stud offensive lineman will commit to Ohio State over USC.

Yeah, for the most part, I’m about as selfish as they come. That’s the bad news.

The good news is I’ve recognized this flaw and intend to do something about it.

Lenten Offering

For many Christians, Lent begins tomorrow. Some people use this time as a way to cut down on their sweets intake or to go on some other type of whiz bang diet.

Well, I plan to take a different approach. You see, I’m going on a mission to do whatever I can for the brave men and women protecting our freedom.

Specifically, I’m going to really step up in the way I remember these brave soldiers each and every day. And I am also going to step up financially.

Option 1: Purchase LSS Academy Guide to Lean

And the way I intend to do this is to use 100% of the profits I make from the sale of my LSS Academy Guide to Lean Audio Book for the purchase of care packages that will be sent to the men and women serving our countries in the military.

This promotion, for lack of a better word, starts today and will last until Easter Sunday.

I still need to do some research on which care packages I will buy but probably something like this. If you have any suggestions please let me know.

Option 2: Donate to a Charity

Alternatively, if you would be more comfortable supporting a charity directly, no problem. Here are a few great organizations to choose from (among many):

Option 3: Donate via PayPal

Finally, if you’d like to donate money via PayPal please follow this link. No donation is too small. If all you’re able to offer is $1… that is $1 more than we had!

Will You Help?

So, to wrap this article up, here is how you can help.

Please keep the men and women of the military in your thoughts and prayers each and every day.
Please purchase the LSS Academy Guide to Lean Audio Book if you feel it would add value to you. And remember, 100% of the profits from any sale before Easter Sunday will go towards purchasing care packages; or:
If you’d prefer, please donate directly to a charitable organization such Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund and the Wounded Warrior Project; or:
If you’d prefer to donate an amount of your choosing to this cause please click here to donate via PayPal (thanks for the idea, Matt).
If you are a blogger or are on Twitter or are on Facebook or are on LinkedIn or simply have an email account… PLEASE let others know about this project by sharing a link to this article.

Please Share Your Thoughts

I know for a fact that many men and women in the military read this blog. To you, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

So, if you are active military would you please leave a comment below, even anonymously, letting us know what you’re doing and how long you’ve been at it?

And if you have served, or know someone that is serving, please feel free to share a few thoughts as well in the comments.

Updates

Thanks to all of you that have supported financially, left comments, emailed me, and helped me promote this effort via blog postings, Tweets, etc. including but not necessarily limited to:

No related posts.