TBM Consulting

Metrics Matter: Five Tips for Choosing the Right Performance Measures

Tom Morin — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:00:28 +0000

Metrics, measurements, and key performance indicators (or KPIs if you prefer). Whatever you call them performance measures are supposed to tell everyone in their area, in their department and across the organization if they’re making progress toward the business and corporate objectives. Too often, they don’t.

Orchestrating Activities in a Lab: Obvious Waste Not So Obvious

Nero Haralalka — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:08:15 +0000

Recently observing a company’s test lab. I was struck by how some of the problems were very basic, did not take a long time to identify, and had been going on for years. Imagine conducting tests on a chemical blend, and as you observed the technicians in action, you see them weaving in and out, bouncing from one table to another — busy but not efficient. Also imagine production personnel waiting anxiously for the test results — bad results would mean rescheduling production, retests and additional delays.

Warehouse Costs Rising? A Step-by-Step Guide to Re-Slotting

Andy Andrews — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:02:18 +0000

As I noted in a previous post—Warehouse Costs Rising? It’s Time to Re-visit Your Slotting Locations—proper slotting, or the storage of products in relation to their volume and velocity, is the most significant factor for reducing travel and increasing productivity in the warehouse.

The Lean Essentials: A Clear Definition, Core Principles and the Three Ps

Jim Privette — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:36:21 +0000

Every problem-solving event and project should observe the four “rights” of effective problem solving. These rights may seem obvious, but many problem-solving teams fail because they did not heed one of these rights.

Listen to Customers to Increase Product-Design Wins

Doug Bonner — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:13:47 +0000

Are you sure of what your customer wants? Many companies don’t consider even basic customer input when they decide to design a new product. This leads to design mistakes and other costly waste.

Bloomberg Businessweek Article Spotlights Benefits of Lean in Private Equity

Ken Koenemann — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:17:21 +0000

A recent article in Bloomburg Businessweek, “My Week at Private Equity Boot Camp,” describes how a private equity firm is using the Toyota Production System to transform the operations of the companies that it acquires. Monomoy Capital Partners, which manages about $700 million in investments, targets small and medium-sized manufacturers, many of which have remain relatively untouched by the lean and Six Sigma initiatives.

Warehouse Costs Rising? It’s Time to Re-visit Your Slotting Strategy

Andy Andrews — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:18:54 +0000

It doesn’t matter if you operate a 1,000,000-sq. ft. distribution center, a regional mixing center, or a storage area in a corner of your factory, you still need to practice your slotting ABCs.

The Four “Rights” of Successful Problem Solving

Jim Privette — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:04:47 +0000

Measurement System Analysis — More than Just Gauge R&R

Beth Morrison — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:55:42 +0000

I was listening to a team report out a few days ago, and the team leader mentioned “MSA.” The plant manager asked what MSA is, and the team leader replied, “Measurement System Analysis.” At the same time she was speaking, several other managers chimed in, saying almost in unison, “Gauge R&R.”

How To Leverage OpEx Improvements By Refocusing Sales and Marketing

David Pate — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:40:25 +0000

In my previous blog post, “Smart Companies Plan Ahead for Added Value,” I talked about the importance of engaging functions not traditionally involved in an Operational Excellence transformation, such as Human Resources, Sales, Marketing, and so on. This post takes that discussion further into the sales cycle.