Is Takt Time the Most Misunderstood Lean Concept? March 29, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques
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Takt time, which Jamie Flinchbaugh defines as customer demand rate, is very often misunderstood as production process pace. Takt time has to deal with what a company is working and building towards, and so it is often confused with production pace. It also demonstrates that lean is not just mere common sense, but that there is serious substance to it as well.
Check out Jamie’s explanation of takt time and what it means at his website.
Scrunchie Lean March 29, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in 5S & Visual Management, Creativity & Innovation, Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: 5S & Visual Management, Creativity & Innovation, Lean Tools & Techniques
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The applications of lean visual management tools are often surprising. Mark Hamel, at Gemba Tales, relates one simple but highly effective visual control using scrunchies – a simple elastic hair tie. Mark’s friend and lean convert Lisa uses a green scrunchie to identify her laptop power cord among others when it is plugged in, and uses the scrunchie to fold up and store her wire on the go.
For photos and Mark’s post, head here.
Jiffy Lube Oil Change and Queuing March 29, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques
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Pete Abilla, writing at Shmula, recounts a visit to Jiffy Lube for an oil change, during which time he noticed that one of four bays was kept open. During the visit, Pete noticed the Jiffy Lube crew –the whole crew –worked on one car at a time, and they track and publish the time for changes for customers to see while waiting. These processes are lean in nature, and were a pleasant surprise to discover.
Head on over to read Pete’s Shmula post here.
Mental Models and How We View the Gemba and Workers: GM vs Dell February 27, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques, workforce.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques, workforce
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Writing at the Lean Blog, Mark Graban reflects on his time working at General Motors and later, Dell. Dell workers wore antistatic straps that kept workers grounded to avoid static charges zapping production parts. A UAW union member wanted to know how Dell got away with tying their workers to workstations. The question revealed a lot about the UAW’s mentality, betraying the idea that the UAW doesn’t think workers want to work, and that the UAW doesn’t trust GM to treat its workers respectfully.
To read Mark’s enlightening post, head over to Lean Blog.
Graphic Representation of a Lean Schedule February 27, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in lean, Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: lean, Lean Tools & Techniques
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Michael Baudin has posted a visual representation of lean scheduling over at his blog. It is adapted from a real test data set, and is an interesting graphic to view.
Head on over here to view the graphic.
5S First? January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in 5S & Visual Management, Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: 5S, Lean Tools & Techniques
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The Old Lean Dude writes about an Australian event heckler, who challenged him on the notion that 5S is a good starting place because it is easy. Bruce initially replied that different starting places were important for different companies. He later spoke with the heckler, saying that explaining TPS is easier when broken down, beginning with 5S. Sometimes, the wrong questions about a company are asked.
Check out the interesting anecdote here.
Value Stream Wrapping January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in 5S & Visual Management, A3, Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: 5S, 5S & Visual Management, Lean Tools & Techniques
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The Old Lean Dude recalls a lesson from a science professor who related to him that observation without sharing has no value. Value stream mapping doesn’t have to be a work of art, but it has to be legible, and it should focus on the subject, not making the map look good.
Read the Old Lean Dude’s post here.
Lean in the Digital Office January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques
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Lean isn’t always easy to apply in the office, but it can be done. It should begin with how digital information is accessed and used, argues Alan Nicol over at Manufacturing.Net. Poor organization, inventory, and overprocessing (doing more work than is necessary) can lead to unnecessary waste in the office.
For Mr. Nicol’s article at Munfacturing.Net, please head here.
Librarian vs. Archeologist January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques
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Michael Schrage, writing at the Harvard Business Review Blog, states that getting organized is mostly a waste of time. He states how IBM researchers who searched through e-mails found what they were looking for faster and more effectively than those who set up file folders to organize their information. Yet, at Timeback Management, Dan Markovitz explains that sometimes, not all information (like Etruscan pottery and carpet swatches) can be identified electronically. Mr. Markovitz contends different situations need different systems.
Read Mr. Schrage’s posting here. To read Dan Markovitz’s response and thoughts, head here.
How to Trick Yourself Into Thinking You’re Doing Lean (and Trick Others at the Same Time) January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques
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What do you do when a problem solving tool becomes the problem? Jamie Flinchbaugh addresses this question in one of his more recent posts. Sometimes people mistake the problem solving tool for the analysis. Filling out forms, value stream maps, or participating in a lean exercise doesn’t actually solve a problem –thinking does.
Read Mr. Flinchbaugh’s excellent post here.
Mapping Business Processes Need Not Be Rocket Science December 18, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques
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Inputs, defined as efforts (money, labor, e-mails, phone calls, etc.) is contrasted with output (which is what a customer gets at the end of the day). Process flow mapping can be used as a valuable continuous improvement tool. Brian Venge, writing over at Small Biz Kaizen, offers some valuable tips for the process, such as keeping it simple, using simple words, and defining starting and end points.
Check out the complete list here.
A Funny “Whys” Video December 18, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques, Uncategorized.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques
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Mark Graban at Lean Blog hosts a video clip of the show “Lucky Louie” where Louie’s daughter asks him “Why?” a few too many times. For any devotee of lean, comedian Louis C.K.’s clip answers the question of how the method of Five Why’s can go completely off track.
Check out the tongue-in-cheek video at Lean Blog.
Mise-en-Place, 5S, and Why Tape Outlines on the Desk are Stupid November 17, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in 5S & Visual Management, Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: 5S, 5S & Visual Management, Lean Tools & Techniques
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Dan at TimeBack Management writes about the confusion that can come with implementing 5S. He believes this occurs because emphasis is placed on the visibility of the tool, rather than actually understanding the tool. The issue for offices isn’t where staplers are positioned, but how information is managed.
Read his insightful post on TimeBack Management here.
“Management By Walking Around” vs. “Gemba Walks” November 17, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques
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There is a difference between walking around and actually participating in a Gemba Walk, notes Mark Graban at Lean Blog. A manager simply walking around is not active in asking questions, seeking out problems, staying in one spot long enough, or addressing employee concerns.
Check out Mark’s thoughts here.
Dan Jones: The Financial Consequences of Lean June 2, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in lean accounting, Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: lean accounting, Lean Tools & Techniques
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Dan Jones, writing on The Lean Edge blog, notes that it can be difficult to see the financial benefits of lean because management too often focuses on profit, rather than method. First time lean application can be difficult to administer, and to convince management of the benefits. For a very complex value stream, this can be even more daunting. The utilization of Flow Costing helps set priorities for lean improvement and demonstrates that shorter throughput times make responding to problems and quality issues easier.
Check out Mr. Jones’s post here.
A Little Lean Doesn’t Go a Long Way April 20, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in lean, Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: lean, Lean Tools & Techniques
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Mike Rother, in The Lean Edge blog, answers the question of why it seems difficult to see the financial benefits of lean. Mr. Rother wonders that, if in many cases, it is simply that lean implementation isn’t advanced enough to be able to see its financial benefits. Continuous improvement means tackling problems continuously, not doing it every so often.
Check out Mr. Rother’s post here.
5 Es-sential Part II February 21, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in 5S & Visual Management, Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: 5S, Lean Tools & Techniques
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When looking to understand the agents of change –not the science itself –things get murky, according to the Old Lean Dude. Why? Because then you’re dealing with human actions, such as the willingness to accept chaos, 5S is normally the first measure of effort in lean implementation, and it requires human action. Among the suggestions proposed for successful implementation, treat employees as if they are customers –you’re trying to sell them 5S, after all.
Check out the Old Lean Dude blog post here.
Five Es-sential February 21, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in 5S & Visual Management, Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: 5S, Lean Tools & Techniques
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The Old Lean Dude wonders why, with so many hundreds of suppliers for 5S-related paraphernalia –from checklists to counseling to videos –do so many companies have such a hard time with workplace organization? The problem, he asserts, is that the focus is on the science rather than the sociology – that TPS success should be seen as 10% tools, and 90% people. Organizations are taken for granted as unorganized, and a blind eye is turned toward this disorganization.
Check out the Old Lean Dude blog post here.
Weekend Fun: Dr. Atul Gawande on the Colbert Report February 4, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques
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In a very humorous segment with Stephen Colbert, Dr. Atul Gawande speaks not just about his new book The Checklist Manifesto, but the importance of checklists. Among improvements, a Michigan hospital reduced patient infections by two-thirds using checklists; and deaths in the Netherlands have fallen 50%.
Check out the video of the interview at Lean Blog here.
Control Point Standardization as a Form of “Leader Standard Work”. January 22, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work.Tags: leadership, Lean Tools & Techniques, standard work
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Standardized points, says Jamie Flinchbaugh in an interview at Business901 Blog, are often unappreciated and not well understood. Rather than firefight mode, where leaders rush to fix problems, standardized points assist in preempting problems and being proactive against them. Dashboards and security badges are forms of control points, and control points can be visual checks, metrics, discussions, and investigations.
Check out Mr. Flinchbaugh’s 901 interview here.
Leader Standard Work – Chock that PDCA Wheel September 24, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work.Tags: leadership, Lean Tools & Techniques, standard work
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Mark Hamel over at Gemba Tales admits to being a pain for the new exercise he’s added to his Kaizen Event Standard Work. He now requires team leaders to walk him through the leader standard work. This is done to keep things honest, and to avoid backsliding because of insufficient work.
Check out Mr. Hamel’s post here.
How to Design a Lean Operation at a One Day Takt September 24, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques, strategy.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques, strategy
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Jon Miller over at Gemba Panta Rei takes on the challenge of constructing a one day takt lean operation in an August 23 post. For example, if it is a simple eight-hour process to complete a unit, Mr. Miller notes that it is a simple “start the day, finish the day” flow. But if the unit requires more than eight hours, flowlines and workstations need to be visibly divided into section takts until the unit is completed.
Check out Mr. Miller’s article here.
Spare Parts and TPM September 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques, supply chain, Total Productive Maintenance.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques, supply chain
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Mike Wroblewski, writing over at his blog, notes how one aspect of a Total Productive Maintenance program – spare parts – does not get much attention. Maintaining critical parts – including those suggested, and those that need replacement most frequently – can help pay off. In addition to maintaining the spare parts, keep lists next to the machines that need them, and clearly label the parts.
Check out Mr. Wroblewski’s insightful article here.
How to Kaizen June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in kaizen, Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: kaizen, Lean Tools & Techniques
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It isn’t important how you Kaizen, writes Mike Wroblewski. Rather, it is important that you kaizen. Mr. Wroblewski, in his Got Boondoggle post offers supportive and motivational sage words to counter the messy and bumpy road that improvement entails.
Check out his post here.
Changeovers and Art June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work, Total Productive Maintenance.Tags: Lean Thinking, Lean Tools & Techniques, standard work
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In a changeover operation, the very technical adjustments some machine operators went through resulted in tolerances being close. Karen Wilhelm’s friend Mike Thelen took on the issue. Among his suggestions were that testing and inspecting the machine should be a standard part of the process; and the inspection, it was suggested, should be simplified. A strong Total Productive Maintenance program was also offered up as an idea.
Read the question and the proposed solutions here.
