Lean Insight and Product Reviews
The challenge to keep a path of continuous improvement on track is full of obstacles and interference. In the back of our mind we know what we should be doing, but there are often times when we just can’t seem to stay on track. I recently watched an online video (shown below) from the Gemba Academy titled “Ten Commandments of Continuous Improvement” and it reminded me of…
Continuous Improvement Webinar I had a chance to listen in on Dr. Greg Jacobson and Mark Graban of KaiNexus as they gave a very informative webinar last week for Gemba Academy about “Leadership Behaviors that Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement.” They laid out 25 leadership behaviors that are essential for all leaders to abide by as they work towards encouraging continuous improvement in their organization. You…
The pursuit of perfection is often met with obstacles that attempt to break down our path. The beauty of the lean path though, is there is always a tool for our broken path. We may get diverted, but with lean in our pocket we have the ability to continue on with our pursuit, without looking back. The gemba walk for instance is a perfect example of how…
Continuous Improvement and Behavior-Based Safety Continuous improvement methods have revolutionized the manufacturing industry for years now thanks to the Toyota Production System (TPS) and the many innovators that have come along the way. While these methods are sometimes interlinked with each other they often leave out a way to integrate other methods of improving performance that aren’t in line with the traditional TPS ideology. However, a manufacturing…
Add Value to Your Life Are you a lean expert from 9-5, Monday through Friday, but come home to an empty fridge, cluttered garage and only after waiting in traffic far to long, listening to the same talk radio station day in and day out? Do you wait until you’re completely out of something to replace it, like shampoo or shaving cream? How about your yard work?…
The following is the third entry into a series of ongoing posts that dive into the Improvement Kata and how its methods can help improve your lean culture. The Improvement Kata and Lean With the current evolution of business it is more important than ever to embrace and implement a lean ideology into your organization’s culture. The first two entries of the The Improvement Kata series focused…
The following is the second entry into a series of ongoing posts that dive into the Improvement Kata and how its methods can help improve your lean culture. A Kata State of Mind Now that we have a basic understanding of the ideology behind the improvement kata, we can now jump into the nuts and bolts of the process. Everyday we face obstacles and challenges that we…
The following is the first of a series of posts that will dive into the Improvement Kata and how its methods can help improve your lean culture. What is the Improvement Kata? Kata is a Japanese term describing a structured routine you practice deliberately, eventually becoming a force of habit. As a result, the kata pattern you develop becomes second nature; completed with little to no conscious…
Lean, Kaizen and 5S are not just for manufacturers 5S can create some hard divides between those who love and appreciate the peace and calm that order bring and those who, while not necessarily “loving” chaos and disorder, still feel more at home amidst piles of paper, missing tools such as staplers and rulers, etc. The following video is an example of how many employees might feel…
Kaizen Events and how to implement them Because Kaizen is usually an event in itself, discussing the meaning and implementation of kaizen in a business setting, this book is both aptly titled as well as targeted. Making the kaizen event even more “kaizen-like” in it’s makeup is the direction of this writing by Geoffrey L. Mika. The 292-page book begins with the history of kaizen, laying an…