Kaizen

Continuous Improvement and Behavior-Based Safety

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Continuous improvement

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…

Five Steps to Lean Improvement

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With more and more companies implementing lean processes to improve the way business is done, it is important to take some time to look at how this process can be improved.  Many companies attempt to run as a lean facility, only to find that they aren’t making the progress that they had hoped.  Starting down the path toward a lean facility is difficult, but it can be…

Bring Lean Home

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5S dream home with blue sky

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?…

Top 5 Tips for 5S Success

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Implementing lean strategies in any company is difficult, but it is something that most companies agree is worth doing. The problem is when companies do it improperly, the implementation fails and they end up losing out on the time and money invested. This can be discouraging for everyone involved at every level, and it can also make it more difficult for future attempts at change and improvement…

The Improvement Kata: Part 3

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time for improvement clock

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 Improvement Kata: Part 2

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improve yourself

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 Improvement Kata: Part 1

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Hoshin and catchball bring people together

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…

Getting Things Done and Lean

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getting-things-done

Getting Things Done (GTD) David Allen’s bestselling book Getting Things Done (GTD), is manual of sorts for individuals and organizations searching for a work-life management system. The book has changed the lives of individuals around the globe, helping them increase productivity, free their mind, and manage their time with control and perspective. A lean thinker is always looking to eliminate waste and increase productivity in the most…

Meetings Can Be Wasted Time

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Meetings can be a source of wasted time if not organized and conducted properly. Most organizations waste up to 20% of their payroll on bad meetings based on employee wage and time spent in meetings. Meetings can be described as wasteful if any or all of the following things occur within the meeting: Meet and there is no discussion Meet and discuss but no decision is made…

Gaining Management’s Support for 5S

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In facilities across the country and around the world people learn about 5S through their own research, attending conferences or educational courses. Once they’ve heard about all the benefits this system has to offer, they want to implement it in their own facility. When they present it to the management team, however, it often gets overlooked or ignored by those who need to give it their approval.…