The Art of Self-Reflection Self-reflection is a key component in our ability to improve ourselves along with situations or processes. The key emphasis is on bettering yourself. By self-reflecting, I am not trying to make someone else become more in line with my mode of thinking, but it is about looking at my actions and thoughts to […]
”Honest self-reflection opens your mind to reprogramming, change, success and freedom.” —Unknown
Hoarding? Or would you consider it safety stock?
It is something that we have probably all done at one time or another…hoarded. I think that we all know what it is. Have you gone out to an operators tool box to find a cache of parts that they might use, or possibly a supervisor that keeps a bunch parts in their desk drawer because they […]
How Have I Failed? Let me Count the Ways
When faced with a difficult situation, what do we tend to do? Yell and scream or self-reflect? So, here is scenario. Working for a tier 1 supplier as a production control and logistics (PC&L) manager, it was our responsibility to schedule production, order components, and most importantly (at least this is what I thought) to make sure that […]
…and one more thing on the supply chain
This is the last in a series of four articles that discuss the supply chain. Well, it could be the last, it really depends on what happens with the next article. If we look back at the other articles, the first was OMG…IT’S DEVASTATING…the stock market? NO, well…yes, but I’m talking about the Supply Chain, and talks […]
So…What Happens When Requirements Change? A story about the Toyota Production System
This is the 3rd in the series (maybe only the second, but you should still read all 3), I feel like I’m writing a mini series…only it is a mini mini series, and in my best Donald Trump impersonation…small…very small…definitely the smallest mini series that I know. And that is as close to politics as […]
How Deep is Your Production System?
For all of those out there that have worked for Toyota, and many that have been associated with Toyota, we all have those stories that really indicate the depths of the Toyota Production System. Many of us are now involved in the consulting world and working with other companies to help improve their processes, and we […]
OMG…IT’S DEVASTATING…the stock market? NO, well…yes, but I’m talking about the Supply Chain
It is definitely a unique time that we are in, even more unique than the “norm”. As I work from home and have more time to put my thoughts down, my thoughts invariably drift to the supply chain. Ahhh, the supply chain, man, it has to be a real mess right now. Definitely got sucked […]
Make It a Tool, Not a Task
Factory Management Display Systems, or sometimes referred to as the visual factory, is a tool that is utilized to allow anyone to walk the floor and see the current condition of the operation. At Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Georgetown, Ky, the first fully owned Toyota factory in the United States, anybody on the factory floor […]
Fundamentals of Great Cell Design
Work design is more and more critical as space becomes a new constraint for businesses trying to keep people safely distanced from each other. Great cell design has some proven fundamentals that have stood the test of time, and while simple, are so valuable for creating efficient work design that safely produces a quality product […]
The Four Steps in Cell Design
The rapidly changing work environment and restrictions from the need to create safe distances between team members has created a new constraint out of space. We need to figure out how to produce the same amount of volume in the same amount of space, but keep everyone safely apart. That is the role of work […]