Is There a Business Case for Your Improvement?

Unlocking the value in your organization requires a solid business case for every improvement effort. Implementing 5S, building dry erase boards, even having full daily management systems without a well-defined cause or problem make implementation twice as hard and half as successful. There are two critical reasons you should have a business case for your […]

Hope is Not a Strategy

  “Some” is not a number and “soon” is not a deadline.  The best operations understand that the value in creating a strategy, setting a target, and committing to a deadline comes from the work put into the prediction. The value is the hypothesis.  The beautiful thing about the scientific method is that it always […]

Make Everything You Do an Experiment

Lean operating systems unlock the value in business through continuous improvement that comes from continuously learning. The flood of learning driving improvement comes from an unyielding commitment to the scientific method. Two beautiful benefits of the scientific method are: You can’t lose, you always learn, and just forming a hypothesis can sometimes bring about needed […]

You Are Either Getting Fitter or You Are Getting Fatter

Unlocking the value in your organization requires constant energy. Probably the most poorly understood factor in change efforts is that efforts cannot stop or the system will fall apart. There is a real lack of appreciation for what is required to keep changed systems operating in good health. A swimmer who stops all activity does […]

Change the Thinking—Change the Results

Lean operating systems unlock the value in business by changing the way theorganization thinks. Two powerful questions arise from a well-designed operation. What was the cause, and what was the method? What Was the Cause? Almost all lean tools are based on the scientific method, which is often characterized as problem, causes, solution, action, and […]

Mission

Most people do not choose to go into charity for the money. Most people do not join the military for the money. Most Olympians do not train and compete every 4 years to get rich. In most of these cases there is a greater purpose. A great reason for dedicating effort to the cause. World […]

The Case AGAINST – Just in Case

World class organizations understand the danger of actions that are taken; “just in case”. Those words actually become a red flag for operations that value science as the foundation for making decisions. Operational Excellence has several tactics for being prepared including safety stock, Failure Modes Effect Analysis, and Poke Yoke. But these tactics are based […]

Fork is a Decision

World class organizations always begin their improvement practice by drawing the process that they are trying to improve. A box for each activity filled with a verb and noun that describe the work content as well as lines showing the flow of material. There is a very clear message in the draw that comes from […]

Would You Rather Be Efficient or Productive?

Would You Rather Be Efficient or Productive? Unlocking value is directly related to time. And time is often measured as efficiency and/or productivity. Both are valuable measures; but successful organizations realize that measuring efficiency alone can be misleading and overall productivity is the goal. Efficiency is the measure of how effectively we can complete a […]

Could You Make a Good Case for Your Improvement?

Is there a business case for your improvement? Unlocking the value in your organization requires a solid business case for every improvement effort. Implementing 5S (sort, shine, simplify, standardize and sustain), building dry erase boards, and even executing a full daily management system without a well-defined cause or problem makes the implementation twice as hard […]