A Tool to Prevent Unnecessary Trouble – Troubleshooting Guides

Daily management is so unique in its ability to align an organization around a single strategy.  It brings a sense of urgency and actions on the shop floor to life at all levels.   The activity level of daily management is the heartbeat of the process and the real opportunity to see and solve problems at […]

Every Metric Needs a Target

Standards are designed to help an organization see problems quickly.  When we tape a square on the shop floor to represent the place for the next part to be processed, it represents a standard. If the part is not there when the time comes to work on it – there is a problem.  When we […]

To Get Your Process in Control You Need a Plan

The process an organization uses to make or delivery their goods or services is as important as the people, suppliers, and raw material they use. Controlling that process is critical to meeting the quality and volume our customer demands.  In order to get a process in control you need a plan.  A plan that serves […]

Plot the Variable Don’t Change the Setting

Managing a process requires understanding and tracking the critical process variables that impact the product being produced.  Temperature, speed, pressure and viscosity are all variables that will nave natural variation. It is important to track the critical variables using a control chart to understand the trends and determine if action is need, BUT it is […]

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 […]

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 […]

Daily Management is GPS for Operations

Daily Management is GPS for operations Operational excellence depends on setting an expectation, tracking progress toward that goal, and adjusting along the way. Daily Management is an operations tool for doing the same. Much like a global positioning system for a car, daily management can; set the expectation, track progress along the journey, and help […]

Do Your Metrics Lead to Action?

Do Your Metrics Lead to Action?  Effective operating systems have a daily process for measuring business performance and engaging people in solving problems.  The content of the meetings includes visual controls that represent a 24-hour view of Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost metrics with clear signals of ahead or behind target.  The metrics in those […]