World class organizations understand the value of the steady improvement from a daily process of plan, do, check, act. This daily look at the production cycle as an experiment and trying to improve the process daily leads to a steady reduction of waste. But world class organizations also understand the value in a step change. […]
People are the Linchpin for the System
June 11, 2020 By Leave a Comment
A tractor is the workhorse of the modern day farm. Ploughing the field, harvesting the grain, or bailing the hay are all done with a tractor pulling a tool specifically designed for the task. And the tool is connected to the tractor using a pin, often called the linchpin. In a world of Operational Excellence, […]
An Ounce of Stability is Worth a Pound of Ideal
October 25, 2019 By Leave a Comment
World class organizations value stability. Reliable equipment, processes, and people comprise the foundation which allows them to reach for the ideal. The Toyota Production System “House” visualizes the ideal state as the lowest cost, highest quality, and short lead-time, but at the foundation is stability. Reliable Equipment, Processes, People, and Material Reliability allows an […]
Do You Believe in Zero Injuries?
August 23, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Lean operating systems recognize the value of people and believe everyone should leave work the same way they arrived – injury free. Two powerful benefits arise from truly believing in zero injuries-the awareness to see hazards and a clear message about the value of people. The Awareness to See Hazards It is all too […]
A Well-Thought Out Plan
August 9, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Successful operations unlock value through a continuous cycle of plan – do – check – act. That critical cycle starts with a plan. The learning for the organization comes from executing the plan and checking the results. The value is unlocked through actions and adjustments learned from the problems identified with executing the plan. A […]
Change the Thinking—Change the Results
March 29, 2019 By Leave a Comment
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 […]
Everything you need to know about operations you learned in elementary?
March 1, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Scientific Method Officially, the method of procedure that has characterized natural science since the 17th century, the scientific method is typically taught as early as 2nd grade. Purpose: What do you want to learn? A north American extrusion company was struggling with on-time delivery. The data showed that extrusion presses were literally at record production […]
There is no OEE knob
January 18, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Overall Equipment Effectiveness is a tremendous tool for comparing performance of a work center between shifts, machine to machine, or location to location. It does a great job of accommodating various rates and showing the impact of changeovers, equipment downtime and scrap. It asks the question; Is the equipment available to make the product at […]
Protect the Customer
January 4, 2019 By Leave a Comment
Quality is the Minimum Expectation A committed employee of an auto body shop told one of his customers with genuine pride, “It is like my boss said; “our goal is to safely employee people to restore cars to the highest quality in the shortest amount of time…and if we are successful -make a little money […]
Shedding Your Shell to Grow!
December 7, 2018 By Leave a Comment
A growing crab may shed its shell as many as 20 times in its life time. During the process they are the most vulnerable to predators, but it is the only way they can grow. World class organizations understand vulnerability can come with growth, but they also understand, much like the crab, that is a […]
