Mistakes happen. It’s one of the most basic truths of life, along with the idea that perfection is a myth. And while society has largely accepted both of these truths, it hasn’t stopped people from looking for ways to edge us closer to error-free, or perfection. Mistake Proofing, or error proofing, also known as Poka-Yoke, is [...]
The Problem with Problems The late inventor, Charles Kettering, once said, "A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved." And while this might seem a bit far-fetched, the research suggests that this notion isn't far from the truth. If you look at just about any problem-solving study, they all come to the same conclusion: the best way [...]
A troubling myth of Lean is that it only applies to the manufacturing sector of a given company or business. The problem with this line of thinking is that it creates a singular relationship between Lean strategies and one aspect of the workforce. The truth is that Lean is a set of ideals that helps to [...]
Farmers use greenhouses to provide the perfect conditions for the growth of their plants. The conditions in a greenhouse are often set to ensure maximum benefit to plants. Compare that to planting the same plant in a cold and dark plot. The yield obtained from the two places would be very different. Thinking from that perspective, [...]
Many organizations complain about having difficulty maintaining standards on the shop floor. We often make improvement only to find the process regresses back to its previous state in a short period of time. A closer look at the audit process will often show the following types of symptoms: Standard work is posted, but no one is [...]
Lean thinking enables a business to enjoy progressive transformational growth. If you cannot think outside the norms, you will be setting up a glass ceiling over yourself. Whatever business you are in, you can aim for the skies by reimagining things. You could reimagine your target market, your operations, your products, and everything else about the [...]
Many proprietors and workers will assume that clients are satisfied with their products and services, just because nobody has ever complained. That mentality is detrimental to your career or business. Take yourself for instance. Rarely will you complain because the bus you normally use is a few minutes late, but you prefer if it was always [...]
“Learning is the human capital accelerant of the enterprise,” writes Michael E. Echols, Vice-President of strategic initiatives at Bellevue University, in the April 2016 issue of CLOmedia.com. According to Echols, a significant segment of the country’s corporate culture believes that human capital formation only includes the process of training or developing new employees. Echols contends that [...]
In a January 18, 2017 press release,[1] the Directors of the Small Business Excellence Award Program announced the selection of the Lean Learning Center for the 2016 Troy Small Business Excellence Award in the Adult Education classification. The Award Program honors small businesses that demonstrate excellent marketing success, community involvement, and innovative business practices in the [...]
There’s no question that key performance indicators (KPIs) are needed to help drive operational improvements. KPIs are absolutely essential for organizations to present performance information for all levels of the organization. The key to success is selecting KPIs that will deliver long-term value to the organization. It’s problematic that the terms KPI and metric are used interchangeably within [...]
