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 [...]
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 [...]
The popular belief is that “Lean” is a tool that is only used to enhance a “manufacturing” process. Its suitability in food, health, service, government, sales, among other business enterprises has for long been perceived as inappropriate and misaligned, to say the least. However, it appears Lean Thinking can be quite successful in such enterprises if [...]
A good leader knows that trust in the workplace is one of a company’s most valuable assets. Ken Blanchard, Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, is quick to point out, however, that trust in the workplace doesn’t just happen by itself. It must be cultivated from the top down, by the company’s leaders. In [...]
A manufacturing apprentice program is one of the best ways to ensure quality workplace performance. Often apprentice programs are overlooked because business owners and recruiters assume that a college education or vocational program has provided adequate preparation for their future employees. They are confident that satisfactory transition from textbook to factory floor can easily be achieved [...]
Internal advisors, or fellow employees and staff members who are only a few paces ahead of the learner, may be the solution to effective learning for any type of organization. If your business or enterprise depends on scheduled seminars and trainings for instilling operational excellence, usually you will feature an expert to lead the sessions. Randy [...]
Building a sense of urgency and clearly communicating that message is a key skill for any leader in any organization that could present a significant challenge, particularly if the business is profitable and the orders keep rolling in. “Take a look at our revenue reports and you’ll see we’re doing just fine. We have work to [...]
During a recent manufacturing forum one of the most consistent problems we heard about from companies of every size was the consistent struggle to find and retain skilled personnel. Here are some of the proven methods we use to promote retention. Provide engaging and meaningful work. Be sure each employee truly understands the value of their [...]
At the recent NBAA conventions National Safety Forum, NTSB Chairman Chris Hart cited the investigation of a Gulfstream G-IV crash on May 21, 2014 at Bedford Massachusetts that killed all seven aboard. Investigators blamed the crash on the crews attempt to take off with the control lock engaged. Analysis of the flight data recorder revealed the [...]
When assessing the effectiveness and direction of lean in your organization you might find yourself in one of these places: The Continuous Improvement Program Managers have run a lot of high impact projects. We either need more CI managers or we need to increase skill and capability of line management. We seem to have plateaued in [...]
