Section » Lean Manufacturing
Bring plant-floor zombies back to life; let them use their brains!
This blog will be somewhat short. I apologize, but I wanted to get a thought in this month. I hope that the content, as basic as it may be, sparks your interest enough to conduct some research on the subject. I hope that it eventually motivates organizational leaders to push for employee empowerment, succession planning and employee involvement. I have
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Lean in Washington? It’s an idea whose time has come!
Before I start, I want to relay that this is a rough thought, a preliminary idea. I will more than likely revisit this subject after I receive some e-mails and opinions. So, I will strive to make this a quick blog, just enough to get your mind brewing a little. I was in a conversation with my lean sensei
Avoid carbon copy syndrome; you must create your own lean system
First of all, thanks for the e-mails and comments. I received an e-mail about two days ago asking for my opinion on lean systems. In this blog, I will explain my opinion as best I can and as short as I can. OK, lean systems are great and can make a company prosper. They improve quality, eliminate wasteful
Desk experiment: Author stands up for lean (literally)
I would first like to express thanks to everyone for the e-mails I have received in response to my previous blog postings. I am pleased to see that there are plenty of individuals thinking outside the box. Continuous
CI groups can do more harm than good to lean efforts
As strange as it may sound, I believe that continuous improvement (CI) culture is something that many organizations resist without realizing it. Sometimes it is not a mountain to climb but an anthill to step over. In this blog, I will discuss that anthill as I have seen it. Culture is defined as integrated
Coke, Pepsi and lean: Is it all in the packaging?
I have been a developing change agent at my company for about five years now. I have saved my company a lot of money and have been promoted twice. I have had the opportunity to be trained by multiple lean consulting firms and have traveled to Japan, Mexico and California for continuous improvement training.
Is a deflationary economy a bad thing? Not from a lean perspective
The United States has created levels of wealth well beyond any other civilization in history. Yet, much further potential is sitting right under our nose. This potential lies in lean thinking; that is, the lean business model. Applying the lean business model across the board would lead to immense productivity
Why improvement efforts fail
Why do improvement efforts fail or perhaps not sustain the gains? There are many reasons, but those most often stated are “lack of commitment” and not “following the process”. But why is there lack of commitment, and why aren’t processes followed? Here are a few of the reasons
Go execute the CI plan!
Hello out there, and happy belated Thanksgiving to you! Before I start the actual blog, I wanted to tell you all that I am very thankful to be an American. I had family in town over Thanksgiving, and we cooked and ate like there was no tomorrow! As I was sharing the food and laughs with family, it just
Money from honey: Africa lean project generates results
I recently wrote about my trip in August to Zambia in Africa. I was visiting with my friends John and Kendra who have been working in Zambia for the past 10 years and in Congo the previous 25 years. Their work is centered on setting up indigenous economic development to give Zambians a sustainable livelihood
