The name "Gemba Tales" is borrowed from Mark Hamel's two Shingo Prize-winning books, Kaizen Event Fieldbook and Lean Math within which there are dozens of tales. Each tale is based upon the experienced (some successful, some not) of the author and other lean practitioners and shared for the purpose of providing insight into the application of certain lean concepts. The purpose of this blog is really no different, just a bigger community for sharing and learning.
Lean thinking may not have been big in the first century, but there's at least one quote that can be applied to Lean, "...you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." So, in a Lean context how do you know the truth and how will it set you free?
Effective visual controls are, among other things, self-explaining. What does that mean? It means that someone with no inside knowledge of a process should be able to quickly understand the "system" without human assistance.
The best intentioned try to apply PDCA as well as SDCA (standardize-do-check-act), but often fall far short on the check side. Of course, this means that the likelihood they will act/adjust appropriately is slim.
During the 1970's and 1980's, Fram oil filters used to run TV ads that featured a mechanic with a rather dour look on his face.
Every once in a while I will come upon someone who will share their recently identified business problem. Great first step. But, then they'll state their plan to address that problem in the next kaizen event. And oh, by the way, that kaizen event may not be for another MONTH!
In the coming days and in conjunction with the formal launch of the book website, I will start to blog about Lean transformation issues. I welcome other Lean practitioners and leaders to share their thoughts, questions and comments - all for the purpose of helping each other to be better Lean thinkers and more effective implementers.
