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.
Companies just seem to love big initiatives. The thinking perhaps goes: If we hire an expensive consulting firm, we can transform the way we do business, we can start big projects, we can give ou
This is my third and final installment as part of John Hunter’s review roundup.
This is the second of my three installments as part of John Hunter’s review roundup.
This is the first of my three installments as part of John Hunter's review roundup.
We have all experienced significant stress. You know, the feeling that you're treading water after just being dunked by more than a few unforgiving waves...
Being tech support over the phone is a difficult job, being tech support for my 87 yr old grandmother (Mimi) and her TV remote should qualify me for sainthood.
Among other things, vitamin C boosts one's immune system. That's pretty important, especially around the cold and flu season. But there is another type of vitamin C.
A few weeks back, I had the privilege of attending the 2-day Shingo Prize workshop on the Principles of Operational Excellence. The experience was nothing short of mind-blowing, as I developed a far deeper understanding of Lean and why it works, not just what works. In other words, my understanding grew from something based on an understanding of Lean’s tools to something based more on Lean’s philosophy.
Mapping, whether it's process mapping or value stream mapping can be powerful stuff. It should be a familiar and trusted weapon within your continuous improvement arsenal.
We've all heard the oversimplification that lean is about attacking waste, while six sigma is about reducing variation.
