muda
In Their Natural Environment
I scheduled a meeting this week and a room for our meeting. During the course of our conversation, we began to discuss process and other items related to the their work. Gratefully, I had enough awareness to stop the conversation and we, as a team, walked out to the Gemba and continued our discussion there.
I scheduled a meeting this week and a room for our meeting. During the course of our conversation, we began to discuss process and other items related to the their work. Gratefully, I had enough awareness to stop the conversation and we, as a team, walked out to the Gemba and continued our discussion there.
Lean Thinking and the Amazon Kindle
I receive emails from recruiters – frequently. So, as a favor to them, I am posting a job for your interest: the hiring company is Amazon.com.
Below is one job description and contact information, but if you go to the Amazon.com website, there are over 50 open positions looking for people with experience in Lean Thinking and Six Sigma.
I receive emails from recruiters – frequently. So, as a favor to them, I am posting a job for your interest: the hiring company is Amazon.com.
Below is one job description and contact information, but if you go to the Amazon.com website, there are over 50 open positions looking for people with experience in Lean Thinking and Six Sigma.
Respect for People, Underutilized People, and Waste
The two pillars in Lean Thinking are Continuous Improvement and Respect for People. What is not well understood is that most of what we know as The Toyota Production System comes from these two pillars. The Lean sub-culture tends to over-emphasize the “tools” of Kaizen, but miss the point altogether, since the tools stem or originate from one of the pillars above. The relationship between the 2 Pillars and Waste is subtle, but important.
The two pillars in Lean Thinking are Continuous Improvement and Respect for People. What is not well understood is that most of what we know as The Toyota Production System comes from these two pillars. The Lean sub-culture tends to over-emphasize the “tools” of Kaizen, but miss the point altogether, since the tools stem or originate from one of the pillars above. The relationship between the 2 Pillars and Waste is subtle, but important.
Unappetizing Spaghetti Diagrams
A Spaghetti Diagram is a simple visual tool to demonstrate the flow of material, flow of information, and flow of money in a process. The word “spaghetti” is descriptive because it describes flow that is not easily understood, can’t easily be followed, or if the flow is literally all over the place. Indeed, a Spaghetti Diagram represents a point-of-departure: what does the current state look like and what are the exact improvements we need to make?
A Spaghetti Diagram is a simple visual tool to demonstrate the flow of material, flow of information, and flow of money in a process. The word “spaghetti” is descriptive because it describes flow that is not easily understood, can’t easily be followed, or if the flow is literally all over the place. Indeed, a Spaghetti Diagram represents a point-of-departure: what does the current state look like and what are the exact improvements we need to make?
The Source of Dirt
In Amazon’s 2008 letter to shareholders, Jeff Bezos shares about a Kaizen event he participated in:
At a fulfillment center recently, one of our Kaizen experts asked me, “I’m in favor of a clean fulfillment center, but why are you cleaning? Why don’t you eliminate the source of dirt?”
I’ve spoken numerous times about Bezos on Lean Thinking, some of which are here, here, here and here but there are many more — just browse shmula.
In Amazon’s 2008 letter to shareholders, Jeff Bezos shares about a Kaizen event he participated in:
At a fulfillment center recently, one of our Kaizen experts asked me, “I’m in favor of a clean fulfillment center, but why are you cleaning? Why don’t you eliminate the source of dirt?”
I’ve spoken numerous times about Bezos on Lean Thinking, some of which are here, here, here and here but there are many more — just browse shmula.
Off-Topic: Win an AIG Maraca
Last night, I was on the floor playing with my toddler and I noticed that he was shaking a maraca — so we had a daddy/baby jam session, with me tapping on the carpet and with him shaking the maraca. Then, I noticed what the maraca said: “AIG – Sun America”.
I thought, “hey, maybe my baby boy won’t mind if I take this maraca and raffle this thing off on shmula.com” — today is your lucky day!
Last night, I was on the floor playing with my toddler and I noticed that he was shaking a maraca — so we had a daddy/baby jam session, with me tapping on the carpet and with him shaking the maraca. Then, I noticed what the maraca said: “AIG – Sun America”.
I thought, “hey, maybe my baby boy won’t mind if I take this maraca and raffle this thing off on shmula.com” — today is your lucky day!
Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen
eam size can make a big difference in the success of your service or product. What is counter-intuitive for most people is that the larger the team size, the lower the likelihood of success for your service or product. Why? Communication Entropy can set in and large teams are inherently bad vehicles for communication.
Team size can make a big difference in the success of your service or product. What is counter-intuitive for most people is that the larger the team size, the lower the likelihood of success for your service or product. Why? Communication Entropy can set in and large teams are inherently bad vehicles for communication.
More sinister, however, is that the larger the team, there is a higher likelihood of accountability and responsibility being diffused across the team and when everyone is in charge, then nobody is in charge. A good friend of mine calls this situation a state of affairs where “there are too many cooks in the kitchen” — but the big difference is that the Kitchen acts as an Obeya since all the actors are in the same location.
Not Accountable, Not Responsible
Team size can make a big difference in the success of your service or product. What is counterintuitive for most people is that the larger the team size, the lower the likelihood of success for your service or product. Why? Entropy can set in and large teams are inherently bad vehicles for communication. More insipid, however, is that the larger the team, there is a higher likelihood of accountability and responsibility being diffused across the team.
Team size can make a big difference in the success of your service or product. What is counterintuitive for most people is that the larger the team size, the lower the likelihood of success for your service or product. Why? Entropy can set in and large teams are inherently bad vehicles for communication. More insipid, however, is that the larger the team, there is a higher likelihood of accountability and responsibility being diffused across the team.
Maintain Forward Tension
One principle in Wing Chun is the maintaining of forward tension. To explain, I’ll draw the distinction between Tension and Energy and show how this principle in Wing Chun can be applied to Change Management.
Tension is a type of Energy
A Wing Chun maxim goes as follows:
soft and relaxed strength will put your opponent in jeopardy
One principle in Wing Chun is the maintaining of forward tension. To explain, I’ll draw the distinction between Tension and Energy and show how this principle in Wing Chun can be applied to Change Management.
Tension is a type of Energy
A Wing Chun maxim goes as follows:
soft and relaxed strength will put your opponent in jeopardy
Fast Food Congestion
Every system has constraints — sometimes several — minor bottlenecks and major bottlenecks. What makes managing constraints even more challenging is that bottlenecks move: up-and-down the process paths.
I saw this phenomenon recently during a visit to a fast food restaurant, which I discuss in this post — but, my application of the Theory of Constraints, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma as applied to a Restaurant can be applied to any Dynamic System.
Every system has constraints — sometimes several — minor bottlenecks and major bottlenecks. What makes managing constraints even more challenging is that bottlenecks move: up-and-down the process paths.
I saw this phenomenon recently during a visit to a fast food restaurant, which I discuss in this post — but, my application of the Theory of Constraints, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma as applied to a Restaurant can be applied to any Dynamic System.
