root cause analysis
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.
Do Not Run From Your Customers
I’ve spoken extensively about the unheralded — but, arguably, the most important — Pillar of The Toyota Production System: Respect for People. Today, I want to highlight an interesting company that appears to have done an amazing job at Participative Management and in eliminating fear and mediocrity in the workplace: Semco Group.
I’ve spoken extensively about the unheralded — but, arguably, the most important — Pillar of The Toyota Production System: Respect for People. Today, I want to highlight an interesting company that appears to have done an amazing job at Participative Management and in eliminating fear and mediocrity in the workplace: Semco Group.
Necessary but Insufficient
Motorola (MOT), the inventor of Six Sigma, is in big trouble. Even though it invented Six Sigma, this is a clear example that shows how Lean or Six Sigma are not a cure-all for corporate woes, but that good leadership and a winning strategy are key in a competitive world — Lean or Six Sigma is necessary, but not sufficient.
Motorola (MOT), the inventor of Six Sigma, is in big trouble. Even though it invented Six Sigma, this is a clear example that shows how Lean or Six Sigma are not a cure-all for corporate woes, but that good leadership and a winning strategy are key in a competitive world — Lean or Six Sigma is necessary, but not sufficient.
After the “Place Order” Button
What happens after the customer clicks the “Place Order Button”? For some customers, this is a large black hole. But, wise companies understand that customers need to be informed and aware of the steps after the “Place Order Button” is clicked. In fact, customers want to be involved in the end-to-end transaction. In this article, we’ll discuss how we can better satisfy this critical customer need, thereby ensuring repeat-business, loyalty, and also good, old fashioned, customer happiness.
What happens after the customer clicks the “Place Order Button”? For some customers, this is a large black hole. But, wise companies understand that customers need to be informed and aware of the steps after the “Place Order Button” is clicked. In fact, customers want to be involved in the end-to-end transaction. In this article, we’ll discuss how we can better satisfy this critical customer need, thereby ensuring repeat-business, loyalty, and also good, old fashioned, customer happiness.
Customer Service: an iPhone Case Study
In some organizations, the Customer Service function is largely viewed as a cost center, draining resources of the firm. I maintain that this viewpoint is one that less mature companies support. In what follows, I’ll take a hypothetical iPhone defect case and show how customer service in this example plays a pivotal role in the overall iPhone supply chain — a key player in the overall product value chain.
In some organizations, the Customer Service function is largely viewed as a cost center, draining resources of the firm. I maintain that this viewpoint is one that less mature companies support. In what follows, I’ll take a hypothetical iPhone defect case and show how customer service in this example plays a pivotal role in the overall iPhone supply chain — a key player in the overall product value chain.
Black Holes and Supply Chains
It’s critically important in any transaction to be able to answer the question “where’s my stuff” or “where are we in the process?” This requirement is often referred to as Traceability and Visibility; sometimes, people refer to this overall process as Click-to-Ship.
It’s critically important in any transaction to be able to answer the question “where’s my stuff” or “where are we in the process?” This requirement is often referred to as Traceability and Visibility; sometimes, people refer to this overall process as Click-to-Ship.
Burden on People; Burden on Earth
On average, most business processes are inefficient and create an unhealthy amount of waste: once you learn to see the process waste all around — with Lean Thinking as your worldview — you will notice overprocessing, transportation, overproduction, waiting, inventory, motion, and defects. Aside from our processes producing waste, our processes also create burden on our people and also burden on the earth.
On average, most business processes are inefficient and create an unhealthy amount of waste: once you learn to see the process waste all around — with Lean Thinking as your worldview — you will notice overprocessing, transportation, overproduction, waiting, inventory, motion, and defects. Aside from our processes producing waste, our processes also create burden on our people and also burden on the earth.
Attitude and the Pyschology of Queueing
I took the kids to see a movie at a nearby dollar theater many weeks ago. We saw Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium and some parts of that movie has stayed with me. I thought that the movie was actually very good: it was an overall very good feel-good movie, with a very good message. One key take-away for me was the role of a good attitude and how that can make a big, big difference in life.
I took the kids to see a movie at a nearby dollar theater many weeks ago. We saw Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium and some parts of that movie has stayed with me. I thought that the movie was actually very good: it was an overall very good feel-good movie, with a very good message. One key take-away for me was the role of a good attitude and how that can make a big, big difference in life.
Visual Management and Self-Reliance
One of my primary goals in life is to teach my kids to be eventually good, productive, and self-reliant adults. One area of life-skills that my wife and I are focused on in teaching our children, is teaching them the principle of work: how to work, the value of work, to take ownership over their responsibilities, and to be proud of their accomplishments, and to learn to work as a team and family. One way we are reinforcing the principle of work is through the use of effective Visual Management.
One of my primary goals in life is to teach my kids to be eventually good, productive, and self-reliant adults. One area of life-skills that my wife and I are focused on in teaching our children, is teaching them the principle of work: how to work, the value of work, to take ownership over their responsibilities, and to be proud of their accomplishments, and to learn to work as a team and family. One way we are reinforcing the principle of work is through the use of effective Visual Management.
I’m Nobody Special, But I’m Speaking Anyway
Yes, my face is on the front cover of the brochure (PDF Download). But, little does the audience know that that picture (I’m the second, from the left, but better viewed in the PDF brochure) was taken while I was sitting on a fake sheep during a family trip to the animal farm at Thanksgiving Point in Utah. I cropped just my face for submission to the event organizers, but the "real" picture is of me, at the insistence of my kids, sitting on a fake sheep.
Yes, my face is on the front cover of the brochure (PDF Download). But, little does the audience know that that picture (I’m the second, from the left, but better viewed in the PDF brochure) was taken while I was sitting on a fake sheep during a family trip to the animal farm at Thanksgiving Point in Utah. I cropped just my face for submission to the event organizers, but the "real" picture is of me, at the insistence of my kids, sitting on a fake sheep.
