Archive for May, 2007
Six Sigma, Lean, and Executive Satisfaction
Bain and Company recently published their Management & Tools 2007 Survey. In that survey, both Lean and Six Sigma are included as part of the management tools used by companies. What is interesting are the satisfaction rates of those tools, as reported by the executives that completed the survey.
Below are some data collection heuristics:
Bain and Company recently published their Management & Tools 2007 Survey. In that survey, both Lean and Six Sigma are included as part of the management tools used by companies. What is interesting are the satisfaction rates of those tools, as reported by the executives that completed the survey.
Below are some data collection heuristics:
Six Sigma Workbook For Dummies — The Raffle
Submit your Six Sigma questions and enter a chance to win Six Sigma Workbook For Dummies
To enter,
- Submit your question for Craig in the comments of this post.
Submit your Six Sigma questions and enter a chance to win Six Sigma Workbook For Dummies
To enter,
- Submit your question for Craig in the comments of this post.
Reacting to Visual Cues
The Toyota Production System makes effective use of visual cues to mark location in time and space, boundaries, and to answer the question "How am I doing" in a production setting. Visual Cues are a simple but effective mechanism.
The assumption — and, what empirical evidence supports — is that we react automatically to objects and spaces that we encounter. The picture below is taken from the book Thoughtless Acts?: Observations on Intuitive Design
The Toyota Production System makes effective use of visual cues to mark location in time and space, boundaries, and to answer the question "How am I doing" in a production setting. Visual Cues are a simple but effective mechanism.
The assumption — and, what empirical evidence supports — is that we react automatically to objects and spaces that we encounter. The picture below is taken from the book Thoughtless Acts?: Observations on Intuitive Design
eBay and Toyota: Respect for People
A pillar of Toyota is "Respect for People." This concept is explained well in the Toyota Code of Conduct. This is not new to students of Lean Manufacturing or The Toyota Production System. Since joining eBay two weeks ago, I’m seeing some parallels between Toyota and eBay. The main similarity is, indeed, Respect For People.
A pillar of Toyota is "Respect for People." This concept is explained well in the Toyota Code of Conduct. This is not new to students of Lean Manufacturing or The Toyota Production System. Since joining eBay two weeks ago, I’m seeing some parallels between Toyota and eBay. The main similarity is, indeed, Respect For People.
The Mind of Jeff Bezos
I’ve worked at a few companies since Amazon and, as time passes, I’m realizing how wise Jeff Bezos really is. Despite the geeky perception, Jeff Bezos really was visionary in many, many ways. Three ways in which I believe he was absolutely visionary is in his (1) focus on the customer, (2) in the product and software development practices at Amazon, (3) and in his insights on team dynamics and in team size.
I’ve worked at a few companies since Amazon and, as time passes, I’m realizing how wise Jeff Bezos really is. Despite the geeky perception, Jeff Bezos really was visionary in many, many ways. Three ways in which I believe he was absolutely visionary is in his (1) focus on the customer, (2) in the product and software development practices at Amazon, (3) and in his insights on team dynamics and in team size.
Queueing Psychology at the Gas Pump
More and more gas stations have television displays that play commercials and T.V. shows as you pump gas. While the primary motivation for these firms is to increase brand awareness through commercialization and penetration, this entertain-while-you-wait is also a manifestation of Queueing Psychology.
There are a few key behavioral responses or reactions to queues, or waiting. Below are the propositions for the Psychology of Queueing:
More and more gas stations have television displays that play commercials and T.V. shows as you pump gas. While the primary motivation for these firms is to increase brand awareness through commercialization and penetration, this entertain-while-you-wait is also a manifestation of Queueing Psychology.
There are a few key behavioral responses or reactions to queues, or waiting. Below are the propositions for the Psychology of Queueing:
Jacob’s Oven and Lean
My family and I are supporters of the Jacob’s Oven Project, which is a charity to help mothers and families in Africa become more self-reliant. It’s a very cool project and my wife and I are helping. We’ve donated an Oven and have called it "Preston", the name of our adopted child. Also, any proceeds made on shmula.com go to support the Jacob’s Oven Project. Oh, and my wife will be going to Africa to train the the women on how to use the Ovens — pretty exciting.
My family and I are supporters of the Jacob’s Oven Project, which is a charity to help mothers and families in Africa become more self-reliant. It’s a very cool project and my wife and I are helping. We’ve donated an Oven and have called it "Preston", the name of our adopted child. Also, any proceeds made on shmula.com go to support the Jacob’s Oven Project. Oh, and my wife will be going to Africa to train the the women on how to use the Ovens — pretty exciting.
On Education and Character
I taught a class at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management during the Winter 2007 semester. I taught a class on Operations and Supply Chain Management. All in all, it was a decent experience. I’ve taught before, but this time around was difficult. Life is so busy now — with family, a day job, and then teaching on the side — it’s too much. I’ll be taking a well-needed break and I’m going to just focus on my new career with eBay. But, it was also difficult for another reason: I’m very dissappointed in the students’ over-emphasis on grades which, I believe, greatly impacts their ability to learn and, more importantly, their opportunity to let education shape their character and make them better human beings.
I taught a class at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management during the Winter 2007 semester. I taught a class on Operations and Supply Chain Management. All in all, it was a decent experience. I’ve taught before, but this time around was difficult. Life is so busy now — with family, a day job, and then teaching on the side — it’s too much. I’ll be taking a well-needed break and I’m going to just focus on my new career with eBay. But, it was also difficult for another reason: I’m very dissappointed in the students’ over-emphasis on grades which, I believe, greatly impacts their ability to learn and, more importantly, their opportunity to let education shape their character and make them better human beings.
The Flateto Principle
As opposed to a Pareto, where the picture of the data shows a nice stratification and separation in the data, a Flateto is exactly the opposite: the visual picture is one where there is no separation — all the bars are of equal length. Essentially, a Flateto doesn’t tell us where to spend our time or energies.
As opposed to a Pareto, where the picture of the data shows a nice stratification and separation in the data, a Flateto is exactly the opposite: the visual picture is one where there is no separation — all the bars are of equal length. Essentially, a Flateto doesn’t tell us where to spend our time or energies.
Need a Job, eh?
This post is calling-out all shmula readers and visitors in the Salt Lake Cityt, UT area with a strong background in Lean and Six Sigma and interested in being part of the eBay team.
Please go here to apply.
For articles on queueing theory, time-traps, operations, lean and six sigma, please visit the links below:
This post is calling-out all shmula readers and visitors in the Salt Lake Cityt, UT area with a strong background in Lean and Six Sigma and interested in being part of the eBay team.
Please go here to apply.
For articles on queueing theory, time-traps, operations, lean and six sigma, please visit the links below:
