Archive for June, 2007
Humane Interface – Ask Aza Raskin Anything!
In a previous post on Ethnography, I invited Aza Raskin, founder of Humanized, a consultancy that aims to help companies design more humane products — from consumer packaged goods to software interfaces — and, son of Jef Raskin, the inventor of the Macintosh and author of The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems
In a previous post on Ethnography, I invited Aza Raskin, founder of Humanized, a consultancy that aims to help companies design more humane products — from consumer packaged goods to software interfaces — and, son of Jef Raskin, the inventor of the Macintosh and author of The Humane Interface: New Directions for Designing Interactive Systems
Homegrown Ethnography
The Toyota Production System makes effective use of visual cues to mark location in time and space, boundaries, and to answer the questions "How am I doing?", "Where am I?", "How do I use this?", and "What else needs to be done?". Visual Cues are a simple but effective mechanism.
The Toyota Production System makes effective use of visual cues to mark location in time and space, boundaries, and to answer the questions "How am I doing?", "Where am I?", "How do I use this?", and "What else needs to be done?". Visual Cues are a simple but effective mechanism.
When Bad Things Happen to Good Teams
Teams are a vehicle for getting things done. I love being a part of a team and am slowly learning how to lead effective teams. One thing I’ve learned already is that the Team, as a vehicle, can sometimes get in the way. In what follows, I’ll show how.
Teams are a vehicle for getting things done. I love being a part of a team and am slowly learning how to lead effective teams. One thing I’ve learned already is that the Team, as a vehicle, can sometimes get in the way. In what follows, I’ll show how.
Accelerated Life Testing and Supplier Development
On May 25, I announced a contest whereby the readers of shmula could enter and win a Six Sigma for Dummies Workbook. In the proceeding posts, I’ll be posting Craig Gygi’s responses to those questions. Today are Craig’s comments on methods of achieving failure quicker on product or component testing and on developing supplier quality with your suppliers.
On May 25, I announced a contest whereby the readers of shmula could enter and win a Six Sigma for Dummies Workbook. In the proceeding posts, I’ll be posting Craig Gygi’s responses to those questions. Today are Craig’s comments on methods of achieving failure quicker on product or component testing and on developing supplier quality with your suppliers.
Kaizen-ed Out of a Job
I discovered a helpful site today, where one of the questions on the FAQ was: "Will I be Kaizen-ed out of a job?" It’s a fair question.
Below is the answer given by the site:
Will I be kaizen-ed out of a job?
The single most common fear that operators have when learning about kaizen and waste elimination is that they will loose their job after a kaizen event. After all, isn’t labor the first waste listed (see preceding question).
I discovered a helpful site today, where one of the questions on the FAQ was: "Will I be Kaizen-ed out of a job?" It’s a fair question.
Below is the answer given by the site:
Will I be kaizen-ed out of a job?
The single most common fear that operators have when learning about kaizen and waste elimination is that they will loose their job after a kaizen event. After all, isn’t labor the first waste listed (see preceding question).
Cpk, Process Capability, Workout, & Witch Hunts
On May 25, I announced a contest whereby the readers of shmula could enter and win a Six Sigma for Dummies Workbook. In the proceeding posts, I’ll be posting Craig Cygi’s responses to those questions. Today are Craig’s response to the question on the Process Capability Index (Cpk) as a measurement for Process Capability, thoughts on introducing Lean and Six Sigma into an organization, and some comments around the recent cynicism toward Six Sigma.
On May 25, I announced a contest whereby the readers of shmula could enter and win a Six Sigma for Dummies Workbook. In the proceeding posts, I’ll be posting Craig Cygi’s responses to those questions. Today are Craig’s response to the question on the Process Capability Index (Cpk) as a measurement for Process Capability, thoughts on introducing Lean and Six Sigma into an organization, and some comments around the recent cynicism toward Six Sigma.
The Winning Dummies are . . .
On May 25, I announced a contest whereby the readers of shmula could enter and win a Six Sigma for Dummies Workbook.
Below were the contest details:
Submit your Six Sigma questions and enter a chance to win Six Sigma Workbook For Dummies
, an industry bestseller since its publication in 2005. We are fortunate to have Craig Gygi, the lead author of Six Sigma for Dummies
On May 25, I announced a contest whereby the readers of shmula could enter and win a Six Sigma for Dummies Workbook.
Below were the contest details:
Submit your Six Sigma questions and enter a chance to win Six Sigma Workbook For Dummies
Lean for Software
This post is a republication of an interview I held with Mary Poppendieck, the author of Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit for Software Development Managers (Paperback) and Implementing Lean Software Development: From Concept to Cash (Paperback).
This post is a republication of an interview I held with Mary Poppendieck, the author of Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit for Software Development Managers (Paperback) and Implementing Lean Software Development: From Concept to Cash (Paperback).
Complexity Creep
What if your company only had one product? One feature in a product? What would life in that world be like? Then, as an excercise, slowly add one feature and one product at a time, and see how that world changes, which processes are added, and how complexity begins to accumulate. Lean and Six Sigma that are implemented on the shop floor often do not help because the problem with proliferate and unmanaged complexity begins with the product, not after.
What if your company only had one product? One feature in a product? What would life in that world be like? Then, as an excercise, slowly add one feature and one product at a time, and see how that world changes, which processes are added, and how complexity begins to accumulate. Lean and Six Sigma that are implemented on the shop floor often do not help because the problem with proliferate and unmanaged complexity begins with the product, not after.
