We recently bought a new car – yes, a Toyota. To buy it, we went through Toyota Financial Services. This week, we received a letter welcoming us and giving us some information on our car payment bill. At the bottom of that letter was this: We are committed to ensuring your experience with us is […]
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Old Spice Guy: 5 Lean Thinking Lessons
We can find lean thinking almost everywhere – yes, even from the Old Spice Guy. Below are 5 lessons that all lean thinkers, six sigma practitioners, or folks in lean manufacturing can learn and apply in their work. No Explicit Invitation That’s right, at no time that I can remember does the Old Spice Guy […]
The Lean Dentist: Book Review of Follow the Learner
Several months ago I finished Dr. Sami Bahri’s (The Lean Dentist) book Follow the Learner: The Role of a Leader in Creating a Lean Culture. I’m grateful to the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) for providing me with a free copy (as well as several other books they’ve sent me). > This post is my review […]
The Lean Startup, Video Interview, Eric Ries, Part 1
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSSThe principles of Lean have been applied to many areas outside of manufacturing – from lean for healthcare, lean for service operations, lean in education, and even lean for entrepreneurship. Lean for Entrepreneurship is also known as the Lean Startup. View Part 2 of this […]
PDCA and DMAIC Comparison: Similarities and Differences
Integrating or reconciling the PDCA framework from Lean and DMAIC from Six Sigma is the topic of this post. How is the PDCA Cycle similar or difference from the DMAIC of Six Sigma? Since both methodologies and frameworks share a common history, it is no surprise that integrating their respective frameworks was not difficult to […]
Solution in Search of a Problem
Most view innovation a big bang type of exercise – or an “aha” moment that came out of nowhere. Indeed, cogito ergo sum – an invention akin to “out nothing, something”. A look back in history will tell us that this notion is completely false. In fact, looking at the components of the iPhone, you’ll […]
Lean is Easy to Understand, Hard to Do
James Surowiecki 1 wrote in the New Yorker a piece about Toyota, the Toyota Production System, and innovation. In that piece, he distinguishes between an big bang innovation versus many, small, incremental improvements. He claims that viewing innovation as only a “big bang” is nearsighted and argues that slow, steady, and incremental improvements are the […]
Shoulders of Giants: Toyoda Automatic Loom
We stand on the shoulders of giants. In other words, what we enjoy today – by and large – come from those that came before us. So, today I’m starting a new series I’m calling “Shoulders of Giants” to signify the gratitude we can show to those that have greatly influenced our current practice of […]
Lean Six Sigma: The DMAIC Framework
Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSSIn an earlier post, I asked how Lean and Six Sigma can work together. In a later post, I shared that Lean and Six Sigma have a common history. In this post, I’ll explain the Six Sigma Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) Framework. Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) To put Six […]
Lean or Six Sigma?
People often ask “which is better, Lean or Six Sigma“? In many cases, lean or six sigma can help, but it’s not enough. My response to such either/or questions is “both”. The question is flawed because it fails to recognize their shared and common history and influence on each other. Also, people who ask this […]
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