Does Lean Six Sigma Have a Place in Sports? Lean methodologies, and Six Sigma in particular, have gained a lot of mainstream attention over the last few years, and people are now exploring more and more creative ways to apply them to various problems around us. It’s clear that the applications of Six Sigma extend […]
Veterans: Lean Six Sigma Skills Are In Demand
Ready to Transition? Veterans, are you ready to transition? That one single question strikes fear in the heart of more veterans than any other. Once the decision to transition from military service into the civilian work force has been made, there is a relief. The veterans now are able to switch focus and are generally […]
How Do I Sell Lean to My Boss and Organization?
This is a question I get frequently. How to sell lean to your boss is a question we have all asked at one point or another. The more fundamental question is really about influence, persuasion, and change management. Another thing. And this is super important to understand. Change is NOT an intellectual task. Change, at […]
Why Heijunka is a Block in the Foundation of the Toyota House
There is a reason why Heijunka is a block in the foundation of the Toyota House, or the Lean House as some call it. The short answer is stability in an operation. The rest of this article will show Heijunka Examples, then discuss what can go wrong without it. I’ll also share 4 Videos that […]
Pull Systems, Push Systems: The Paper Airplane Game
As I teach the principles of Lean Manufacturing to others, I include games that are both fun and also illustrate the concepts in a way that are memorable and solidifies the concepts more clearly in the student’s mind. There are many games that help better explain the sometimes counter intuitive concepts of Lean. One of […]
The MEASURE Phase
The Measure Phase is the second phase in the Six Sigma Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) methodology. In a previous post, we discussed the Define Phase in the Six Sigma DMAIC Methodology and all the elements in that Phase. During the Measure phase, the focus shifts from “do we agree that X is a problem” to “what’s the […]
SIPOC Diagram: Metrics? What Metrics?
A SIPOC Diagram helps us to determine which metrics matter and which metrics we can afford to ignore. This article discusses the metrics for which a SIPOC Diagram can help us identify. To learn more about SIPOC as a process, you can watch this HD Premium Video. Most companies talk of “metrics”, often citing the […]