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Shmula

Lean Six Sigma. Simplified.

[VIDEO] The Tale of the Seven Wastes

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The elimination of waste in processes is one of the most effective ways to increase the profitability of any business. Processes either add value or waste to the production of a good or service. There are seven wastes or ‘muda,’ and the tool was first developed by Taiichi Ohno and make up the core of the Toyota […]

[VIDEO] The TAKT Time of Manufacturing

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Takt time is the pace of production that aligns production with customer demand. Simply put, it is how fast you need to manufacture product in order to fill your customer orders. It is a key concept in lean manufacturing. and the heartbeat of a lean organization by matching actual production to demand. It is not a goal to […]

Principles of Lean Thinking

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During the 1980’s the principles of lean thinking took hold in US manufacturing. The existing techniques of manufacturing were questioned as the Japanese manufacturing principles of ‘just in time’ were becoming a better paradigm. Subsequently, those techniques became better known as lean production. Soon, the principles of lean thinking spread across numerous industries and became […]

[VIDEO] TPS Lean Factory Tour

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The Toyota Production System (TPS) was invented by Toyota’s founding fathers in 1930 in Japan. The TPS continuously evolves, making it a benchmark for manufacturing, product development or any other sector of industry. TPS is called “The Toyota Way” and it actually gives you a compass to set your direction and helps you steer your own course. Toyota has […]

Lean Construction Methodologies Lay a New Foundation

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Lean construction extends the methods of lean manufacturing to the construction industry by maximizing value and minimizing waste. The industry has quickly recognized the need to improve their processes to keep pace in an ever-growing environment. Recent studies by the industry have shown that 50% or more of effort in a built environment is non-value […]

Hoshin Kanri Aligns Goals and Unifies Organizations

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The concept of Hoshin Kanri provides clarity and focus to an organization, by aligning strategic goals through all levels of an organization. It creates an organic flow of information which runs through an organization, where goals run down from management, through the mid-level operation to the production floor. In return, the flow reverses and the […]

[VIDEO] Building Strength With Key Performance Indicators

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Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can shape strategy and fact-based decision making inside businesses, only if those inside the organization act on them.  It doesn’t matter how brilliantly you’ve aligned your KPIs to your strategy, or even how brilliantly you have captured and presented the relevant KPIs, if they aren’t used as they were intended. If […]

Building a Culture of Continuous Quality Improvement

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All organizations exhibit a unique culture, whether it has been shaped on purpose or not. However, smart managers understand that this culture is a crucial and important reason for the organization’s ultimate success. When leaders decide to implement a system of continuous quality improvement (CQI), they need to understand the role that organizational culture plays […]

5 Practical Examples of Work in Process

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In manufacturing, Work in Process (WIP) – also referred to as Work in Progress – is a category of inventory that consists of unfinished items which still require further assembly, processing or inspection to turn them into finished goods ready for delivery to the customer. This term only applies to items in the inventory which […]