Tricks of the Trade Work smarter not harder! If we’re honest with ourselves, we realize that sometimes we have a tendency to make things more difficult than they need to be. A statistics guru once asked me why a sample size of…
Tricks of the Trade Work smarter not harder! If we’re honest with ourselves, we realize that sometimes we have a tendency to make things more difficult than they need to be. A statistics guru once asked me why a sample size of…
It’s not what you know but what you understand that matters most. ~ Redge Discerning perceived knowledge from real understanding is a challenge for many leaders. To memorize facts and figures and to correctly answer related questions simply by recalling this…
Almost everything I read or learned suggests that lean was never intended to be complicated. The simplest definition of lean I have read to date follows: Focus on what matters and eliminate what doesn’t This is not to suggest that…
I planned to publish this yesterday but for some reason I felt compelled to wait. I doubt it was fate, but as you will see, Toyota once again managed to serendipitously substantiate my reason for it. I was originally inspired to write this post based…
Background If “Time is Money”, is it reasonable for us to consider that “Wasting Time is Wasting Money?” Whether we are discussing customer service, health care, government services, or manufacturing – waste is often identified as one of the top concerns that must…
As discussed on our Lean Roadmap page, the culture that exists inside your company will determine the success or failure of your lean initiatives in the long-term. So, how do we cultivate and nurture this culture that we desire to achieve? Fortunately, I found a great article, How…
Our process improvement strategy is founded on the Theory of Constraints where improvement initiatives are supported by lean and six sigma tools. Process disruptions affecting flow and task execution all contribute to variance and the efforts to eliminate or reduce…
I have always been impressed by Toyota’s inherent ability to adapt, improve, and embrace change even during the harshest times. This innate ability is a signature trait of Toyota’s culture and has been the topic of intense study and research…
Update: Steven J. Spear has been awarded the Philip Crosby Medal for his book “The High-Velocity Edge: How Market Leaders Leverage Operational Excellence to Beat the Competition” according to a Press release from ASQ—the world’s largest network of quality resources and…
Sometimes you need a break from reading and learn from others who are truly walking the talk. We trust you will find this video, “Competing with Giants – It’s all about Speed”, featuring Dominic Orr, CEO of Aruba Networks, as interesting and thought provoking…