Category Archives: Management

Improving the 401(k) System

Posted on August 18, 2006 by John Hunter

401(k)s are a great retirement investment vehicle (for those in the USA). Since the introduction of 401(k)s they have proved very advantageous to those saving for their retirement. See our previous post on: Saving for Retirement. However, the experience thusfar … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Investing, Management | 1 Comment

Root Cause Analysis

Posted on August 17, 2006 by John Hunter

Nice post on Root Cause Analysis: This, more rigorous and long-lasting, approach to solving problems is called Root Cause Analysis. There are several tools that can aid in the process of Root Cause Analysis. One common tool developed by Toyota … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Quality tools | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Toyota Management Develops the New Camry

Posted on August 17, 2006 by John Hunter

Toyota’s Globalization Takes Shape through the Camry, speech by Gary Convis: So, even though I accept Mr. Friedman’s point that our world is quickly changing, I also believe many of our age-old principles will continue to apply. Principles like quality… … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Toyota Production System (TPS) | 2 Comments

Patent Review Innovation

Posted on August 16, 2006 by John Hunter

Michael Crichton wrote an essay critical of the current patent law: This Essay Breaks the Law. I believe the US is making significant mistakes in how we are proceeding with the patent system, see: The Patent System Needs to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Economics, Innovation, IT, Management, Process improvement | 2 Comments

Google Management

Posted on August 15, 2006 by John Hunter

Management a la Google [the broken link, wsj.com, was removed] by Gary Hamel This short article makes some interesting points, definitely worth a read. Google has invested heavily in building a highly transparent organization that makes it easy to share … Continue reading →

Posted in Google, Innovation, Management, Management Articles | 1 Comment

Eliminate Slogans

Posted on August 13, 2006 by John Hunter

This poster may do a better job, than my posts, of showing why posters and slogan are not an effective management strategy. Text from the poster: “If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Deming, Management, Popular, Psychology, quote, Respect | Tagged , | 3 Comments

10 Kaizen Tips

Posted on August 12, 2006 by John Hunter

Kaizen Hot-Wash Lesson 6. Pick the right lean tool for the job and use it well. There are plenty of lean tools to choose for kaizen activities so your MUST determine the right tool and use it well. In our … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Quality tools | Comments Off on 10 Kaizen Tips

Teach, Write and Live Quality

Posted on August 11, 2006 by John Hunter

Teach, Write and Live Quality by Michelle Bangert Quality Magazine’s inaugural Quality Professional of the Year, Roderick A. Munro, Ph.D.: He also had the privilege of joining the Deming Study Group of Greater Detroit. “It was such an honor for … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Management | 1 Comment

Competition

Posted on August 11, 2006 by John Hunter

Why I hate programming competitions [the broken link was removed] by Mike Vanier Most aspects of Deming’s thinking seemed natural to me from the start. Some ideas have taken longer (it took me awhile to be won over to the … Continue reading →

Posted in IT, Management, Psychology, Software Development, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Competition

Lean Health Care Works

Posted on August 10, 2006 by John Hunter

Lean Health Care? It Works! [the broken link was removed] by Patricia Panchak In 1971, the U.S. spent 7.5% of its gross national product on health care — about $75 billion. We now spend 14.5%, which is about $1.3 trillion. … Continue reading →

Posted in Health care, Lean thinking, Management, Management Articles | Tagged | Comments Off on Lean Health Care Works