Category Archives: Management

Hospital Poka Yoke

Hospital Lean: Error Proofing by Mark Graban Some hospitals are making a systemic process change that they hope will prevent this error. They are banning the typical abbreviation for micrograms. They want everyone to use “mcg” for micrograms and “mg” … Continue reading

Posted in Health care, Lean thinking, Management, Quality tools, Systems thinking | Comments Off on Hospital Poka Yoke

Shigeo Shingo’s Influence on TPS

A very interesting article by Art Smalley based on an interview with Mr. Isao Kato: Shigeo Shingo’s Influence on TPS [the broken link was removed]. For those interested in the history of the Toyota Production System this article provides some … Continue reading

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Management Articles, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Management: Geeks and Deming

Why Business Needs More Geeks [the broken link was removed] by Robert May: then along came Wall Street. Obsessed with quarterly profit increases and seeing them as disconnected from value creation, Wall Street encouraged businesses to think short-term. The things … Continue reading

Posted in Deming, Innovation, Management, Management Articles | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Understanding Data

Statistics Abuse and Me [the broken link was removed] by Jay Mathews: the Simpson’s Paradox numbers. The national average for the SAT went up only 4 points between 1981 and 2005, but the average for whites went up 10 points, … Continue reading

Posted in Data, Education, Management, Statistics | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Respect for People

A very thoughtful post, Respect for People on the Kaikaku blog raises some interesting questions. What does respect for people really mean? Toyota empowers people: To stop the line – to stop every other worker from working – that is … Continue reading

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Popular, Respect, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Find the Root Cause Instead of the Person to Blame

When encountering a problem or defect the inclination of many is to find a person to blame. W. Edwards Deming believed that the system was responsible for 93% of the problems and over time he increased that number to at … Continue reading

Posted in Management, Popular, Process improvement, Psychology, Quality tools, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Airline Quality

The Inmates Are Running The Asylums by Bill Waddell. For instance, I found something called NWA’s [Nortwest Airlines] “Customer First” Customer Service Guide. Incredibly, it includes the statement, “Ensure that you receive a response to your written complaints within 60 … Continue reading

Posted in Customer focus, Management | 3 Comments

Most Meetings are Muda

Most Meetings are Muda (Waste) from Got Boondoggle: I will not waste your time and regurgitate all the expert based meeting protocols like following an established agenda, having a meeting plan, taking meeting notes, etc. All these ideas are great … Continue reading

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Quality tools | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Quality Conversation with Gary Convis

Quality Conversation with Gary Convis by Norman Bodek: There are two pillars; one is continuous improvement. You might not call this a human issue exactly, but Toyota’s success rests on the need for all employees, all management, to be looking … Continue reading

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Management Articles, Toyota Production System (TPS) | 1 Comment

Why are you afraid of process?

Why are you afraid of process? by Seth Godin I spend a lot of time railing against organizations and teams that fall in love with process at the expense of innovation. This is not a post about that. It’s about … Continue reading

Posted in Management, Process improvement | Tagged , | 1 Comment