Monthly Archives: February 2006

Quality Customer Focus

Delivering Two Kinds of Quality [the broken link was removed] by Keith McFarland, Business Week: What do the Japanese take for granted when it comes to quality? They take for granted that things should work as they are supposed to, … Continue reading

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John Simpson

This is the best I can do to create my Simpson self. Until I have a guest appearance on the show, I guess this will have to do. You can try for yourself using the Simpson Maker [the broken link … Continue reading

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Six Sigma and the Mobile Workforce

Six Sigma and the Mobile Workforce [the broken link was removed] by Lynda Finn and Sue Reynard: This type of data collection also helps process owners or managers spot systemic problems that appear across processes. For example, a process owner … Continue reading

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The Art of Work

The Art of Work [the broken link was removed] by Ann Marsh: These companies are now using Csikszentmihalyi’s ideas to learn how they can get the best out of their workers or create more compelling connections with their customers. Without … Continue reading

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The Deming Difference

The Deming Difference (broken link removed): Everyone wants instant pudding. Then, Dr. Deming stands up and says there is no such thing as instant pudding. That we must learn how to integrate knowledge of people, statistics, and theory of knowledge … Continue reading

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Funding Invention Vs. Managing Innovation

Funding Invention Vs. Managing Innovation [the broken link was removed] by John Hagel and John Seely Brown But if we shift our attention from invention to innovation, we begin to see a much broader horizon. Innovation — the ability to … Continue reading

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Visible Data

Effective visual signals are important for effective management improvement: lean thinking emphasizes such ideas. Top 5 Rules of Effective Measurement Boards is an excellent post on how to make measurement effective. Take the time to find the important measures and … Continue reading

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Performance Appraisal Problems

The Struggle To Measure Performance [the broken link was removed], Business Week: One company that recently decided to dump forced rankings altogether is Chemtura (CEM), a $3 billion specialty chemicals company formed by the July merger of Crompton in Middlebury, … Continue reading

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Lean Continuous Improvement

Continuous Improvement — Taking A Big-Picture Approach To Lean [the broken link was removed] by Jonathan Katz, Industry Week: Northrop Grumman Newport News geared its lean value stream toward meeting customer commitments rather than strictly using it as a means … Continue reading

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Toyota Special Report: Thinking Production System

Toyota Special Report: Thinking Production System [the broken link was removed]. A very interesting article on Toyota’s web site (www.toyota.co.jp). At the 2003 Automotive Parts System Solution Fair, held in Tokyo, June 18, 2003, Teruyuki Minoura, then-managing director of global … Continue reading

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