Monthly Archives: May 2007

ASQ Deming Medal to Peter Scholtes

Posted on May 7, 2007 by John Hunter

I am happy that the ASQ Deming Medal was presented to Peter R. Scholtes: for his efforts to inspire others to transform organizations by helping managers understand how successful leadership of people requires an understanding of the interdependencies among knowledge about variation, psychology, appreciation for a system, and the theory of knowledge. The Deming Medal is presented to those who, like Dr. Deming, have successfully combined the application of statistical thinking and management so that each supports and enhances the … Continue reading →

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

Out of the Crisis

Posted on May 5, 2007 by John Hunter

Entrepreneur.com has named their 9 best classic business books of the past 30 years including Out of the Crisis by W. Edwards Deming: Deming’s teachings challenged American business practice at almost every point. Among his most revolutionary ideas were the notions that poor management–not slacker workers–was responsible for most quality problems, and the way to boost quality was to carefully measure defects and the effects of changing processes. The article includes a section on what to ignore from each book, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Deming, Management | Tagged , ,

Learn From Success and Failure

Posted on May 5, 2007 by John Hunter

Toyota’s Win That Wasn’t, an interview with, Matthew E. May, author of The Elegant Solution: Toyota’s Formula for Mastering Innovation: Toyota had a goal of 15% of the U.S. market by 2010. They’ve exceeded that number three years earlier than anticipated. The assumptions didn’t include the Detroit implosion. I know that hansei–the Japanese word for reflection–is being conducted to better understand what happened. At Toyota, exceeding an expectation often receives the same treatment as missing an objective. There’s a need … Continue reading →

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

Information Technology and Management

Posted on May 4, 2007 by John Hunter

Dog Eat Dog [the broken link was removed, sadly even MIT can’t manage a website properly and they have broken the link] by Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson The CVS experience is a microcosm of a pervasive trend toward using IT to replicate not only digital goods and services but also business processes. This trend encompasses core activities such as customer service and order management, as well as support activities such as accounting and human resources. Once a company embeds … Continue reading →

Posted in IT, Management | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Find Good Management Improvement Jobs

Posted on May 3, 2007 by John Hunter

Peter Abilla (shmula blog) is hiring a Manager for Process Improvement [the broken link was removed] to work with him at eBay. It is a great opportunity, in my opinion. Here are some highlights of what he is looking for: Experience implementing Lean and Six Sigma in transactional environments (non-manufacturing). Experience with Value-stream Mapping (current- and future-state), Lean Consumption and Lean Provisioning Experience with Lean beyond just book knowledge — I’m looking for hands-on implementation of Lean. You can explain … Continue reading →

Posted in IT, Lean thinking, Process improvement, Six sigma | Tagged

Toyota, Lean, Consultants…

Posted on May 3, 2007 by John Hunter

Toyota’s success pleases proponents of ‘lean’ The publicity about Toyota becoming No. 1 will create another burst of energy to lean, even though a survey by management consulting firm Bain shows that just 19% of companies that have tried it are happy with the results, says Mark Gottfredson, Bain’s head of performance improvement. More evidence that lean works will result in interest in lean – that seems true. And then those that have an interest will be disappointed in their … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Six sigma, Toyota Production System (TPS)

Fixing Health Care – Andy Grove

Posted on May 2, 2007 by John Hunter

Intel’s Andy Grove Pitches a Plan for Fixing Health Care Call it fear of mortality, opportunism or altruism — Grove sees a major breakdown in a system that leaves nearly 50 million Americans uninsured and emergency rooms closing down in droves. There’s also a business case. Health care is a $200 trillion-a-year industry — as Grove notes, 20 times larger than the chip business — that’s only getting bigger as baby boomers enter their autumnal years. Exactly right, the system … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Health care

Management Improvement Carnival #10

Posted on May 2, 2007 by John Hunter

Please submit your favorite management posts to the carnival. Just Hide It by Mike Wroblewski – “It is also a clear indicator that we have a long way to go on our lean journey. By hiding our problems, we create muda and more importantly we ignore the real problems.” Deming’s 14 Points and Home Building by Peter Abilla – “Magleby is known as the ‘home builder for billionaires.’ I find it refreshing and impressive that he would credit Deming for … Continue reading →

Posted in Carnival