Yearly Archives: 2007

Tesco in the USA

Tesco is opening Fresh and Easy stores in the USA: starting with Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Tesco is the third largest retailer in the world and well known for using lean management methods. I added Tesco … Continue reading

Posted in Creativity, Customer focus, Lean thinking, Management, Respect, Systems thinking | 1 Comment

Google Video Customer Service

Google Video sold digital videos that were controlled by Digital Rights Management DRM (so the purchaser didn’t buy something they bought the right to view the digital media according to a set of constraints. I, and many others find these … Continue reading

Posted in Customer focus, Google, IT, Management | 1 Comment

Improvement Tools and Improving Management

Tools are just tools [the broken link has been removed] by Lee Fried We have begun to shift away from a tool driven approach to one more centered on improving our management systems. This makes the work far more difficult, … Continue reading

Posted in Deming, Education, Lean thinking, Management, Quality tools, Systems thinking | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Deming Institute Annual Conference: Oct 2007

Learn how to do your work better, faster, and for less cost, plus find more time to plan your future and develop balance in your life – Attend The W. Edwards Deming Institute Fall Conference. Gain new insights to: * … Continue reading

Posted in Career, Deming, Management, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Comments Off on Deming Institute Annual Conference: Oct 2007

More Bad Customer Service Examples :-(

It is sad to see so many examples of bad customer service. I wish enough companies would adopt management improvement principles so that at least I could avoid dealing with the others altogether. Here are 2 more bad examples from … Continue reading

Posted in Customer focus, Lean thinking, Management, Public Sector | 2 Comments

Don’t Empower

I believe I learned this from Peter Scholtes, though maybe I am remembering it wrong or explaining it wrong (so give him the credit and if I mess it up it is my fault). I believe there is a problem … Continue reading

Posted in Deming, Management, Psychology, Respect, Systems thinking | 5 Comments

Data Based Blathering

Ok, this is one of those posts you might want to ignore or you might enjoy. Before blogs there is little chance this would reach you. But I am tired of seeing the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) promoted as … Continue reading

Posted in Data, Economics, Google, Toyota Production System (TPS) | 3 Comments

Are Google Management Practices Worth Studying?

Larry Dignan asks “Is Google reinventing corporate management or just living off the fruits of one big breakthrough?” Well, I believe Google offers a great deal for managers to study – see our posts on Google management practices. But that … Continue reading

Posted in Innovation, IT, Management | Comments Off on Are Google Management Practices Worth Studying?

Management Improvement Carnival #17

Please submit your favorite management posts to the carnival. Read the previous management carnivals. Take your friends to the Gemba with you by Lee Fried – “Over the last six months we have been developing and refining visual systems to … Continue reading

Posted in Carnival, Management | Comments Off on Management Improvement Carnival #17

Providing Customer Service – Web Hosting

Web Hosting how to: Save your server and customer when digg/reddit/slashdot effect hits his/her website One of your customers gets lucky – a huge burst of traffic hits his website. If you don’t do something quickly, your server will go … Continue reading

Posted in Customer focus, IT, Management, Systems thinking | Comments Off on Providing Customer Service – Web Hosting