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Author Archives: John Hunter
The Customer Knows Best?
The Customer Knows Best? Better Think Again by Anthony W. Ulwick It’s important to listen to customers – but not follow their words without skepticism. Ask them to design your next product and you’re likely to miss the mark, suggests this Harvard Business Review excerpt. Excellent point. Some management ideas are pretty easy and straight forward. But many management practices require knowledge and judgment to apply them successfully. Easy solutions may be desired, but, often you must choose between easy … Continue reading
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” for milligrams.Much better than telling everyone to “be careful.” Nice poka yoke example. Saving Lives: US Heath Care Improvement Going Lean in Health Care Improving the Health Care System
Posted in Health care, Lean thinking, Management, Quality tools, Systems thinking
Invest for the Long Term
Invest Like a Simpleton [the broken link was removed] by Tim Beyers, fool.com: Ten years ago, Tom Gardner boldly picked 10 stocks to buy and hold for the next decade. … Even with a tough week in which Silicon Graphics filed for bankruptcy and Dell admitted its business is not at all like it used to be, the Simpleton Portfolio would have returned more than six times your money had you invested on day one. For context, consider this: Over … Continue reading
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 excellent information. Some background on Isao Kato: As much as anyone alive Mr. Kato knows the history of TPS development from an insider’s point of view from the 1950’s forward. He also had working relationships with Mr. Ohno even more … Continue reading
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 that led to value creation – things like innovation, continued learning, employee development, long-term focus – were replaced by pump-and-dump management styles. There is a great deal of similarity between this article and Deming’s ideas. Several of Deming’s 14 obligation … Continue reading
Posted in Deming, Innovation, Management, Management Articles
Tagged Deming, IT, management, technology
2 Comments
Airlines Try Smarter Boarding
Airlines Try Smarter Boarding [the broken link was removed] by Dave Demerjian An airplane that spends an hour on the ground between flights might fly five trips a day,” he explains. “Cut the turnaround time to 40 minutes, and maybe that same plane can complete six or seven flights a day.” More flights mean more paying passengers, and ultimately, more revenue. Good lean thinking and faster boarding is a customer service improvement as well. Convinced that there was a statistical … Continue reading
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, for blacks 21 points, for Asians 37 points, for Mexicans 15 points, for Puerto Ricans 23 points and for American Indians 18 points. How can that be? Is it important? First, yes it is important. Effective use of data is … Continue reading
Posted in Data, Education, Management, Statistics
Tagged critical thinking, curiouscat, Data, management, Statistics
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 real respect and trust. To implement creative improvement ideas around their work area. They trust you to come up with the best idea to make your work easier and more interesting. You don’t have to wait for management to tell … Continue reading
Six Sigma and Process Drift
Quality Quandaries: Six Sigma, Process Drift, Capability Indices, and Feedback Adjustment by George Box and Alberto Luceno. This article is for the more statistically inclined. The Six Sigma specification makes an allowance of 1.5 standard deviations for process drift. Simple ways in which a major part of such drift can be removed are given. These employ feedback adjustment methods specifically designed for SPC applications. Feedback adjustment can be dangerous: tampering. In fact, I would say attempting it is likely to … Continue reading
Posted in Management Articles, Manufacturing, Process improvement, Quality tools, Six sigma, Statistics
Tagged George Box, Six sigma, SPC, Statistics, variation
Innovation at Google
Turning Limitations into Innovation [the broken link was removed] by Marissa Ann Mayer: people working on it have spent so much time and are so personally invested that it’s too painful to walk away. They often know the project is misguided, yet they see the effort through to the painful, unsuccessful end. That’s why it’s important to discover failure fast and abandon it quickly. A limited investment makes it easier to walk away and move on to something else that … Continue reading
Energy Future
Interesting chart from: The Oil Age Poster [the broken link was removed] . There are all sorts of opinions on the future price of oil. My view is based in the capitalist/market model – I believe that if it becomes obvious we are running out of oil the price will go up drastically. Those who own it will feel if you don’t buy it today they will sell it to you for much more later. And those that want it … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Investing
Tagged economic data, Economics, Investing
Lean Thinking Misconception
Office Furniture Companies Now Leaner [the broken link was removed] Steelcase, the largest of the nation’s office furniture companies, cut thousands of jobs, consolidated manufacturing operations and started relying more on third-party suppliers and outsourcing as it shifted toward a leaner and more flexible manufacturing model popularized by Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp. This does not convey true lean thinking. It is a shame so many think lean is equal to “reducing staff.” Lean is about removing waste. Removing waste … Continue reading
Posted in Lean thinking, Management Articles, Manufacturing
Tagged lean manufacturing, Lean thinking
1 Comment
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 least 97%. Why did he see it that way, while so many others first inclination is to blame someone? As I see it the issue has to do with what is the effective way to improve. Often if you ask … Continue reading
Production Preparation Process
The Top 5 Reasons for Using Production Preparation Process (3P) [the broken link was removed] by Jon Miller: Production Preparation Process (3P) is one part of an overall Lean design approach that includes QFD, design reviews, and post-start up monitoring by a cross functional team to kaizen any bugs in the new system. The benefits of Production Preparation Process are a cross-functional team approach, rapid testing of ideas and the embedding of Lean manufacturing principles into process and product design.
Posted in Lean thinking, Management Articles, Quality tools
Tagged Quality tools
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 days of their receipt by our Customer Relations department.” That’s right – you tell them about a problem in writing and, by golly, within two months they’ll get back to you. I flew JetBlue Airways last week. The help at … 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 and work well. Instead, I have a list of a few meeting musts that may guide you to more productive meeting time. The post provides good tips on what to avoid. Given how many people know that many meetings are … Continue reading
Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Quality tools
Tagged Lean thinking, meetings, Quality tools
4 Comments