Category Archives: Lean thinking

Supplier Development Article

Posted on July 10, 2006 by John Hunter

Supplier development in a lean age [the broken link was removed] by Rich Weissman “We need to keep in mind why we are doing supplier development and relationship management, and profit needs to be the focus of our efforts. Profitable suppliers will tend to be happier suppliers, and happier suppliers will ultimately perform better.” I get the impression from this and many other articles that people are scared to talk about any other aims than profit. Deming didn’t have such … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Lean thinking, Management, Management Articles, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Lean Manufacturing Dream

Posted on July 6, 2006 by John Hunter

This article is from 2001 and worth reading. It is important to keep up with what is currently happening but there is a great deal of useful information from 5, 10,20, 50… years ago. Achieving the lean dream [the broken link was removed] by Nelson J. Teed: Growth and lean are great partners for another reason. Positive employee reaction to lean is crucial to success, and not automatic. Lean improves productivity and can reduce the number of people needed. Layoffs … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management Articles, Manufacturing | Tagged | 1 Comment

Another Article on Lean UK Hospitals

Posted on July 3, 2006 by John Hunter

Country to follow the hospital’s ‘lean’ lead by Jane Lavender: Since the introduction of lean thinking, the length of time it takes a patient to get from the accident and emergency to the operating theatre has been reduced by 38 per cent. Paper work has been cut by 42 per cent and the total time patients spend in hospital has been slashed by 32 per cent. The article also says “Nine months ago the hospital became one of only six … Continue reading →

Posted in Health care, Lean thinking, Management, Public Sector, UK

New Look American Manufacturing

Posted on June 30, 2006 by John Hunter

The New Look American Manufacturing [the broken link was removed] by Dale Buss: The evidence shows that American manufacturers that revise their processes and integrate technology in ways that allow them to stay close to customers can survive the onslaught from China. Adaptability is key above all other factors. I agree by applying lean manufacturing and other management improvement ideas manufacturers can (and are) prospering in the USA. I don’t think one factor is the key. Many factors determine whether … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Lean thinking, Management, Manufacturing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Trust: Respect for People

Posted on June 30, 2006 by John Hunter

Respect for People [the broken link was removed*], Toyota.co.jp Respect for People has always been important to Toyota, and nowhere is this more evident than in the relationship among Toyota associates. … There has been only one exception to this rule throughout Toyota’s entire history. In June 1950, during a postwar period of great hardship in Japan, the company was forced to choose between corporate restructuring or risking complete collapse. Then-President Kiichiro Toyoda battled for months for the sake of … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Lean thinking, Management, Respect, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lean Furniture Manufacturing

Posted on June 28, 2006 by John Hunter

Pulaski’s passion for lean plumps up dealer service [the broken link was removed] by Jeff Linville Pulaski Furniture says it has cut inventories, improved delivery times and reduced waste as part of a new emphasis on lean manufacturing. … This led to cutting out about 100 feet of conveyor line to reduce inefficiency, and moving machinery and other equipment around in the plant; a few new pieces were added too. Reducing waste didn’t mean cutting any jobs, Oakley said. Instead, … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Management Articles, Manufacturing

Employee Ownership

Posted on June 26, 2006 by John Hunter

H.C. Miller workers to earn ownership [the broken link was removed] by Richard Ryman. I have always liked the idea of employee ownership. To me this can be a great help in creating a system where employees, owners, customers, suppliers work together. Alone an ESOP does little. But as part of a system of management it is something I think can be beneficial. Employees of H.C. Miller Co. have learned to look at their company differently. And because they did, … Continue reading →

Posted in Investing, Lean thinking, Management, Manufacturing, Systems thinking | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Hospitals, Heal Thyselves

Posted on June 22, 2006 by John Hunter

Hospitals, Heal Thyselves by Cal Thomas: This proven system does not require more staff or expensive consultants and it certainly does not need another bureaucratic, costly and inefficient government agency, which can only make things worse. Improvements can be made, says Mr. Dobyns, starting today and in every hospital in the country. Costs will decline. “So the question now becomes, can we afford not to heal our hospitals? We can, if we want, not do anything. But if we decide … Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Health care, Lean thinking, Management, Systems thinking

Health Care Crisis

Posted on June 16, 2006 by John Hunter

Probe finds nation’s emergency care system at ‘breaking point’ (the San Jose Mercury News broke the link so I removed it – poor usabilty on their part) by Lauran Neegaard: It’s a sobering symptom of how the nation’s emergency-care system is overcrowded and overwhelmed, “at its breaking point,” concludes an investigation by the Institute of Medicine. The spate of similar articles reminded me of the recent post by Mark Graban: Stop calling it “ER Congestion”. He states: “It’s not an … Continue reading →

Posted in Health care, Lean thinking, Management, Public Sector, Systems thinking | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Lean National Health System

Posted on June 14, 2006 by John Hunter

A presentation today, Lean Thinking For the NHS, by Dan Jones is getting press coverage in England.NHS should embrace lean times: The improvements came through examining the patient’s whole experience, and removing the sometimes-fatal delays in getting them into the operating theatre, such as creating a faster process for radiology and removing unnecessary paperwork.These changes also lessen staff frustrations by allowing them to spend more time helping patients. Also, by cutting length of stay and complications, costs should also start … Continue reading →

Posted in Health care, Lean thinking, Management, Management Articles, Systems thinking, UK | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

More Kaizen

Posted on June 14, 2006 by John Hunter

More Kaizen – Why Not Eleven? [the broken link was removed]: We also talk about lean production and Toyota methods and how far you have to go. He tells me about a course he did where the company took him out of work for a couple of days and sent him to another plant where they showed him how to work an assembly line station, then set him to come up with 5 improvements for the process before lunchtime.When he … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Quality tools | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Dell Falls Short

Posted on June 13, 2006 by John Hunter

Good post by Mark Graban: Once Again, Dell is Not TPS: Their factories are great examples of flow, raw material comes in one side, finished product comes out the other, with minimal WIP in between.But, lean isn’t just about reducing waste. The Toyota Production System is also about “respect for people,” meaning your employees, suppliers, and customers. Dell definitely scores higher on “reducing waste” than they do on “respecting people.” Good points.

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

Lean Library

Posted on June 12, 2006 by John Hunter

Library becomes a lean machine [the broken link was removed] by Morgan Jarema: “I spent parts of three days looking for that book,” Hoyles recalled. “On the fourth day, I found it. I called the patron and he told me he’d gone out and bought it.” … In November, library employees, who are responsible for checking in from 4,000 to 10,000 returned materials at a time, were asked to help reduce the reshelving time, which could be as long as … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management Articles, Public Sector, Quality tools | Tagged ,

Tesco: Lean Provision

Posted on June 8, 2006 by John Hunter

Lean Provision Is Tesco’s Secret Weapon in Battle with Wal-Mart (annoyingly Yahoo has deleted that web page so I removed the link) (update again here is the LEI press release [the broken link was removed, The Lean Enterprise Institute doesn’t see to employ long term thinking, though that is certainly part of sensible lean thinking]): Tesco’s lean provision system combines point-of-sale data, cross-dock distribution centers, and frequent deliveries to many stores along “milk-runs” to stock the right items in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Investing, Lean thinking, Management | 4 Comments

Lean Beyond the Factory Floor

Posted on June 7, 2006 by John Hunter

Spreading the lean tonic [the broken link was removed]: One problem, says Michele Bonfiglioli, chief executive of Italian manufacturing consultancy firm Bonfiglioli Consulting, is that many manufacturers have a ‘blind spot’ when it comes to understanding just how non-lean and inefficient their administrative functions are. “Manufacturing is full of metrics: takt times, OEE and a host of others – but no one measures what goes on in the offices,” he observes. The focus on the whole organization is increasing moving … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Process improvement | Tagged , ,

Kaizen Event Research Project

Posted on June 5, 2006 by John Hunter

NSF Funded Kaizen Event Research Project [the broken link was removed] First, this research seeks to identify the most important factors influencing successful outcomes (both technical and social)…The second objective investigates the sustainability of Kaizen events over time. The research team has visited numerous organizations utilizing Kaizen events across multiple areas. Leaders in some organizations acknowledge that some areas will quickly (within 6 months to one year) revert back to the pre-Kaizen performance levels. Yet other organizations appear successful in … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Manufacturing, Public Sector, Quality tools | Tagged , , | 2 Comments