Category Archives: Management Articles

Management Advice Failures

Posted on June 10, 2006 by John Hunter

…when we fail to value the best ideas, instead valuing the new ideas, we are not as effective as we could be. We often accept pale copies of good old ideas instead of going to the good old ideas – which will often lead to a much richer source of knowledge. Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Management Articles, Popular, quote | Tagged , , , , , | 17 Comments

If Tech Companies Made Sudoku

Posted on June 9, 2006 by John Hunter

Topic: Management Improvement A fun post as we head into the weekend: If Tech Companies Made Sudoku by Kathy Sierra Frankly, we’re a little baffled that your original design was so… simple. I’m sure we all recognize that our target market demands a much more media-rich, interactive, high-action experience. Love the whole grid thing, though. The graphic on the original post is great. You can also read about an attempt to focus IT differently: The Declaration of Interdependence [the broken … Continue reading →

Posted in Management, Management Articles, Software Development | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Planning 5s? First Know Why!

Posted on June 4, 2006 by John Hunter

Planning 5s? First Know Why! [the broken link was removed] by Jamie Flinchbaugh The basic principle is that you must know why you want to implement 5S before being concerned about learning how to do it. Most people, when they are asked the purpose of 5S, cite safety, discipline, employee morale, reduced waste of motion and-perhaps the worst reason of all-being tour ready.All of this is wrong. The true purpose of 5S is to spot problems quickly. Very clear point. … Continue reading →

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

Lean, Mean, Six Sigma Machines

Posted on June 3, 2006 by John Hunter

Lean, mean, Six Sigma machines [the broken link was removed] by Tam Harbert: Without exception, each company is healthier now than it was five years ago. Three of them have turned profitable, and the fourth – Celestica – is close to turning the corner… The question is how much credit for their progress goes to Lean Six [Sigma]. Yes that is indeed a good question. What management claims as the reason for results is not necessarily actually the reason (and … Continue reading →

Posted in Data, Deming, Lean thinking, Management, Management Articles, Six sigma | Tagged ,

Signs You Have a Great Job … or Not

Posted on June 1, 2006 by John Hunter

Signs you have a great job … or not by Jeanne Sahadi This article, while presenting an overly simplistic view in my opinion, actually provides some good reminders. The article focuses on 12 questions that seem to be the focus of a recent business book. And some of those questions provide good reminders to managers of things they should pay attention to, such as: Do I know what’s expected of me at work? At work, do I have the opportunity … Continue reading →

Posted in Career, Management, Management Articles, Performance Appraisal | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Lean Software Development

Posted on May 30, 2006 by John Hunter

I have posted on the topic of Lean Software Development previously. Lean Software Development: A Field Guide – the first 3 chapters of this new book are available online [the broken link was removed]. Excellent book that I recommended for anyone interested in lean thinking ideas. Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit for Software Development Managers by Mary Poppendieck and Tom Poppendieck, 2003. Articles on lean programming by the Mary Poppendieck David Carlton has an interesting post on this topic: … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Management Articles, Software Development | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Six Sigma Spells Success in India

Posted on May 28, 2006 by John Hunter

Six Sigma spells success for BPOs by Pradeep Kapur: However, while Six Sigma’s pedigree can indeed be traced to TQM, it is differentiated from these earlier approaches by the bottom-line focus and intensity of its application. Experience has shown that Six Sigma works and if applied appropriately, it can be the key to enhance customer experience by adding to the bottom line. This can provide you a winning edge. Related: Six Sigma Won’t Fix Bad Management? Curious Cat Six Sigma … Continue reading →

Posted in India, Management, Management Articles, Six sigma

Lessons From Visit to Toyota’s Kentucky Plant

Posted on May 27, 2006 by John Hunter

Construction Executive Lessons from the Toyota Visit [the broken link was removed] by Hal Macomber including: Stopping to fix the problem – jidoka – could lead to far fewer quality problems. … Establish standard work – the currently understood best way – for key project operations. … As leaders, involve yourself to ease the work of the project team members rather than operating in the illusion that you can control. via: Construction Executives Visit Toyota, Learn Kaizen [the broken link … Continue reading →

Posted in Management Articles, Manufacturing, Quality tools | Tagged ,

Lean Transformation Tips

Posted on May 24, 2006 by John Hunter

The 12 Half Truths of a Lean Transformation [the broken link was removed] by Charles Hagood. A one page article reinforcing what adopting lean methods will require. The process of improving never ends. A Lean transformation has no end date! The process is ongoing and is never a closed out action item. There is no such thing as the perfect company or process, therefore the closest to perfect you can become is to recognize that it is a continuous process … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management Articles

Lean forward

Posted on May 22, 2006 by John Hunter

The most substantial success requires building upon the initial efforts. Truly becoming a lean organization is not something that can be done easily or quickly. And it can’t happen unless management stays focused and continues to learn about lean concepts. Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Management Articles | Tagged

Forget Targets

Posted on May 22, 2006 by John Hunter

Forget about targets – and decide what really matters by Simon Caulkin: The attraction of targets is their simplicity. But it’s a fatal one. As part of the misguided managerial obsession with quantification, they misapply partial, linear measures to a complex, shifting world. While targets and goals can distract from improvement some guidance is useful. Systems thinking is important when using targets. As is an understanding of psychology (given the tendency to manage to what is measured the system can … Continue reading →

Posted in Data, Deming, Management, Management Articles

UK Lean Electronics Manufacturing

Posted on May 18, 2006 by John Hunter

CEO viewpoint: Lean and keen manufacturing [the broken link was removed] by Eamonn Walsh, chairman and technical director of Brainboxes: At Brainboxes we have been manufacturing for 22 years so far and we believe that the way we work will keep us there. If we adopt the best practice of lean manufacturing methods and apply them to all manufacturing in the UK, electronics or otherwise, then the industry will be transformed for the good. Unreformed manufacturing will fall by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management Articles, Manufacturing

Problems Caused by Performance Appraisal

Posted on May 17, 2006 by John Hunter

People are increasingly challenging the notion that we just have to live with performance appraisal systems. As usually, I will make my suggestion that chapter 9 of the Leader’s Handbook offers great material on performing without appraisal (and the rest of the book is great too). Continue reading →

Posted in Deming, Management, Management Articles, Performance Appraisal | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Lean Construction

Posted on May 17, 2006 by John Hunter

Lean Manufacturing in the Construction Industry [the broken link was removed] by Eric Sander: In a radical departure from construction on site, Bensonwood Homes of Walpole, New Hampshire, has begun assembling major wall and floor components of their custom homes in their shop. These sections are delivered and assembled on site to reduce the construction time and improve quality. This approach is common in Japan. Toyota Homes and Misawa Home prefabricate custom homes in their factory for onsite assembly. Tedd … Continue reading →

Posted in Innovation, Management Articles, Manufacturing | Tagged

The Customer Knows Best?

Posted on May 16, 2006 by John Hunter

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 →

Posted in Customer focus, Deming, Innovation, Management, Management Articles | Tagged , , , , ,

Shigeo Shingo’s Influence on TPS

Posted on May 12, 2006 by John Hunter

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 →

Posted in Lean thinking, Management, Management Articles, Toyota Production System (TPS) | Tagged , , | 4 Comments