Metrics Matter: Five Tips for Choosing the Right Performance Measures
May 16, 2012 – 12:00 pm | Posted by Tom Morin
Metrics, measurements, and key performance indicators (or KPIs if you prefer). Whatever you call them performance measures are supposed to tell everyone in their area, in their department and across the organization if they’re making progress toward the business and corporate objectives. Too often, they don’t. Continue reading…
Orchestrating Activities in a Lab: Obvious Waste Not So Obvious
May 15, 2012 – 9:08 am | Posted by Nero Haralalka
Recently observing a company’s test lab. I was struck by how some of the problems were very basic, did not take a long time to identify, and had been going on for years. Imagine conducting tests on a chemical blend, and as you observed the technicians in action, you see them weaving in and out, bouncing from one table to another — busy but not efficient. Also imagine production personnel waiting anxiously for the test results — bad results would mean rescheduling production, retests and additional delays. Continue reading…
Warehouse Costs Rising? A Step-by-Step Guide to Re-Slotting
May 10, 2012 – 11:02 am | Posted by Andy Andrews
As I noted in a previous post—Warehouse Costs Rising? It’s Time to Re-visit Your Slotting Locations—proper slotting, or the storage of products in relation to their volume and velocity, is the most significant factor for reducing travel and increasing productivity in the warehouse. Continue reading…
The Lean Essentials: A Clear Definition, Core Principles and the Three Ps
May 09, 2012 – 11:36 am | Posted by Jim Privette
Every problem-solving event and project should observe the four “rights” of effective problem solving. These rights may seem obvious, but many problem-solving teams fail because they did not heed one of these rights. Continue reading…
Listen to Customers to Increase Product-Design Wins
May 08, 2012 – 2:13 pm | Posted by Doug Bonner
Are you sure of what your customer wants? Many companies don’t consider even basic customer input when they decide to design a new product. This leads to design mistakes and other costly waste. Continue reading…
Bloomberg Businessweek Article Spotlights Benefits of Lean in Private Equity
May 03, 2012 – 2:17 pm | Posted by Ken Koenemann
A recent article in Bloomburg Businessweek, “My Week at Private Equity Boot Camp,” describes how a private equity firm is using the Toyota Production System to transform the operations of the companies that it acquires. Monomoy Capital Partners, which manages about $700 million in investments, targets small and medium-sized manufacturers, many of which have remain relatively untouched by the lean and Six Sigma initiatives. Continue reading…
Warehouse Costs Rising? It’s Time to Re-visit Your Slotting Strategy
May 02, 2012 – 11:18 am | Posted by Andy Andrews
It doesn’t matter if you operate a 1,000,000-sq. ft. distribution center, a regional mixing center, or a storage area in a corner of your factory, you still need to practice your slotting ABCs. Continue reading…
The Four “Rights” of Successful Problem Solving
May 01, 2012 – 11:04 am | Posted by Jim Privette
Every problem-solving event and project should observe the four “rights” of effective problem solving. These rights may seem obvious, but many problem-solving teams fail because they did not heed one of these rights. Continue reading…
Measurement System Analysis — More than Just Gauge R&R
Apr 26, 2012 – 11:55 am | Posted by Beth Morrison
I was listening to a team report out a few days ago, and the team leader mentioned “MSA.” The plant manager asked what MSA is, and the team leader replied, “Measurement System Analysis.” At the same time she was speaking, several other managers chimed in, saying almost in unison, “Gauge R&R.” Continue reading…
How To Leverage OpEx Improvements By Refocusing Sales and Marketing
Apr 24, 2012 – 11:40 am | Posted by David Pate
In my previous blog post, “Smart Companies Plan Ahead for Added Value,” I talked about the importance of engaging functions not traditionally involved in an Operational Excellence transformation, such as Human Resources, Sales, Marketing, and so on. This post takes that discussion further into the sales cycle. Continue reading…
