I get ideas for posts from lots of sources. It may be what is happening right now, where I am making emphasis with my own work. I might read something that generates an idea.
I look at what Google searches brought up this sight since that give me some idea what people are really interested in knowing.
The page is for you, the reader, to be one of those sources. I know a fair number of people who have told me they are reading this, but they don’t leave comments. Now I know for sure that I am not exhausting all known thought on any of this, so this is my attempt to open up another avenue for user interaction and influence.
“Hey, Mark! What do you think about….?”
Of course you are free to just submit general scribbles as well.
Oh – and everything submitted as a comment (like below) goes into a moderation queue. It isn’t published until I see it – and I read them. So if you just want to drop a note, but don’t want it published, that’s no problem. Just say so.
Comments 30
You could talk about the fixed course of the mizusumashi (water spider).
I’m searching a lot in the web for this and there is no material. I found only one paper and this subject is very interesting once it is used a lot in automobiles industry.
Thank You
Posted 10 Dec 2007 at 8:53 am ¶Luiz Freire
Industrial Engeneering at U.Porto.
Luiz -
Posted 10 Dec 2007 at 9:00 pm ¶You got it. It has been a hot topic of discussion at work lately, so I’ll write something up. Thank you for the suggestion.
Dear Mark,
In this periode of reflection (X-mas and turn of the year): what is exactly the meaning of muri and mura for leadership in (healthcare)organisations?
Posted 21 Dec 2007 at 4:08 pm ¶Could you write something on going Lean and safety in mfg? More and more co. are going lean.
Posted 09 Feb 2008 at 8:43 pm ¶Hi Mark,
After stumbling upon this site, I’ve enjoyed your insight, both in and outside of manufacturing. CAD Design has given me a unique view of office and plant floor interaction. I have observed what seems like 95% of companies’ Lean effort applied to the plant floor while chaos reigns in day-to-day office processes and decision making. This appears to be where most waste and misuse of labor occurs. There is groundbreaking opportunity for improvement! Many, including myself, would enjoy your thoughts and observations on this “paper shuffle” phenomena if you have not commented already.
Sincerely,
Posted 03 Apr 2008 at 7:37 am ¶Ethan Berry
I enjoyed reading your insights on throughput accounting. I thought you might be interested in Dr. Goldratt’s latest endeavor, The Goldratt Webcast Series – Program One devoted to Critical Chain Project Management. I invite you to check it out on our website above. Best Regards to you and your very informative website. – Judy
Posted 28 Apr 2008 at 6:12 am ¶Thank you for all your down-to-earth explanation and clear insight into the lean topics. I’d like to join your “lean forces” and promote lean to the community. My website is oriented more towards the lean basics and there I’m trying to add regularly more step-by-step instructions to make the implementation easier.
If you find it useful and would like to exchange links with me, I’d be very honoured.
Anyway, a subject of interest is: Can lean be applied to the creation of websites? What are good examples of websites created using the lean principles? My understanding is that the future belongs to the websites that provide value and knowledge to the reader, as more and more people use the internet to find information and to learn.
Gabriela
Posted 06 May 2008 at 6:11 am ¶Live lean and prosper!
Are lean companies really transparent with their customers and suppliers as to cost/profits. Is this a lean principle or not, or to what extent?
Posted 16 May 2008 at 7:02 pm ¶Mark,
What do you think of:
“If you’re not linear, you’re not really lean!” Isn’t it time to eliminate the “Hockey Stick Syndrome?”
Bill
Posted 24 May 2008 at 11:55 am ¶Mark:
I really enjoy reading your writings. You have a fertile mind. I thought I’d shake your tree by sharing a current problem I’m having and see if any fruit falls out……
Hitting The Moving Train
I am the Lean Manager of a company with 140 employees. We make solenoid valves. We have about 150 different types of valves. Every valve is hand made one by one in batches through several processes.
I’m trying to create flow, standardized work, decrease our errors and eliminate our late deliveries. The problem I’m observing is that we have about a 10% turnover rate (workers leaving and being replaced). The wage is rather low here in southern Utah. Consequently we are always training new people. The supervisor takes a batch of 50 valves to a worker and has to explain what he wants to be done. We have written travelers that travel with the batch that explains exactly what to do. However we constantly move people around from cell to cell as needed. Consequently the supervisor needs to make sure the worker understands the job. I also handle customer returns and I see the mistakes that are made.
Everything I read in Lean assumes that the worker is always the same person doing the same function. My problem is I have 100 assembly line workers and 50 of them constantly change their position, location, job function, knowledge and name.
My inclination is to somehow explain to the owners how their employee turnover rate is hurting their production and quality. But I just don’t have the expertise to do that.
Bottom line is, I have a company that manufactures color, all different colors. How do I apply Lean principles to the chameleons that work here?
Thanks,
Posted 04 Jun 2008 at 6:46 am ¶Jim Fernandez
I saw the animated movie “Meet the Robinsons” after it ended, before the credits, they gave the following quote:
“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious- and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Walt Disney
Posted 23 Jun 2008 at 10:41 am ¶Mark, you did an awesome job in giving your insights on “kaizen in the office environment”. I am particularly interested to know more about lean thinking applications in the truly non-repetitive process (one time or one-off process) like creating a complex bid or proposal. Since our main business is delivering this “one-off project system”, we never make exactly the same product twice (literarily), we always start from clean slate. We are engineering/project management company. Your further thoughts in this one-off project system process is very appreciated
Thanks,
Danny Gerungan
Posted 17 Jul 2008 at 1:13 pm ¶Mark – The service company I am employeed with is currently implementing Kaizen events (Pilot) of which I am greatful to be a part of. In order to provide our management with more insight on what currently isn’t working with our company’s culture can you please address your comment below in more detail?
“I should note that most “management by measurement” systems actually encourage people to do things that hurt the overall organization, but that is another article.”
Thanks,
Posted 18 Jul 2008 at 9:15 pm ¶Josh
Mark,
Have you observed that once waste is eliminated, that the “Craftsmanship/Quality” of work increases. Maybe the skill-level applied increases. How does this playout in all settings, Manufacturing, Services, (Dental Practice, Academic Administration,etc)? For instance, do the improvements in flow, allow better skills in producing an excellent root-canal. Or is the skill level an indirectly related topic. I’m thinking that when craftsmen are not dealing with waste that quality/skill level applied can increase. Any proof??
Posted 02 Aug 2008 at 4:54 am ¶Hi Mark,
On LEI you defined a few words: Urgency, Complacency,Apathy, and Victim. Can you expand this list, like a spectrum or heirchy of concepts, relating to problem solving?
Posted 05 Aug 2008 at 3:45 pm ¶Hi Mark,
Posted 07 Oct 2008 at 2:37 pm ¶Can you address this sticky question. Is there a point at which the “blame game” is appropriate? You once mentioned the “5 who’s” I’m thinking that at some point this has to be processed. Like getting the right people on the bus (or off it). Or in cases of accountability. What are your thoughts?
I really enjoy reading your “thinking”. The more I read the more I wonder who you are. Now I want to know, who is Mark Rosenthal? What does he do to keep busy?
Posted 15 Oct 2008 at 2:47 pm ¶I was wondering if you could comment on skills-building for lean leaders / consultants / senseis who so commonly run up against resistance or worse yet a total unwillingness to try lean methods in a lean transformation. One of my key responsbilities is to challenge assumptions and drive people to action without coming off as calous or pushy. Love to hear your thoughts!
Posted 30 Oct 2008 at 9:37 am ¶Hi Mark,
I have been reading your posts for a couple of months now and think they’re fantastic. They have been a considerable help in my lean efforts at work. One topic that I would like to see more on is the morning market meeting used at Toyota. Do you have any examples of those meetings? What has been the format of the most effective market meeting you have seen?
Posted 19 Jan 2009 at 2:13 pm ¶Could you write about time calculations and motivating employees. Related to cycle time there must be some sort of estimate of expected time to do a job. In this case the job is repeatable to some extent, but the steps take variable time between 2-10 minutes. How does management know/trust/encourage/measure workers effort and honesty. I was thinking of using the PERT idea: Expected Time=(shortest time+ 4*usual time+longest time)/6
Posted 15 Feb 2009 at 8:30 pm ¶This could be used to evaluate or set goals/cycle-time/tact-time/worker-accountability. I mention worker accountability because we cannot see them at work. They are physically out of sight and kind of far, with no communication (big warehouse and low-tech).
Steve -
Posted 16 Feb 2009 at 9:46 am ¶The first question would be “Why does the time vary?”
The time does not really vary. But in order to pin it down everything has to be calculated. (Lean is not Lazy) It is all about orders that require picking full pallets or the various amounts that make a “partial pallet.” Since a truck load entails about 50 pallets, an average could be used to estimate the time… Or the rigorous way of calculating the time for the specific piece of the order. I’m planning on the rigorous way now. Another source of variation is that some employees stop and do housekeeping, fix other problems in the warehouse, we need to find an easy way for them to do record their time in those activities and also to prevent those problems in the first place.
Posted 16 Feb 2009 at 7:50 pm ¶First, I would refer you to Chapter 4 in “Lean Thinking” by Womak and Jones. Toward the end, they describe the setup in a Toyota parts warehouse – picking parts.
Posted 16 Feb 2009 at 9:03 pm ¶As for the housekeeping and other problems, that is the “Work around problems” failure mode I am writing up right now. Bottom line, though, is that “working around problems” is a big no-no, probably the biggest one.
I think an interesting topic is to explore the “QC Check.” Maybe contrast a “QC Check” vs “making the item” to bring out ideas. Explore the beauty of the check… How easy it can be and how much info is gained. I’ve noticed that a complex system can produce a product and the product can be easily checked. Yet often the QC -methods are poorly designed and wasteful. It seems that “Work-hard mentality” embraces Working-Hard to check when it could be very easy, simple, and powerful.
Posted 13 Mar 2009 at 8:19 am ¶During this economic downturn, is the long term philosophy of lean put at risk by the short term focus on cost reduction? Is that necessarily a bad thing? Does this urgency give opportunity for greater engagement with line management and provide the catalyst for change?
Posted 27 Mar 2009 at 9:11 am ¶You’ve discussed 5S but Novaces, for example, has a 6S system. I think it would be great if you talked about different consultant companies and their processes.
Posted 03 Apr 2009 at 6:55 am ¶Mark,
Has anybody else noticed that quality is taking a back seat lately due to the tough economic conditions? Things are tough everywhere, but I’m seeing more and more evidence of companies taking short cuts (to cut costs) where the end result is poor quality. If the 1980’s was the decade where the world rediscovered quality, I’m thinking this decade may well turn out to be the one where we lose it again.
Posted 14 Apr 2009 at 4:45 am ¶I came across an interesting read-audio book “The Long Tail” by Chris Anderson. It’s about the importance of selling/providing variety (the 1’sie – 2’sies) in this new age. An intro to the subject can be found on wikipedia. The Title refers to a statistical distribution where that has a “long tail” and does not approach zero.
Reminds me of Lean and its focus on the customer. Also, the goal of making Every Part Every Day (or Hour).
What are your thoughts?
Posted 28 Apr 2009 at 9:39 am ¶You can do a piece on the future of the NUMMI plant. With the Pontiac line ending, will Toyota continue this “joint venture” without GM?
Posted 29 Apr 2009 at 6:53 am ¶I have to acknowledge that there is a very fuzzy line between commenting GM’s management failures and morphing the blog from “Lean Manufacturing” into something about the automobile industry in general. The future of the NUMMI plant, in my mind, crosses that line.
That being said, this piece was published in 2007, and apparently didn’t come true.
A couple of days ago, however, rumors and speculation began to emerge that now GM wants out of the NUMMI partnership. The whole issue is (at least for me) far to political and volatile to even speculate about.
I think the issue is well covered in the automotive press.
Posted 03 May 2009 at 10:14 pm ¶Post a Comment