Your Own Process and People, Not the Internet February 16, 2009

Over at the LeanBlog, Mark Graban noted a recent post asking a question about lean implementation.  The question, as he notes, was basically asking for “the right answer” for a given application.  Mark observes that the right thing to do is to go to gemba – where the work gets done, involve people, look for waste, follow lean principles, and logically arrive at the effective countermeasure.  In other words, to observe, think, and solve the problem.

Read Mark’s full, thoughtful posting here.

Indeed, I “feel his pain.”  If cut-and-paste solutions were all that was necessary, then continuous improvement would be exceedingly simple.  James Womack’s book would not have been titled Lean Thinking; he would have more appropriately named it Lean Copying.  There is no substitute for true lean thinking.  “Best practices”, in many cases, is dangerous territory because the simple replication of a countermeasure short-circuits the deep observation, logical analysis, learning through experimentation – the whole critical thinking process.  Copying the work of others may deliver the short term benefit of a static, one-time upgrade to a process.  But processes are dynamic, and continuous improvement is just that: continuous.  Blindly using the solutions that others have developed before you does almost nothing to build the skills necessary to continuously improve.

Your Own Process and People, Not the Internet February 16, 2009

Over at the LeanBlog, Mark Graban noted a recent post asking a question about lean implementation.  The question, as he notes, was basically asking for “the right answer” for a given application.  Mark observes that the right thing to do is to go to gemba – where the work gets done, involve people, look for waste, follow lean principles, and logically arrive at the effective countermeasure.  In other words, to observe, think, and solve the problem.

Read Mark’s full, thoughtful posting here.

Indeed, I “feel his pain.”  If cut-and-paste solutions were all that was necessary, then continuous improvement would be exceedingly simple.  James Womack’s book would not have been titled Lean Thinking; he would have more appropriately named it Lean Copying.  There is no substitute for true lean thinking.  “Best practices”, in many cases, is dangerous territory because the simple replication of a countermeasure short-circuits the deep observation, logical analysis, learning through experimentation – the whole critical thinking process.  Copying the work of others may deliver the short term benefit of a static, one-time upgrade to a process.  But processes are dynamic, and continuous improvement is just that: continuous.  Blindly using the solutions that others have developed before you does almost nothing to build the skills necessary to continuously improve.

NASA Leans Out Ping-Pong Balls February 16, 2009

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) researchers recently found ways to reduce the price of a ping-pong ball from $2,250 to as little as $33 as part of a lean effort. Multi-thousand-dollar ping-pong balls don’t really exist. They were fiction, and the exercise was all part of the Langley Research Center’s commitment to cutting waste and enhancing quality.Lean teams were charged with squeezing out manufacturing costs associated with the “virtual” balls. The “Langley Launchers” team not only reduced the price of a ball to $35.40, but also was able to reduce failures from 31 to 0, and production time from 10 balls in 20 minutes to 25 balls in 1 minute, 16 seconds.

Read the full article in SME’s Lean Directions here.

NASA Leans Out Ping-Pong Balls February 16, 2009

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) researchers recently found ways to reduce the price of a ping-pong ball from $2,250 to as little as $33 as part of a lean effort. Multi-thousand-dollar ping-pong balls don’t really exist. They were fiction, and the exercise was all part of the Langley Research Center’s commitment to cutting waste and enhancing quality.Lean teams were charged with squeezing out manufacturing costs associated with the “virtual” balls. The “Langley Launchers” team not only reduced the price of a ball to $35.40, but also was able to reduce failures from 31 to 0, and production time from 10 balls in 20 minutes to 25 balls in 1 minute, 16 seconds.

Read the full article in SME’s Lean Directions here.

LeanBlog Podcast: Part 2 with Norman Bodek February 16, 2009

Norman Bodek continues his conversation with Mark Graban on the LeanBlog Podcast, talking about his discovery of a unique system in Japan, at Canon, called the “Super Meister” system that trains employees to be able to build an entire copier on their own. This was introduced in an earlier episode of the Podcast. Norman also talks a little more about Gerry Corrigan and his Lean/5S work in Ireland, employee ideas, and his video terminal that allows him to teach people remotely.Listen to the podcast here.

LeanBlog Podcast: Part 2 with Norman Bodek February 16, 2009

Norman Bodek continues his conversation with Mark Graban on the LeanBlog Podcast, talking about his discovery of a unique system in Japan, at Canon, called the “Super Meister” system that trains employees to be able to build an entire copier on their own. This was introduced in an earlier episode of the Podcast. Norman also talks a little more about Gerry Corrigan and his Lean/5S work in Ireland, employee ideas, and his video terminal that allows him to teach people remotely.Listen to the podcast here.