Building Manager Standard Work December 18, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in lean, personal productivity, Standard Work.Tags: 5S, lean, personal productivity, standard work
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Jamie Flinchbaugh, writing for IndustryWeek, explains how standardization creates more free time that can be used effectively. He provides a number of helpful suggestions for doing this, including using 5S to handle time, and not spending time standardizing what is obvious or routine.
Read Jamie’s article and his thoughts here.
Building Manager Standard Work December 18, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in lean, personal productivity, Standard Work.Tags: 5S, lean, personal productivity, standard work
add a comment
Jamie Flinchbaugh, writing for IndustryWeek, explains how standardization creates more free time that can be used effectively. He provides a number of helpful suggestions for doing this, including using 5S to handle time, and not spending time standardizing what is obvious or routine.
Read Jamie’s article and his thoughts here.
Building Consensus? Try Standard Work June 2, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Standard Work, strategy, team development.Tags: standard work, strategy, teams
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Gaining consensus in the workplace on a direction to move in can be a very difficult process. Making the process standard work can be a slow but consistent method for consensus: “a clear method by which a person can build a case for the initiative, communicate it to colleagues, incorporate their feedback, gain their support, and thereby move forward.” The A3 process replaces large, messy meetings with simple one–on–one meetings between people.
Check out the TimeBack blog post here.
Building Consensus? Try Standard Work June 2, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Standard Work, strategy, team development.Tags: standard work, strategy, teams
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Gaining consensus in the workplace on a direction to move in can be a very difficult process. Making the process standard work can be a slow but consistent method for consensus: “a clear method by which a person can build a case for the initiative, communicate it to colleagues, incorporate their feedback, gain their support, and thereby move forward.” The A3 process replaces large, messy meetings with simple one–on–one meetings between people.
Check out the TimeBack blog post here.
Control Point Standardization as a Form of “Leader Standard Work”. January 22, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work.Tags: leadership, Lean Tools & Techniques, standard work
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Standardized points, says Jamie Flinchbaugh in an interview at Business901 Blog, are often unappreciated and not well understood. Rather than firefight mode, where leaders rush to fix problems, standardized points assist in preempting problems and being proactive against them. Dashboards and security badges are forms of control points, and control points can be visual checks, metrics, discussions, and investigations.
Check out Mr. Flinchbaugh’s 901 interview here.
Control Point Standardization as a Form of “Leader Standard Work”. January 22, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work.Tags: leadership, Lean Tools & Techniques, standard work
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Standardized points, says Jamie Flinchbaugh in an interview at Business901 Blog, are often unappreciated and not well understood. Rather than firefight mode, where leaders rush to fix problems, standardized points assist in preempting problems and being proactive against them. Dashboards and security badges are forms of control points, and control points can be visual checks, metrics, discussions, and investigations.
Check out Mr. Flinchbaugh’s 901 interview here.
Three Types of Standardized Work January 10, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, Standard Work.Tags: Lean Thinking, standard work
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While not a new concept, the fact that there are three types of Standardized Work doesn’t seem to be well-known. Jon Miller notes, however, that it is far easier to understand these three types as repetitive (Type 1), variable cycle (Type 2), and long cycle (Type 3). He proceeds to break them down in response to a reader question. Type 1, for example, is basic standard work which involves the same repetitive cycle for every product in a well-defined product family, as well as keeping takt times at a minimum.
Read Mr. Miller’s Gemba Panta Rei post here.
Leader Standard Work and Plausible Deniability January 10, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, Lean Thinking, Standard Work.Tags: leadership, Lean Thinking, standard work
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The term “plausible deniability” is spooky, according to Mark R. Hamel, because it means holding anyone responsible for any actions whatsoever is impossible. The higher-ups blame the lower-downs who can never be identified. But plausible deniability is incompatible with lean. Lean requires transparency and requires a human system of checks at every level of operation, making sure that the standard work process is fulfilled –especially lean leader standard work.
Check out Mr. Hamel’s Gemba Tales blog post here.
Three Types of Standardized Work January 10, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, Standard Work.Tags: Lean Thinking, standard work
add a comment
While not a new concept, the fact that there are three types of Standardized Work doesn’t seem to be well-known. Jon Miller notes, however, that it is far easier to understand these three types as repetitive (Type 1), variable cycle (Type 2), and long cycle (Type 3). He proceeds to break them down in response to a reader question. Type 1, for example, is basic standard work which involves the same repetitive cycle for every product in a well-defined product family, as well as keeping takt times at a minimum.
Read Mr. Miller’s Gemba Panta Rei post here.
Leader Standard Work and Plausible Deniability January 10, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, Lean Thinking, Standard Work.Tags: leadership, Lean Thinking, standard work
add a comment
The term “plausible deniability” is spooky, according to Mark R. Hamel, because it means holding anyone responsible for any actions whatsoever is impossible. The higher-ups blame the lower-downs who can never be identified. But plausible deniability is incompatible with lean. Lean requires transparency and requires a human system of checks at every level of operation, making sure that the standard work process is fulfilled –especially lean leader standard work.
Check out Mr. Hamel’s Gemba Tales blog post here.
Leader Standard Work – Chock that PDCA Wheel September 24, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work.Tags: leadership, Lean Tools & Techniques, standard work
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Mark Hamel over at Gemba Tales admits to being a pain for the new exercise he’s added to his Kaizen Event Standard Work. He now requires team leaders to walk him through the leader standard work. This is done to keep things honest, and to avoid backsliding because of insufficient work.
Check out Mr. Hamel’s post here.
Leader Standard Work – Chock that PDCA Wheel September 24, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work.Tags: leadership, Lean Tools & Techniques, standard work
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Mark Hamel over at Gemba Tales admits to being a pain for the new exercise he’s added to his Kaizen Event Standard Work. He now requires team leaders to walk him through the leader standard work. This is done to keep things honest, and to avoid backsliding because of insufficient work.
Check out Mr. Hamel’s post here.
Mental Models: Standardized Work and Performance Measures September 24, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work.Tags: Lean Thinking, standard work
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Mark Graban at Lean Blog writes how one of the problems traditional organizations and leaders have difficulty with lean is because the “mental modes” are not the same. In other words, something that will work wonderfully in a Lean culture might not work so well in a traditional setting. For example, traditional organizations base themselves on control; lean organizations place faith in the individual motivation and creativity of employees. Traditional organizations will, unfortunately, simply look at standardized work as another way to control workers.
Check out Mr. Graban’s excellent post here.
Mental Models: Standardized Work and Performance Measures September 24, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work.Tags: Lean Thinking, standard work
add a comment
Mark Graban at Lean Blog writes how one of the problems traditional organizations and leaders have difficulty with lean is because the “mental modes” are not the same. In other words, something that will work wonderfully in a Lean culture might not work so well in a traditional setting. For example, traditional organizations base themselves on control; lean organizations place faith in the individual motivation and creativity of employees. Traditional organizations will, unfortunately, simply look at standardized work as another way to control workers.
Check out Mr. Graban’s excellent post here.
The Pros and Cons of Paced Conveyer Lines September 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work.Tags: standard work
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Some lean practitioners struggle with a question of whether the should attempt Henry Ford-style moving production lines with their products. Responding to a question at Gemba Panta Rei, Jon Miller tackles whether a line should be paced moving one or stationary. Mr. Miller says that the line should move. Physical flow is the most obvious and visible sign of progress –a definite pro. But moving lines also have their downs. For example, a moving line can be costly to set up and then maintain –a potential negative.
Check out Mr. Miller’s blog post here.
The Pros and Cons of Paced Conveyer Lines September 14, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work.Tags: standard work
add a comment
Some lean practitioners struggle with a question of whether the should attempt Henry Ford-style moving production lines with their products. Responding to a question at Gemba Panta Rei, Jon Miller tackles whether a line should be paced moving one or stationary. Mr. Miller says that the line should move. Physical flow is the most obvious and visible sign of progress –a definite pro. But moving lines also have their downs. For example, a moving line can be costly to set up and then maintain –a potential negative.
Check out Mr. Miller’s blog post here.
How to Audit a Lean Management System July 16, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, Lean Thinking, Standard Work.Tags: leadership, Lean Thinking, standard work
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Every effective lean business system, writes Mark R. Hamil over at Gemba Tales, has as a core component a lean management system. To understand how well the lean management system is working, one need only to audit it. For example, check leader standard work. Check recently completed work for completeness, recurring errors, and how errors are corrected with lean solutions.
Check out Mr. Hamil’s article here.
How to Audit a Lean Management System July 16, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, Lean Thinking, Standard Work.Tags: leadership, Lean Thinking, standard work
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Every effective lean business system, writes Mark R. Hamil over at Gemba Tales, has as a core component a lean management system. To understand how well the lean management system is working, one need only to audit it. For example, check leader standard work. Check recently completed work for completeness, recurring errors, and how errors are corrected with lean solutions.
Check out Mr. Hamil’s article here.
Changeovers and Art June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work, Total Productive Maintenance.Tags: Lean Thinking, Lean Tools & Techniques, standard work
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In a changeover operation, the very technical adjustments some machine operators went through resulted in tolerances being close. Karen Wilhelm’s friend Mike Thelen took on the issue. Among his suggestions were that testing and inspecting the machine should be a standard part of the process; and the inspection, it was suggested, should be simplified. A strong Total Productive Maintenance program was also offered up as an idea.
Read the question and the proposed solutions here.
Changeovers and Art June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, Lean Tools & Techniques, Standard Work, Total Productive Maintenance.Tags: Lean Thinking, Lean Tools & Techniques, standard work
add a comment
In a changeover operation, the very technical adjustments some machine operators went through resulted in tolerances being close. Karen Wilhelm’s friend Mike Thelen took on the issue. Among his suggestions were that testing and inspecting the machine should be a standard part of the process; and the inspection, it was suggested, should be simplified. A strong Total Productive Maintenance program was also offered up as an idea.
Read the question and the proposed solutions here.
For Startups, How Much Process Is Too Much? April 20, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in lean office, Lean Thinking, personal productivity, Standard Work.Tags: lean office, Lean Thinking, personal productivity, standard work
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Startup businesses often worry too much about process, says Eric Ries at Harvard Business Review, and not enough about innovation. Process needs to be balanced with innovation. Changes geared towards learning are considered a win. Anything else is waste.
This article also speaks volumes to small businesses and the process-centered focus necessary for lean implementation.
Check out Mr. Ries’s article here.
For Startups, How Much Process Is Too Much? April 20, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in lean office, Lean Thinking, personal productivity, Standard Work.Tags: lean office, Lean Thinking, personal productivity, standard work
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Startup businesses often worry too much about process, says Eric Ries at Harvard Business Review, and not enough about innovation. Process needs to be balanced with innovation. Changes geared towards learning are considered a win. Anything else is waste.
This article also speaks volumes to small businesses and the process-centered focus necessary for lean implementation.
Check out Mr. Ries’s article here.
Standardized Work for Home Appliances April 20, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking.Tags: Lean Thinking, standard work
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Mark Graban, over at Lean Blog, has posted a light-hearted, yet instructional, piece about lean training in hospitals. He shows a DVD, called “Toast Kaizen” which offers a fun, straight-forward approach for learning how to identify waste and begin process improvements. He highlights a soap conundrum: That people use 10 to 15 times the amount of soap needed.
Read Mr. Graban’s post for some simple solutions here.
Standardized Work for Home Appliances April 20, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking.Tags: Lean Thinking, standard work
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Mark Graban, over at Lean Blog, has posted a light-hearted, yet instructional, piece about lean training in hospitals. He shows a DVD, called “Toast Kaizen” which offers a fun, straight-forward approach for learning how to identify waste and begin process improvements. He highlights a soap conundrum: That people use 10 to 15 times the amount of soap needed.
Read Mr. Graban’s post for some simple solutions here.
Do Not Write Work Instructions! March 23, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques, standard work
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Work instructions are vastly important. But according to the Training Within Industry blog, trainers are better than written instructions, computers, DVDs, CDs, or any other kind of training device. Why? Because trainers can evaluate the process of instruction, and know whether or not knowledge has actually been passed and understood. Computers cannot do that with a work instruction. When are instructions written? It varies from business to business, and could be before, during, or after the process. When this is done, it makes it easier to troubleshoot and identify problems.
Check out Bryan Lund’s TWI Blog posting here.
