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Improving Indoor Air Quality Indoor Air QualityWhen trying to make improvements to the workplace, many companies don't even consider the actual air that is breathed in by everyone all day. Indoor air quality can be a significant problem that can have a wide range of different effects on employees throughout the facility. Some of these issues can be immediately seen, such as with allergies. Others may take longer to develop, but can be very serious. If you are not taking air quality seriously in your facility, you are not only doing everyone a disservice, but you could be exposing the company to the risk of potential lawsuits years down the road. With this in mind, take some time to look at five of the most important things that you should know about indoor air quality, and how you can make simple changes to improve it. According to OSHA's Safety and Health Topics: Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has been tied to symptoms like headaches, fatigue, trouble concentrating, and irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Also, some specific diseases have been linked to specific air contaminants or indoor environments, like asthma with damp indoor environments. In addition, some exposures, such as asbestos and radon, do not cause immediate symptoms but can lead to cancer after many years. 5 Things to Know about Indoor Air Quality 1. Proper Ventilation and Filtering One of the biggest problems in most workplaces is that the air in the facility doesn't get properly circulated. As the air is breathed, moved around machinery and exposed to cleaning chemicals, it keeps picking up more and more contaminants along the way. Over time, this air can become hazardous to your health and lead to things like headaches, allergies and many other issues. This is why OSHA and many other regulatory organizations recommend reviewing your facilities air ventilation system and filtering. By taking the air from within the facility and venting it outside, all of these common contam

Are you AI-First? By editor Posted October 13, 2018 In Artificial Intelligence, Digital Strategy, Technology & Design 0 An AI-First company is an enterprise that has transformed to believe and understand the incredible and disruptive potential of Artificial Intelligence. Such an enterprise not only sees the value but can see the destructive impact of being left behind. An AI-First Company understands that it might not know all the answers but realizes that it needs to seek out a path forward with AI or risk being marginalized. Key Characteristics of an AI-First Company A-First companies might not be any different from their previous form but think and act differently. Here are some key characteristics of such companies. Approach to Problems and Planning An AI-First company evolves its approach to problems. AI-First companies realize that determining the existence of a problem and selecting the most consequential problems is a function of data and analytics. An AI-First company invests in building predictive mechanisms that can signal current or upcoming problems including the severity and priority of these problems. Building these predictive mechanisms becomes the first step in determining how and when to prepare for problems or upcoming issues. In addition, these companies leverage news and information that is generated inside and outside the enterprise as it is generated and ensure that their employees and customers have access to the insights embedded in the news and information. Approach to Products and Product Development An AI-First company understands how a prediction or classification could help them deliver a better solution to a problem faced by their customers and how their existing products can be adapted or new products created that change behavior based on the predictions and classifications. Enterprises that understand the power of AI ensure that data scientists come part of the core product ideation and development team with a heavy infl

One of the most common misconceptions out there is the belief that technology equates innovation. Innovation is the creation of new value through a better solution for a problem that either does a better job in solving the problem or does so in a manner that the solution is accessible in a larger set of circumstances by a larger number of people. On the other hand, technology is simply the tooling that holds the promise of new solutions but by itself, is meaningless. Enterprises can become enamored by the promise and hype about technology and go down long, complex journeys, invest millions in upgrading technology and still come out empty on the other side because they built technology for technology's sake. Even in well intention boards and C-suite, industry peer pressure and hype around technologies can force action that ultimately leads to massive investments in people, software, technology, and vendors but does not yield the ROI promised by the technology. Leadership The problem can be accentuated when not enough due diligence is done on the applicability of the technology to the enterprise given the current state i.e. the point in time when the technology is being introduced, the customer's propensity to accept the technology-driven solution i.e. are the users ready to embrace, adopt, learn and utilize new solutions and burning problems that necessitate the adoption of new technology to better solve the problem. When the timing of new technology introduction is gotten wrong, it almost always fails to deliver on its promised ROI. Leaders need to rise above the hype and peer pressure and ensure that they understand, first and foremost, the burning problems that plague their customers or make the bedrock of their future strategy. Next, leaders need to ensure and validate that the technology in mind can actually be used to solve the problem through rapid prototyping and minimal investment. Once customer feedback on the prototype has been validated, then only

One of the biggest hurdles to Digital Transformation and Digital Innovation is the organization's inertia and tendency to optimize for self-preservation. Self-preservation can exist in the enterprise at the individual, team, divisional or the organizational level and can have a devastating impact on the organization's ability to innovate and grow. Self-preservation is not a new phenomenon however, it is more deadly for an enterprise now than ever. This is because the speed of technology change has increased geometrically. In the past, self-preservation would automatically get corrected as the technology was generally learned and adopted slowly with enough time for the enterprise to become aware of the change and implement it. However, the rate of technology change has magnified tremendously and the enterprises no longer have the luxury to take their time with the change. Inaction risks getting left behind and other competitors who leverage and change faster stand to capture the largest market shares and customer mind share. Self preservation is the tendency of the enterprise to ignore, undermine or postpone the adoption and integration of new technology in the enterprise to avoid a change in the status quo across technology, products, services and most importantly, day to day operations and organizational structure. Self-preservation can lead to what is termed as "politics" in an org, it can stifle innovation and innovative individuals & teams and it can favor business driver stagnation over risk taking. 5 Signs of Self-Preservation The following are signs of self-preservation Highlighting the Journey of Innovation as Failure Adversarial teams and individuals within an enterprise who are interested in self-preservation often go out of their way to highlight the tough, risky journey of true innovation as a failure citing the cost and the time being taken to address the real problems in a truly innovative manner. While the individuals and teams trying to

Safety Myths We Could All Live Without Safety MythsI'm going to level with you today: There's a lot, and a mean a metric ton, of misinformation when it comes to safety in the workplace. The more experience you have, the more and more you discover which of the things you've been told actually seem to hold up to the action of a real workplace, and which advice becomes clearly idealistic and less useable. That said, why can't we just skip past the clutter? Why do myths about the nature of safety and accident prevention continue to circulate when experienced practitioners know them to be complete bologna? To be honest, I can't answer that, but hopefully what I can do is more useful; in this article, we're going to go over some common workplace safety myths and dissect them so that, with a whole lot of luck, they won't leave anyone's lips ever again. Accidents Happen Safety Myths AccidentsFirst of all, yes, accidents do happen… but the statement itself is dismissive, and suggests that some things are just out of our control. The problem with this sentiment is twofold. First of all, it's a slippery slope: If you decide one thing is out of your control, it's easier to accept that another thing might be as well. Before you know it, you're leaving too much up to chance and not enough up to your problem solving skills. The second problem is that the idea that accidents just "happen" of their own accord is silly and untrue. There is always something you can do, and you should always be actively improving your safety by finding these things as they come along. One counter example to this that people sometimes come up with is a case in which an employee does something really boneheaded and gets themselves into a dangerous situation. "Isn't that kind of out of my control?" one might ask. Actually, there are two possible situations here: 1. The worker deliberately put themselves in harm's way for some unknown reason. In this case, a resu

Introduction to Operational Excellence For most of us, Lean is a common concept by now. By extension, we're also familiar with the idea of continuous improvement; the way we run our business should ultimately be reflective of a chain of efforts to change for the better and reach more perfect efficiency. That's all well and good, but we've seen more and more businesses shying away from simply relying on "continuous improvement" in recent years and instead throwing around the term "operational excellence." While the two terms do ultimately work in tandem, and even though there's some overlap, it's important to understand where the two differ. A good way to think about operational excellence is as the answer or endgame to your continuous improvement actions, it's a state you want to attain through your workplace improvement endeavors. Unlike continuous improvement, however, where you're simply trying to 'always get better', operational excellence has a more clearly defined point where it can be said you've reached your goals. One of the biggest criteria for operational excellence is a horizontal and vertical (so throughout all levels and teams of a company) understanding of how workflow should look and how to correct problems when something isn't flowing correctly. This creates operational excellence because employees are now able to solve their own problems without relying on specialists or management, drastically decreasing downtime and putting them into a preventative rather than a reactive mode when solving problems. Furthermore, operational excellence then frees up your management and executives to focus on advertising and brand/market expansion planning and projects. In short, operational excellence allows a company to achieve continual improvement while still having the resources to put an emphasis on bottom line and market share growth. Operational Excellence Question Posed Sounds pretty awesome, right?! We think so, but you

VPN, i.e., Virtual Private Network, establishes a secure connection to public and private networks over the Internet. VPN helps to protect your identity and provides a secure network for accessing data. Initially, the VPN connects business networks securely over the Internet. It also allows you to access a business network from home. What is a VPN? How does it work? Why should you use it? These are some common questions that come in the mind of every person who wants to use a VPN. So, let's find out the answer to all these questions. Contents [show] How Does a VPN Work? How Does a VPN Work It is not rocket science to understand how a VPN works. We can simply learn the process of VPN by reading the following steps. Step 1: At first, you need a reliable VPN provider (ExpressVPN Recommended). Then download and install the software. Now select the preferred security settings and set up a safe connection with your desired VPN server. Step 2: After the connection is established; VPN software encrypts your data traffic on your computer and sends it to the VPN server through a secure connection. Step 3: The VPN server decrypts the encrypted data from your computer. Step 4: Your data is being sent on the Internet by the VPN server and receive a reply, which is meant for you. Step 5: This traffic is again encrypted by VPN-server and is sent back to you. Step 6: VPN software will decrypt the data on your device so you can understand and use it. Why ExpressVPN is the Best? The best thing I like about ExpressVPN is that it has a no-logging policy. Apart, from this ExpressVPN is fast, secure, and keeps your IP hidden. ExpressVPN allows you Torrenting/P2P and even works with Tor for the maximum level of privacy. It has a user-friendly interface and a great design that is easy to operate. ExpressVPN uses the government-grade encryption method as default. You can even try doing it manually. ExpressVPN is the best excellent premium VPN service to trust and work.

Lean has been helping companies streamline their production, eliminate waste, and generally improve the way things are done for many years. Initially, the concepts behind lean were primarily used only in companies and facilities that were directly involved with physical product creation, such as manufacturing plants, factory floors and things of this nature. However, over time the lean methodologies have been adapted and implemented in almost every other type of business, ranging from health care to information technology, and many more. When done properly, lean can help improve virtually any work environment to help eliminate waste, improve communication, and to help ensure that the products or services being developed are indeed something customers will be interested in. For instance, when working in an information technology environment, it is important to be able to understand how lean strategies can be implemented, and why they are so important. The following are some of the most significant reasons why lean IT strategies should be taken seriously by any company that uses technology in their business (which is almost all of them!). Lean Promotes Ownership One of the things about lean strategies in an IT environment is that virtually every task completed is owned by an individual. Even if a person does not do all the work for a particular project, he or she will be directly responsible for overseeing it. This creates a sense of ownership, which can help in a variety of ways. It will give other teams a single point of contact for obtaining updates, providing feedback, or requesting changes. This will also allow the owner of a specific project to drive the progress directly, rather than having to rely on large committees or other types of groups to receive pertinent information. It is important to note that just because one person owns a process or project does not mean that he or she can simply dictate things to other groups. Instead, that person is there to

Enterprises have to constantly decide, at every step in their digital journey, should they build or buy. This question often is posed as a critical, do or die decision and the answer varies on a case by case basis. Building can be expensive, take longer but offers future proofing and more dependability whereas buying offers a faster time to market, less risk and accountability forced through contractual terms. However, a key point often overlooked is the cost of integration. Integration can be required at multiple levels. Vendor Applications Vendor applications typically require a two-way connection between the enterprise systems and the vendor application. The application requires incoming data and information from somewhere in the enterprise technology stack and an output stream of information back into the enterprise at one or more points in the stack or workflow. Vendor Platforms Vendor provided platforms typically have similar integration requirements as Vendor applications requiring an incoming data & information connection and an outgoing information connection into the enterprise process, workflow, platform or product. Application-To-Application Application to Application integrations where an application needs to be connected to another application to either provide data or signals to enable the downstream application to create value can be seemingly deceptive. Application-To-Application integration costs can grow at O(n^2) as potentially, worst case, each application could be connected with every other application. Enterprise Stack Fragmentation The problem of integration is exacerbated by the fragmentation of the enterprise at the organization level. This problem is also known as "Shadow IT" is driven by superficially differing needs of multiple lines of businesses in an enterprise. Shadow IT typically leads to multiple instances of similar technology stacks that cause data, compute and information to be silo'd. Stack fragmentation and its

Eliminating Awkward Postures For most companies, the work that employees perform on a daily basis can be quite physical. This type of physical labor can lead to a wide range of injuries. Of course, to improve on workplace safety it is important to do all you can to help reduce the amount and severity of these types of injuries. One easy place where you can start is with the different postures that employees take while performing their day to day activities. In many cases, they put themselves in awkward postures, which increase the risk of injuries to the back, neck and other parts of the body. Fortunately, there are typically alternative ways to do things or even tools that can do those tasks for them so they can avoid injury. According to OSHA: Working in awkward postures increases the exertion and muscle force an employee must apply to complete a task and compresses tendons, nerves and blood vessels. In general, the more extreme the postures the more force is needed to complete the task. Examples of awkward postures include performing overhead work, bending or twisting to lift an object, typing with bent wrists, and squatting. The important thing is helping to identify the awkward postures, and help find alternatives for the employees. The following five positions should be removed from the workplace as much as possible so that employees can complete their work with as little risk for injury as possible. 5 Awkward Postures that Should be Avoided 1. Working with Arms above the Head The first awkward posture that is commonly seen in workplaces is trying to complete tasks with your arms above the head. There are many examples of this, some of which could include holding up a board while it is secured in place, or even painting a ceiling. Any time you are working with your arms over your head, you are putting added strain on your back. In addition, your arms are going to fatigue much more quickly than they would in a more natural position. This can put you at r

Make Construction Safety a Priority Everyone knows that construction sites can be very dangerous. The more you know about the types of danger you will face, however, will help you to take steps toward keeping everyone safe. Look over the following 10 safety facts and see what you can learn about how to improve the overall safety of your facility. In addition to using this information to help you to make safety improvements, you can also show these items to the workers at any site so they can be more aware. Some of these facts may surprise people, and cause them to be more aware of their surroundings. According to OSHA, "Nearly 6.5 million people work at approximately 252,000 construction sites across the nation on any given day. The fatal injury rate for the construction industry is higher than the national average in this category for all industries." 10 Tips to Improve Construction Safety Fact #1 - Losing your Load On construction sites people use machines to lift and move all sorts of things on a regular basis. Whether it is lifting wood or metal beams, or you are digging out dirt to prepare to lay a foundation, this is an essential part of most jobs. The vast majority of times this type of activity goes very smoothly and the jobs are completed without incident. The fact is, however, that having loads come loose while in transit is actually a leading cause of injury on construction sites. You need to keep in mind that even if you don't lose the entire load, people can be severely injured from even one thing falling out of a crane or back hoe. With this in mind, people working on site need to know to stay well away from this machinery, and the machine operators need to know to avoid moving items when people are nearby. Fact #2 - Entering and Leaving Heavy Machinery Another safety issue related to working with heavy machinery is related to operators getting on and off of the rigs that they will be working on. While this is something that they of

The Adventure of Reducing Risks and Hazards in the Workplace Whenever starting a new job, it can be difficult to figure out exactly what you should be doing, and how it needs to be done. When I started working at a new facility as a safety manager, I began my first day with a meeting with the facility manager. The meeting was set up so he could tell me what was expected of me in my new role, and provide other details of the job. I was quite surprised when the meeting took less than two minutes, and the only objective I was given was to 'reduce risks and hazards in the workplace.' I asked for some clarification or guidance in what exactly he was looking for, but he simply said that I was hired to improve safety, and he was leaving the task of finding out how to do it in my hands. He gave me a sheet of paper with some information about what resources I had available, including my annual safety budget and told me to get to work right away. I should point out there that I had several years experience as a safety manager at a large company, which is why I was brought in to this new facility. The facility had recently been cited by OSHA for a variety of safety hazards, and there were even some fairly severe injuries that occurred in the previous months. The facility owners made it clear that safety was a priority for them, and they were willing to do whatever it took to pass inspections, and keep the employees safe. Planning My Safety Program While that initial meeting was unique, to say the least, I was also quite excited about the opportunity. It is quite rare that a safety manager is given such flexibility, and I wanted to make sure the manager wouldn't regret that decision. I got to work right away planning my safety improvement program. OSHA Safety Sign Guide I wanted to make some quick changes to help improve safety in the short term, and then also plan out ways to create a culture change within the facility so everyone would be more safety focused. I kne

Health Benefits of Dead Sea Moringa Powder You Never Knew: Dead Sea Moringa powder is extracted from a plant that is packed with vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins. Since ancient times, this powder has been used to fight malnutrition in countries across Asia and Africa. Extracted from a plant that thrives in the Himalayan Mountains or the Dead Sea, this tree is helpful as it contains healthy stuff like natural antioxidants. This tree that produces this powder also has as much iron as spinach, which makes it so interesting to learn about since this essential mineral is required in the body to make red blood cells. The health benefits of Dead Sea Moringa powder include: It Detoxifies: The powder is used to purify water due to its coagulant agents that attach themselves to hazardous bacteria and harmful compounds. It also helps to remove harmful compounds and toxins in the body. Detoxification comes with many benefits for your digestive system and skin appearance. Fights iron deficiencies: Lack of enough iron in the body can cause anemia, leading to death. Thanks to this powder from an exotic plant, you can restore your iron levels by making it a recipe in your favorite beverage, like tea. Apart from being a good source of iron, sea moringa helps replace lost energy in the body. Boosts Immune System: Dead Sea Moringa powder has been shown to be effective in boosting the immune system in men. The powder is also packed with essential nutrients that help men maintain their body weight and remain healthy. This powder is not for specific people, as it benefits the rich and the poor. In this powder, you will find over 90 nutrients and plenty of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It is also loaded with fiber, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, which boost many functions in the body. Regulates blood sugar: Estimates have it that more than 25 million people suffer from diabetes in the U.S., but if the same were done in the whole world, perhaps the results would be

You have installed Google's Pie software in your Android phone, but since then, you are noticing small issues which has a common theme with Android updates. Android 9 has made significant changes, but unfortunately, not all the adjustments are easy to follow. In this article, we will discuss four Android 9 problems plaguing users. We suggest to follow the best Android website in India for up to date news about Android and available apps. The Smart text selection If a new overview is not working in text selection, then it is the time to troubleshoot. You have to long press at an open space anywhere in your home screen. Select "settings", then "suggestions", move your cursor a little bit down to check whether the overview selection is turned off or not. Turn it on and your problem will vanish. If this trick does not work for you, then go to "settings" and select "languages and input". You need to check whether you have selected English (United States) as your language. If you have selected any other language, then it may be the source of the issue. The current hypothesis is that Google has set limits for this feature and hence, why it works best when in combination with United States English. Steps to activate split screen mode This is a common complaint, but unfortunately, at this point in time, there is no satisfactory solution to this issue. You do not need to get disheartened because there are third-party apps which will fill the void. These apps will make it easier to activate split screen function in your Android 9 device. There are free apps as well as paid which will allow you to initiate the split screen mode in your device. Adjusting the ringer volume If you are facing this issue, don't worry, you have company. Many Android enthusiasts miss old ringer volume adjustment. They wish to get it back and they are looking for different ways to get the same old behavior of the ringer volume. In order to do it hassle-free, you can make us

Technology Congestion is a not a recent phenomenon but the urgency around Digital Innovation and Digital Transformation has brought it front and center. Technology Congestion is a point in the Digital Journey where multiple technology initiatives, executed in parallel become entangled with each in a state where none of the initiatives, hampered by inter dependencies, prioritization, and cost, is able to complete, make progress and deliver business value. Modern Experiences Require Multiple Technologies Building a consumer driven, customer centric experience that truly delights and moves business KPIs requires several technologies to come together in almost a magical experience. This means that not on boarding and deploying multiple technologies is not an option or possibility. Enterprises have to build competencies in multiple technologies (and they have multiple strategic options to do so) and this can be a daunting task. Managing Technology Dependencies Often, an app-centric methodology requires a complete focus on the user and customer's experience. Delivering that experience can requires technologies that leverage each other or are inter-dependent on each other. Inter-dependencies can be sequential i.e. Technology A is required to be installed and operational before Technology B can be initialized. Inter-dependencies can also be matrixed i.e. a service X might require service Y to be complete and Service Y requires Technology B. Inter-dependencies can also be circular where System M feeds information into System N and System N, in turn, provides feedback to enable System M to iterate and improve. Innovation To A Screeching Halt Technology congestion can stall innovation. Sorting out dependencies can delay innovation and new product development and cause the enterprise to become anti-app-centric. The net impact is lost time and energy in technology installation and deployment with less than ideal focus and attention on customer value and user experience.

So here's how today started out… We got an email from a guy who took issue with one of our recent infographics, 10 Astonishing Facts About Arc Flash. Here's what he wrote: "Have you seen the commercial for the insurance company that uses the premise "If it's on the the Internet, it must be true"? I have still not seen the source of these statistics. The Capschell report is what all of these websites, all of which involved in the business of Arc Flash for profit ($$$$), including yours, use without merit. […] Even NFPA 70E does not not cite the source of the statistic regarding "2000 injuries per day". Don't just give me another website that says that again, show me source (ie the study) that produces those statistics. I am not, by any means, attempting to reduce the importance of arc flash, arc flash studies or PPE. I just have a problem when companies use these types of statistics without regard to the source or veracity of the information. Fear Mongering is the term that come to mind. It's on the internet so it must be true." I believe whole-heartedly that our marketing team did a significant amount of research on Arc Flash prior to creating this infographic, and I don't believe the intent of our marketing team to promote or perpetuate bad information. However, I can understand this person's sentiment, and I wanted to know myself what the real numbers were. So, the hunt for accurate data began. Before I go further, it should be addressed that our infographic says that there are 2,000 injuries each year, not every day. Still, where did this figure come from? I started searching to uncover where the 2,000 injuries per year came from. I asked the marketing team for their source, and they provided me with the official NFPA 70E 2012 Handbook. In Annex K(3), it states plainly that 2,000 people a year are injured as a result of arc flash. But, as our accuser points out, there is no citation. Because this is NFPA, a standardization or

Tips & Tricks for Efficiently Tracking Lean Projects Recently, we wrote about a couple of problems facing many Lean practitioners. These were problems that hindered their learning process and often caused overconfidence. Amongst the advice to help combat these problems arose the need for detailed tracking and note taking with regards to practice and progress. Being able to accurately track not only the effects but also the process of a Lean project is critical to ongoing success, and is a key to stimulating growth amongst not only the receiving end of your project objectives, but also amongst the employees and Lean practitioners themselves. To start off, let's take a look at the current state of Lean project tracking for many Lean practitioners. A recent LinkedIn discussion posed the very question of project tracking, and sought to understand a few different distinct metrics. In addition to measuring the effectiveness of any program when it comes to completion, tracking can also be about measuring the scope of your projects, so that you can accurately project what the effects will be before you actually reach the stage at which you expect them. Part of this "scope" involves tracking exactly who is involved with your project, who is affected, and how they are progressing in their respective tasks. Where we are now First of all, it's important to evaluate the current methods that are prevalent in Lean record keeping. The LinkedIn discussion starter, self-identified as Ian R., mentions in his opening post that, when he last posed the question about a year ago, the consensus was that most practitioners were simply using excel spreadsheets for their tracking needs. While there's nothing wrong with relying on Excel for the basics, other users were quick to offer up some slicker alternatives, signaling a sharp (and welcomed, in our book) departure from some of the more basic methods. Unsurprisingly, there exist several specialist software applications whose n

For many enterprises, transforming into a digital organization is a very big priority. Digitization is more than a passing fad; instead it almost is a precursor to survival in the next decade. Analog mechanisms of running businesses are no longer sustainable nor likely to give confidence to customers, employees, stakeholders and shareholders. Measuring Digital A digital organization is characterized by the following Time to Customer Insight The Time to Customer Insight in a digital organization is the time it takes to collect, process, analyze information to determine the health of a customer, their satisfaction with current products and services, their unmet, possibly unstated needs and the impact that external market events might have on the customer. Time to Reaction Time to Reaction is the time taken to react to a customer insight through the introduction of a new product/service to solve an existing or a new problem or through better packaging of existing solutions to address otherwise existing problems. Time to Market Time to Market is the time taken to bring a new capability, product or service to market often as reaction to a customer or market insight or feedback Time to Iteration Time to Iteration is the time taken to solicit, gather, process, analyze customer feedback and effect a change in existing products or services or bring new products and services to market to address the customer feedback. Digital Organizations Digital organizations are characterized with minimal Time to Customer Insight, Time to Reaction, Time to Market, Time to Iteration and a constant effort and investment into further optimizing and minimizing these metrics. Digital organizations focus on the flow of information through the organization and use of the information to generate and deliver more value for the customers. Key Characteristics of Digital Organizations Instrumentation of Interfaces, Products, Systems, Applications, Processes A digital organization ensures

A3 image via Reliableplant.com Today, I was looking for a decent A3 problem-solving template for an engineering friend who was planning on implementing a lean program for his company, and I came across a helpful article on ReliablePlant.com by Larry Rubrick and a cool A3 powerpoint presentation at PowerShow.com (don't hit download, just hit play). As many people may know, the A3 format originated around the type of paper (A3, 11″x17″ sheet) that the Toyota Production System engineers used to base their problem-solving templates - with the mindset that using only one piece of paper kept the thinking process focused and simple. The A3 is said to be one of the main building blocks of Lean thinking. On the report, a problem is identified and then it follows a process of successive stages (including objectives or goals) by which it may be solved, or at least lessened. I liked the examples Rubrick offers in his post, starting with the requisite Toyota A3, and moving on to others, including an A3 at Ford in the United States (which is meant for a typical copy paper size, 8.5 X11). Other A3s can end up getting more illustrative, but the gist of it is best represented in the simplicity of the TPS template, I think.

Keeping our skin healthy is an important part of a modern lifestyle, as it not only makes us look better but also feel better. too, as we get older we have to be more careful about what we put on our skin. There are numerous products on the market that promise to nourish your skin and provide it with various vitamins and minerals, and many of these products contain lab-created, unnatural chemicals. None pack in as many different benefits as Dead Sea minerals. Because products using Dead Sea based salts (or other forms of the minerals) contain such a high concentration of vitamins and minerals, they're able to have a greater nourishing and beautifying effect on the skin than other products. The biggest problem that people face with their skin is that of moisture levels. Some people suffer from dry skin, which can be itchy and sore, and others suffer from skin that's too oily, which can be unsightly and cause pores to become clogged, leading to acne. Just living a normal, everyday life can cause the skin's natural balance to become unstable, and the best way to deal with these very common problems is by applying and using products that contain minerals found in the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea minerals that are helpful to skin maintenance are boron, bromine, calcium, iodine, lithium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, strontium, sulfur and zinc. Boron: helps to reduce and relieve symptoms of dry, flaky skin. Bromine: relaxes the nerves under the skin, calms facial muscles and works as an anti-inflammatory substance to reduce swelling and puffiness. Calcium: helps to protect and regenerate skin cells and cells under the surface of the skin. Iodine: helps skin cells in their everyday functions and metabolizing processes, which means that they stay healthier for longer. Lithium: enables other minerals to have a greater effect on the skin, and is especially useful in helping to reduce flakiness. Magnesium: probably the most useful mineral for skin, as it a