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Within virtually any serious lean transformation effort, there are moments of truth. The "truth" represents not the orthodoxy of lean tools and even systems, both extremely important, but lean principles themselves. Violate the principles and fail that moment of truth. Do it consistently and the lean transformation will be nothing more than a lean charade. Effective lean leaders must be unbending when it comes to principles. See figure below for the lean principles as identified in the Shingo Prize Model. So, why do lean leaders waffle on lean principles?

Lean goes beyond the tools to challenge our way of thinking. It is about learning to see opportunities and continually improving them. Lean is a system of tools and people that work together.

Who could facilitate a Lego game for us?  I would love to participate.

There is no reason that we can't try.

Oh, and "senior management" . . . would be nice to do the game and video the event for company distribution. A fun learning tool -- which reminds me of what a vendor said yesterday: "People learn best when playing games."

The FMEA Tool (Failure, Modes, Effects, Analysis) is a powerful tool available to a Lean Six Sigma practitioner. The tool is extensively used where a safety critical environment exists, such as the aerospace or automotive industry. The tool allows a team the ability to design quality and safety into processes or products on the front end of the environment, eliminating potential problems before they occur.

I'm a rabid believer that lean concepts and tools can improve personal productivity enormously - hell, I (literally) wrote the book on that. But it's nice to see validation from the go-go world of internet startups.

CLOSED MITT is an acronym used to categorize waste. It expands on the traditional '7 Wastes' that are frequently used in lean efforts.

Use these in our CI Class

Gemba walks are not to be confused with management by walking around (MBWA). The primary purpose of Gemba walking is to teach. When you are the Gemba walker, you are playing the role of sensei (mentor, coach, teacher). The role of the sensei is to ask questions, introduce new tools and approaches, stimulate new thinking, teach, and (sparingly) to give advice.

Nice article on how to use the Fish Bone diagram.

After 4 posts about value stream mapping, I thought it would be useful to show a value stream map example. It's easier to learn by seeing examples of how other people use this lean tool.

I'm going to try & use this on some maps.

Confusion about how to apply 5S in a knowledge environment is rampant, as these stories of "lean as misguidedly executed" (LAME) attest. I believe that's because people focus on the easily visible, outward trappings of 5S without understanding the purpose of the tool.

Value stream mapping is a tremendously valuable tool for improving a process. Well suited for a broad range of industries and processes. A value stream map (VSM) illustrates the flow of materials and information as a product or service moves through a process. In short, it helps eliminate waste.

There are a series of benefits associated with standardized work using lean. When used properly, it can be a very effective tool in your arsenal. However, knowing the reasons as to why it should be implemented will also prove to be essential if we wish to get the best out of your approach. In order to help, we can spend some time examining three different benefits associated with it that may very well assist us in understanding why we may wish to use this tool.

Good primer on PFMEA's

Steps to consider when applying "Lean" to services. 1) Define Improvement Targets on the Basis of Voice of the Customer 2) Make the Relevant Processes Visible 3) Determine the Time Traps 4) Analyse the Time Traps to Determine their Causes 5) Apply Appropriate Tools to Improve the Process

In my experience there are 5 tools that can help with a Visual Workplace and 5S efforts:

Businesses are full of managerial approval loops. An employee wants to take a break, and he must check in with the supervisor. An employee wants to buy a hand tool, and she must go through channels to put in the request. A back-office employee wants to do something to take care of a customer, and he has to get permission. An employee wants to learn a new skill, and must get authorization from her manager for the company to pay for evening classes. In each of these cases, if you talked to the manager, you would probably hear something along the lines of the approval being a check to ensure that the employee does not make a mistake. These bosses feel like the approval process is good for the company. But I see it as something significantly different. I see a red flag that screams poor process. I see a lack of trust. I see unclear standards. I see an untrained employee. In short, I see a leadership failing.

The same goes for the four basic questions around the daily accountability process - the process by which leaders facilitate effective follow-through. The follow-through that I am referring to is about the countermeasures necessary for what some refer to as (team-based):