Tweddle Continuous Improvement

Good video on Kaizen

Nice article on how to use the Fish Bone diagram.

What will not change in successful companies, though, are three things

I see our efforts to speed up our "kitting" process on the Turret is moving us in this direction. We've got to PDCA our way toward this. I'm anxious to take the next steps with the team on this. Very exciting.

Cable organizing ideas for the 5S team

To be clear about this, you first need to be clear about the strategic direction or vision for the organization.

5S is the systematic integration of all of the facets of manufacturing in the workplace in a manner that assures the best cost, optimum flow, perfact quality and absolute safety.  As this chart shows, straightening and sweeping is nothing more than a superficial, final step after the work place has been holistically designed and put in place.

Good article on Toyota Business Practice.

The truth is, when everybody practices status quo behavior almost every day,that is what is sustained. If employees are not practicing the new way every day, by default they are practicing the old. Practice makes permanent

Great point! Great article!

Might be of interest to some of us.

One of the most important learning's I took from the experience was how effective rapid prototyping and hands on experimenting could be in an event. The Sensei went from team to team throughout the event and kept telling us to stop brainstorming and start "trystorming (actual simulation or creation of the idea)." This meant putting away the flip charts and sticky notes and getting out on the floor and getting our hands dirty. Having the 3D, tangible "mock-ups" allowed the teams to quickly understand each others ideas and iteratively improve the solution in a way that would not be possible on paper. Simulations became real and many of the bugs of standard work could be worked out in advance prior to a "down stream" implementation.

The more quotes I read from this book, the more I want to read it. We have a lot to learn from Ohno. Then, Taiichi Ohno said this in rebuke: "Why did you do only what I had told you to do?" Taiichi Ohno had a label for this type of worker. He called them "Catalog Engineers" and taught vehemently against being one. He said that these types of engineers or workers do not innovate or create - they simply follow instructions from their bosses and from books.

How much do you spend on things that you already have?

Lesson 1: The critical importance of the simple act of walking. When you get bogged down, distracted, or even discouraged rediscover the power of going to see. Lesson 2: Never walk alone. What is the benefit if only you see the current state and think of a better way to create a future sate? Always walk the value stream with the people who touch it. It will be their efforts who are needed to improve it. Lesson 3: Expand your focus. Many look primarily at the steps in the value stream and ask how to remove the waste. You must ask about the support processes to get the right people to the right place in the value stream at the right time with the right knowledge, materials, and equipment. Lesson 4: Reflect first on the purpose of the process. Focus on what problem the customer is trying to solve and ask whether the existing process, now matter how well, run, can effectively address their problem. Pay special attention to the way people are engaged in the operation and its improvement. Lesson 5: Make work fulfilling. There is nothing worse than seeing good people trapped in an unfulfilling process that they lack the power to improve. Lesson 6: Stability before full panoply of lean techniques. The process must be capable (able to produce good results every time) and available (able to operate when it is needed).

While many organizations have generated big returns from process improvement, few have built continuous improvement into their DNA. After a few years, senior executives get distracted by other demands, or new leaders focus on other ways to improve performance. They're like the person who makes a New Year's resolution to go to the gym or try a new diet, rather than fundamentally changing his eating and exercise habits.

A simple technique that we also use here at Tweddle in our Value Stream Maps.