Meet Tim Woods And Streamline Your Day-to-Day Work
As a teenager, I worked in a manufacturing facility that made communication antennas. Each day I saw workers drilling, assembling, and bending metal tubing into different types of antennas. And also each day, I saw the same person from the quality department bring back a cart full of defective pieces that had failed the required specifications. As I talked to some of my fellow coworkers, I learned that this was the way that the business had operated for years — with the expectation that there would always be multiple parts that would require rework each day. As I began my training in Lean Six Sigma, I learned that one of the major tenets in Lean is the elimination of waste (or muda, in Japanese). Taiicho Ohno, a Toyota executive, defined seven areas of waste. Although several mnemonics have been developed to help one remember these seven areas, I like TIM WOOD: T – Transport – too much movement of people and products either inside or outside the company I – Inventory – too much finished product kept in inventory M – Motion – too much bending, lifting, etc. W – Waiting – too much time waiting for materials or parts O – Over production – too much product produced at inappropriate times O – Over processing – too complicated production methods or overly tight specifications D – Defects – too many errors, too much rework. Another waste has recently been added, that of skills: S – Skills – Underutilizing capabilities, delegating tasks with inadequate training Waste can be seen in almost every process, including manufacturing (automobiles), transactional (banking), or product development (pharmaceuticals). It is incumbent to ensure that, as processes are reviewed and improved, potential wastes are identified and eliminated systematically. By eliminating waste, a company can devote more resources (money and employees) to drive down costs and increase customer satisfaction. How are you helping your employees to work smarter by reducing the amount of time they spend on non-productive activities and correcting errors? If your business processes need a “check-up,” please email me at michael@leadingchangeforgood.com! I’d love to help you get back to a healthy, productive workplace! ...
Read MoreDesigning A New Work Process? Make It Fool-Proof!
Recently, I was at the Indianapolis International Airport waiting for a flight from Indy to Dallas. As I waited, I purchased a soft drink and a newspaper. When my flight was called, I needed to dispose of these items. There were three trash cans nearby: one with a small round hole in the top and another with a long narrow slit in the lid. They had corresponding labels of bottles/cans only, paper only, and trash. I was reminded of how each trash can had a fail-safe design to support its specific recycling purpose. Bottles will not fit into the can for paper, while they fit perfectly into the lid with the small round hole. Someone cannot accidentally place an item into a trash can designed for something else. This type of engineering is often referred to as poka yoke (or poke yoke), a Japanese term that means mistake proofing. Many processes use a form of mistake proofing in their design, including: Required fields on an electronic document that must be filled in before you can submit the form; A gear with a tab that fits into a corresponding notch in a shaft, ensuring proper alignment; and A smaller orifice in an automobile fuel tank that only allows you to pump unleaded gas. Poke yoke is an important consideration when designing a new process. By preventing mistakes before they can happen, the organization can save time and money, and ensure a positive, long-lasting solution. How are you helping your employees to work smarter by reducing the amount of time they spend on non-productive activities and correcting errors? If your business processes need a “check-up,” please email me at michael@leadingchangeforgood.com! I’d love to help you get back to a healthy, productive workplace! ...
Read MoreImprove Your Workplace With Carrots, Not Sticks
A few days ago I got into a discussion with a colleague about how to gain engagement for a Continuous Improvement (CI) project from someone who is less than enthusiastic about CI. While we discussed several ways to attempt forced participation (i.e. as part of their annual performance management plan), it became apparent that a carrot works much better than a stick. While there are several ways to encourage CI involvement, a positive result is always a good way to help reduce resistance. This can often be demonstrated through the use of quick wins. Many times during a project, a team identifies one or more aspects of the problem under study that can be addressed and corrected quickly. Often these quick wins, identified as actions that require little if any approval, are referred to as “just do it.” Even quick wins performed in other departments can often motivate participation in CI activities. Another technique that can be used to motivate CI participation is the use of process mapping. By engaging several members of a group or department, it is possible to develop one or more process maps of the activities in that area. Throughout this exercise, areas of potential improvement can be identified and provoke CI engagement. While it is generally easy to obtain CI participation from early adopters, not everyone is guaranteed to be enthusiastic about the cultural change involved in an effective CI implementation. Activities such as quick wins and process mapping can help encourage CI participation and help gain program acceptance throughout the company. How are you helping your employees to work smarter by reducing the amount of time they spend on non-productive activities? If your business processes need a “check-up,” please email me at michael@leadingchangeforgood.com! I’d love to help you get back to a healthy, productive workplace! ...
Read MoreAsk ‘What If’; Avoid ‘What Now!’
Several years ago FRAM Oil Filters used the slogan “Pay me now, or pay me later” to convince customers to perform preventative maintenance on their cars. The premise was that it was easier and (much) cheaper to replace parts before they wear out and cause damage to the vehicle. That same rational can be used when developing a new continuous improvement (CI) process. As a CI team builds a new process, it is important to evaluate where the new process could fail before it is implemented. Another way to look at the issue is to ask the question: how could I break this new process? A great tool to use in this type of evaluation is called the failure mode and effects analysis, more commonly referred to as a FMEA. In a FMEA, the team evaluates each step of the process and evaluates potential points where it could fail. The team then determines the severity of the failure on the completion of the process, how likely the error could occur, and how easily the error could be detected. Using these criteria, the team can then determine which types of errors can have the most impact on the process. The team can then decide which errors must be avoided, ways to mitigate others, and select those that can be accepted if they occur. A new CI process always has a risk of failure. By using tools such as a FMEA, a CI team can enhance the probability that the new method works as it was designed, providing greater efficiency and satisfaction to the team and the company. How are you helping your employees to work smarter by reducing the amount of time they spend on non-productive activities? If your business processes need a “check-up,” please email me at michael@leadingchangeforgood.com! I’d love to help you get back to a healthy, productive...
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