Doctors and Dynamite
I enjoy reading about how organizations began using Lean and Six Sigma (LSS) in their business. Often companies bring in consultants to plan and execute projects, train staff on LSS methodologies, or both. I find it more interesting to read how enterprises can find help from non-obvious sources. I recently read in the August issue of Quality Magazine about a teaching healthcare system that, with a little help from the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership, decided to think outside of the box on their LSS program. Ellis Medicine teamed up with a dynamite manufacturer in Cincinnati to have two of its staff members trained in LSS principles. These “Lean Leaders” then went back to Ellis Medicine looking for obvious projects (aka low-hanging fruit). Ellis’ first project focused on laboratory blood sample turnaround time (TAT). By reducing TAT, the team saved an estimated $600,000. Based on this success, Ellis established 6 team projects in various areas of the system. While each project had some savings, two in particular stand out. A critical shortage of IV pumps was resolved, resulting in savings of $500,000. Another team identified laboratory tests that could be performed in-house, providing savings of $1 million. As busy professionals we have a tendency to focus on what is happening within our own field. By exploring alternatives outside our main industry, we often find outside-the-box solutions and a greater appreciation for programs such as LSS. 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...
Read MoreCreativity and Lean Six Sigma = Oil and Water?
There’s a misperception that Lean Six Sigma’s (LSS) structured approach to quality, with its focus on reducing errors and eliminating waste, stifles creativity for companies desperately seeking to nurture a culture of innovation. But this line of reasoning assumes that there’s only one kind of creativity that leads to innovation — disorderly chaos. Methodology is mutually exclusive in the processes that lead to those eureka moments of real discovery and innovation. To the contrary, Colorado-based Arrow Electronics, Inc. is just one example of an organization that has embraced LSS to strengthen its innovative culture. In fact, for the second year in a row, Arrow walked away with “Innovation of the Year” honors at the 2017 Lean & Six Sigma World Conference, one of the leading conferences on business process improvement. Arrow, a global provider of products, services and solutions to industrial and commercial users of electronic components and enterprise computing solutions, won for its Lean Sigma Drones project. This project combines drone technology, video technology and a rapid-improvement methodology to observe Arrow’s extensive warehouse operations from a birds-eye view and more effectively identify areas for continuous improvement. The project has already increased the efficiency of targeted processes by 82 percent and eliminated more than 6.5 million walking steps in warehouse processes since Arrow launched it in late 2016. Employee feedback spurred the innovative drone project. Arrow warehouse employees reported it was much easier to observe processes and identify areas for improvement from a higher vantage point. Using drones, they can now see more than they ever could before, and all in 4K resolution. To ensure operational excellence and nurture a culture of innovation, Arrow offers regular LSS training to its employees. Aside from training, Arrow also conducts regular audits in every distribution center, making sure the problems are always identified and innovative best practices are widely shared, to improve operational performance and achieve high ROIs. Arrow’s team has creatively tackled other projects, like modifying a race car to be safely driven at speeds over 100 mph using just the head movements and breath from a quadriplegic driver. Or a pheromone-based pest control system that uses an insect’s own natural communication methods to prevent damage to fruit crops. Or transforming cargo containers into fully-equipped classrooms and health clinics to be used across Africa. Or even engineering sensors that help dairy farmers better manage livestock health and optimize milk production. And, smart smoke detectors that are designed to be a more effective early warning system. To say that LSS, because of its emphasis on planning and measurement, is incompatible with innovation isn’t necessarily the case. What may be an even bigger mistake is to assume that providing no framework for idea-generation supports, rather than limits, the entrepreneurial spirit, and that boundaries are just buzzkill. This view doesn’t recognize that the problem-solving that is foundational to LSS is a creative process itself. Furthermore, the LSS emphasis on collaboration and team-building unleashes the power of ideas and their synergies when cross-functional team members connect to think about possibilities rather than problems – and those teams rely on the imagination of each individual member. Creativity and LSS are a winning combination for any organization desiring a better way to conduct business. What’s been your experience with building a culture of innovation at your organization? I’d love to hear your observations! 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...
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