Got Boondoggle?

When it comes to meetings, most are excellent forums in providing direction, information and focus. However, I also find that many of them a...

This past week, as I was visiting a few manufacturing companies in Cincinnati, I found a few hours of free time in my schedule. Nearby was a...

A few years back, I learned a valuable lean lesson- "Don't ignore your water spider." A water spider is the name given by our ...

Before I list the answers to the acronym quiz in Avoid Acronyms , what did you answer for NOPP? If we have the same point of reference, you ...

Do you know what these acronyms stand for? FOB COGS MRP FAX QFD DPMO KPOV NOPP COPQ HIKE SMED OTED JIT You may know what each and everyone s...

"Get a grip on the status quo. The most magnificent improvement scheme would be worthless if your perception of the current situation i...

A recent quality issue occurred with one of our suppliers of pre-coated steel. This steel material has a designated specification for paint ...

In yesterday's issue of USA Today, there was an interesting article by Dan Reed on Airlines losing a record number of bags last year . A...

My post on Kaizen Priorities caught the attention of Bill Waddell over at Evolving Excellence blog that inspired him to write Lean Manufact...

One of the negative comments I hear about the lean approach is that it is unfocused or a shotgun approach that does not have an impact to th...

The lean journey is a long, continuous process of learning, experimentation and improvement. So when I received an email today about some le...

There are many helpful and simple lean tools to use on your lean journey however one tool stands out above all others. The basic stopwatch h...

There is an interesting quality article in today's issue of USA Today. The article is written by James R. Healey titled " Consumer ...

Sears has a cool quick tool change system in their Craftsman tool line called Speed Lok that has converted me from the old method of changin...

In my recent post on the Top 5 Rules of Effective Measurement Boards, Rule #5 is to meet daily at the boards. And the best method is to go t...

I promote the elimination of waste as one of the driving forces of lean manufacturing and I am not deviating from that objective. However, I...

Here is a good idea I recommend for your charts and graphs on measurement boards - adding an arrow. This arrow will indicate the good direct...

Keep everyone informed by using a department measurement board or dashboard listing the top metrics during your lean improvement journey. Fo...

A place for everything and everything in its place is the motto of 5-S. The muda of searching for items and the added frustration after a le...

One of the most basic fundamentals in the lean approach to business is the single biggest barrier preventing the majority of business "...