Jun 8 2016
This Doctor is Upset, But It Doesn’t Really Sound Like Lean | Mark Graban | leanblog.org
“[…] it’s a first-hand story and an opinion piece. […] Dr. Cotton describes the poor treatment he’s received from a 40-something internal “Lean consultant” named Dean. […] Dr. Cotton describes a typically hectic E.D. scene where he’s “six patients behind” and he’s spent some time talking to a patient’s mom in an attempt to comfort her and explain the situation… a perfectly human and caring response. Then, Dr. Cotton describes an interaction that I’d hope would never happen[…]: ‘And that’s when Dean confronted me. ‘He wasn’t your patient! You are six patients behind!” Dean was the hospital’s MBA consultant for LEAN management.”
Sourced through Scoop.it from:www
Michel Baudin‘s comments:
I think what happened to Dr. Cotton is primarily the result of 25 years of Lean bandwagon jumping. Ever since the name was coined, all sorts of consultants and gurus have rebranded their offerings as “Lean,” misleading their audiences and living off the reputation of the Toyota Production System.
Given the absence of consensus on a Lean body of knowledge or control on the appellation, this was inevitable. But this process has besmirched the “Lean” label, and I am not sure it is salvageable.
Dr. Cotton seems to have it in for MBAs, which Mark may think unfair because he has one. Mark’s saving grace, however, is that he is also a mechanical engineer.
See on Scoop it
“Producers in less-developed countries compete by keeping costs low. Conventional wisdom holds that improving working conditions (which typically costs money) would undermine the competitive advantage these firms enjoy. Our research suggests an alternative to this race to the bottom. It involves replacing traditional mass manufacturing with ‘lean manufacturing’ principles.”
Jun 9 2016
The Tesla Way vs. The Toyota Way | M. Donovan & J. P. Womack | The Lean Post
“Given the ever-increasing barriers to entry in what Peter Drucker famously called the “industry of industries,” it’s a wonder that any automotive startups defy the long arc of consolidation by establishing themselves as viable competitors. And it’s even more notable when these newcomers present a model that just might challenge the incumbents to the core. Lean thinker Mark Donovan recently asked LEI founder Jim Womack whether the path taken by Tesla founder Elon Musk points to a new machine that can change the world. ”
Sourced from The Lean Post
Michel Baudin‘s comments:
Are the barriers to entry into the auto industry “ever-increasing,” as asserted in the 2010 HBR article linked to above, or did this article get it wrong? Could it be that the barriers are actually falling, with advances in electronics and information technology leveling the field between incumbents and new entrants?
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By Michel Baudin • Blog clippings 1 • Tags: Elon Musk, Silicon Valley, Tesla, Toyota