Oct 12 2018
For Lean Production to Work, a Company Needs to Be All In | Ellen Rosen | The New York Times
“For a company in Chesterfield, Mo., it involved something as seemingly simple as attaching a trash can to an employee’s chair. For one in St. Louis, it meant leaving the cover off an electronic temperature controller. For others it’s meant gathering employees from the chief executive on down for what’s known as Kaizen events — based on the Japanese word for continuing improvement. What do these seemingly unconnected efforts have in common? They are approaches to what is known as lean manufacturing — or, more recently, lean production — aimed at streamlining production processes, enhancing employee engagement and increasing profits.”
Source: The New York Times(10/11/2018)
Michel Baudin‘s comments: Thanks to Kevin Hop for drawing my attention to this article. Like him, I do read The New York Times regularly and usually appreciate the quality of its reporting. This article, however, does not measure up. It reflects the conventional wisdom on Lean manufacturing which, if anything, explains why so many implementations fail.
Dec 23 2018
Kaizen and Improvements That Last
One reader recently asked the Gemba Coach “Our teams have good results with kaizen, but nothing seems to stick for long – any advice?” This begs the question of what you call “good results that don’t stick.” Successfully completing a Kaizen project means reducing a new work method to daily practice. A compelling demo in a management presentation is not the end. Claiming good results on this basis is like declaring victory after running a quarter of the race. By definition, if it doesn’t stick, it’s not a good result! If it happens systematically, then your whole Kaizen activity is a failure.
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By Michel Baudin • Blog reviews • 8 • Tags: Kaizen, Kaizen Event, Kaizen Promotion Office, Lean