The Benefits of Lean Management
When people make changes on the floor of a manufacturing facility the benefits are often immediate and obvious. Whether this is a reduction in wasted time or a streamlined method of moving a part through the production process, it is a clear improvement almost right from the beginning. When looking at the benefits of lean…
Mike Wilson | April 9, 2013 | Lean | Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing
How Does Flow Minimize Waste in Production
When you’re producing goods or services in a business the worst thing you can have is waste. Waste is anything that does not provide value to the company and specifically to the end customer. It could be anything from the time someone wastes at work because they have nothing to do to extra parts for…
Mike Wilson | April 8, 2013 | Lean | Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing
Small Changes Add Up!
When it comes to the topic of making changes, many people tend to focus on making big changes to create a big impact. However, big changes often take extended amounts of time and resources to fully implement, and many people and businesses alike do not have the feasibility to always enact big changes. Instead, it…
Mike Wilson | April 4, 2013 | Lean | Continuous Improvement
Catchball
Catchball may sound like a game of throwing and catching a ball, and in Japan it is a game just as that. However, catchball is also a common business practice used in lean businesses during the strategy deployment phase of Hoshin Kanri or simply Hoshin Planning. Needless to say, it does not include the use…
Mike Wilson | March 29, 2013 | Lean | Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma
Lean: Is Forecasting Feasible?
If you have ever worked in a business setting, you have probably heard people talk about forecasting. No, we are not talking about the weather, but instead the projected sales or amount of business transactions expected to help prepare a business for the future. Many businesses focus quite a bit in the area of forecasting,…
Mike Wilson | March 27, 2013 | Lean | Lean Manufacturing
Improvement: Make a Win-Win Situation for Both the Business and it’s Employees
In the business world, there is a constant need and desire for improvement. It doesn’t matter whether a business specializes in the market of rare auto parts or in making the best enchiladas. The plain and simple truth is that improving business practices to meet the ever-changing and diverse needs of society is essential to…
Mike Wilson | March 26, 2013 | Lean | Continuous Improvement, Lean
Decision-Making: Is Quicker Always Better?
Why does everyone always seem to be in a rush? Whether dropping kids off to school in the morning, trying to squeeze in a haircut during a lunch hour or tempted to open a new credit card just because a credit decision is promised within 60 seconds, people seem to always be rushing and often…
Mike Wilson | March 21, 2013 | Lean | Lean Manufacturing
Customer Service: It Can Make or Break a Business
When you enter a place of business, who do you expect to interact with? An employee or one of the actual business leaders? For most of us, we expect to work with a trained employee who is essentially a representative of the company. It would be somewhat odd to walk up to the check-out lane…
Mike Wilson | March 20, 2013 | Lean | Continuous Improvement, Lean
The Importance and Value of Mistake Proofing
Have there been mistakes made in your business operations? The answer is obviously yes. Whether mistakes happen while an employee is stacking pallets on warehouse floor, or while working on an assembly line out in the factory, mistakes are simply a part of life. There will always be some sort of human error value when…
Mike Wilson | March 12, 2013 | Lean | Lean Manufacturing
Lean Metrics + Process Improvement = Success
When discussing the term “metrics” or “performance metrics,”we are referring to the approaches businesses take to gauge or measure performance. Metrics are often used to determine whether a company is or isn’t making its objectives and goals and often serves as a platform to identify areas in need of improvement. However, it is important to…
Mike Wilson | March 7, 2013 | Lean | Continuous Improvement, Lean
New Product Development: Potential Pitfalls
Generating new ideas and creating new product is often exciting, yet a bit daunting. There are many unanswered questions along with new product development (NPD) and with that also comes a strong sense of vulnerability when introducing it onto the market. Some common concerns include: Will people like the product? Will the product function as…
Mike Wilson | March 6, 2013 | Lean | Lean Manufacturing
Help Your Business GO LEAN!
These days you may be hearing a lot talk regarding “going lean” and “implementing lean practices,” what does this truly mean? When a company implements lean practices they are essentially looking at all areas within the company, evaluating processes, searching for new ways to streamline and improve current processes, all while striving to create a…
Mike Wilson | March 5, 2013 | Lean | Lean, Lean Manufacturing
Is it Really an Operator Error or Something Else?
Let’s face it, there are many situations in which products are used either incorrectly or just simply don’t meet an intended need appropriately. Would you agree that this is due to an operator (customer) error? Or do you believe it is due to a process defect or product discrepancy? All too many times, operators are…
Mike Wilson | March 4, 2013 | Lean | Lean
Quality Begins with the Design and Process
The term “quality” is somewhat ambiguous in nature as it means differing levels of satisfaction to different people. However, even though acceptable levels of quality vary widely from person to person, one thing is for sure, when a person purchases a product to meet a specific need he or she expects the product to fulfill…
Mike Wilson | February 26, 2013 | Lean | Lean Manufacturing
Going Lean: IKEA style
For those of you who have not experienced the splendor of IKEA, right now is a great time to learn some helpful and effective facts regarding their lean tactics and safety style. IKEA is a Dutch-based retail company that originated in Sweden back in 1943. Through the years IKEA has proven itself to be one…
Mike Wilson | February 21, 2013 | Lean, Safety Solutions | Continuous Improvement, Lean
