Most abused Six Sigma Tools Every week, various LinkedIn discussions pop up in professional groups meant to bring debate, and (hopefully) then clarity, to their audiences and members. In particular, I spend a lot of time in the Lean Six Sigma group, and a particular topic caught my attention this week. Lee Duncan, a Six Sigma manager at Hertz, gets the prize for opening up my current…
Tony Ferraro | October 24, 2014 | Lean | Six Sigma
Better Productivity with Old Paradigms is Difficult Resistance to change amongst your workforce and business structure is an issue that’s been beaten to death by guru after guru, article after article, and website after website… and for good reason. Change management is one of the hardest things to correctly influence in the workplace, in part because the very name implies a clash between the current and the…
Tony Ferraro | September 30, 2014 | Safety Solutions | Six Sigma
Lean Six Sigma Working Together Lean and Six Sigma, often used together, are two tried and true methodologies for identifying problems in a process and, to an extent, working to correct those problems as well. Indeed, Lean is touted under the banner of “continual improvement” more often than not. Of course, continual improvement means making changes for the better, but does that make Lean, or Six Sigma…
Tony Ferraro | September 25, 2014 | Lean | Six Sigma
Six Sigma Blues One all-too-common problem in the Lean Six Sigma arena stems from the fact that it’s hard to be a believer in a system when it simply doesn’t work for you. When it comes to Lean, the reasons for a project not coming to a successful completion or meeting expectations are numerous, but there are certainly a few common standouts that aren’t doing you any…
Tony Ferraro | August 29, 2014 | Lean | Six Sigma
LinkedIn Discussion Unravels Important Lean and Six Sigma Tools Lean and Six Sigma methodology both work together toward the common goal of getting your business into its best shape possible. When conducting Lean operations, you’re looking at ways to reduce waste and variability and, ultimately, to make a work floor or overall business more productive and efficient. That said, the plethora of tools at one’s disposal when…
Tony Ferraro | August 18, 2014 | Lean | Lean, Six Sigma
Introduction to Operational Excellence For most of us, Lean is a common concept by now. By extension, we’re also familiar with the idea of continuous improvement; the way we run our business should ultimately be reflective of a chain of efforts to change for the better and reach more perfect efficiency. That’s all well and good, but we’ve seen more and more businesses shying away from simply relying…
Tony Ferraro | August 11, 2014 | Safety Solutions | 5S, Safety, Six Sigma
Tips & Tricks for Efficiently Tracking Lean Projects Recently, we wrote about a couple of problems facing many Lean practitioners. These were problems that hindered their learning process and often caused overconfidence. Amongst the advice to help combat these problems arose the need for detailed tracking and note taking with regards to practice and progress. Being able to accurately track not only the effects but also the…
Tony Ferraro | July 30, 2014 | Lean | Kanban, Six Sigma
Completing Six Sigma Projects Lean six sigma strategies and principles have dominated the industrial workplace for roughly half a century, and for good reason. To put it simply: Lean works, and Lean “blackbelts” or experts improve the flow and efficiency of (primarily but not exclusively) production-based businesses using tools that are time-proven in their effectiveness. Despite these overwhelmingly positive aspects of the Lean playbook, however, roadblocks are…
Tony Ferraro | July 24, 2014 | Lean, Safety Solutions | Lean, Six Sigma
A Discussion About Methods and Tools That Are The Most Useful In Lean Six Sigma Lean Six Sigma has absolutely revolutionized the way workplaces and production facilities alike are managed and laid out. Since the mid 20th century, transformations toward making businesses more efficient and less wasteful – measured in time, money, and more – have undergone constant evolution. Today, so many Lean processes and strategies have…
Tony Ferraro | June 6, 2014 | Lean | Lean, Six Sigma
When a problem arises in the workplace it’s only natural to want to fix it as soon as possible. The most common response to a lapse in efficiency or production is to find the most immediate and apparent cause of an issue and implement steps to correct it. While this approach is not inherently wrong, it does often mean jumping to conclusions and basing solutions not entirely…
Tony Ferraro | December 4, 2013 | Lean | Six Sigma
We’re constantly told that change is a good thing, and, depending on the details of your current operation, most lean experts would also agree with that sentiment. Take the concept of Kaizen, for example. Kaizen is the environment of constant improvement and elimination of waste – in both time and materials – that lean operations seek to promote. Kaizen is generally achieved, or at least pursued, through…
Tony Ferraro | November 11, 2013 | Lean | Chaku Chaku, Kaizen, Lean, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma
Mark Hamel In this week’s interview, we are highlighting the expertise of Mark Hamel, a leader in lean and six sigma implementation, as well as an established author and blogger. He authored a book entitled, “Kaizen Event Fieldbook” and is an avid blogger for kaizenfieldbook.com. In this interview he answers questions related to Kaizen and Lean in the field of Healthcare. In addition, he also discusses the key…
Tony Ferraro | August 12, 2013 | Kaizen | Continuous Improvement, Healthcare, Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma
The practice of implementing lean is becoming increasingly popular and it looks like lean might be here to stay. However, it is important to remember that lean isn’t just a quick fix or “extra” program. Instead, implementing a true lean mindset takes time. When lean is done correctly, it will help your business to grow and flourish exponentially. The keyword here is “correctly.” The primary goal of…
Tony Ferraro | July 29, 2013 | Lean | 5S, Continuous Improvement, Healthcare, Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma
Continuous improvement is the task of frequently seeking out ways to improve processes, products, or services. However, it is important to remember that persistence and perseverance are vital when it comes to the ongoing and ever-changing task of continuous improvement. For instance, when cell phones first came out they were oversized, bulky, offered less than desirable service, and neglected any sense of style. However, through continuous improvement…
Mike Wilson | April 17, 2013 | Safety Solutions | 5S, Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Kanban, Lean Manufacturing, Organized Workplace, Six Sigma, Tool Organization
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 of an actual ball. Instead, it is more of a figurative term…
Mike Wilson | March 29, 2013 | Lean | Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma
