Use the Back Door to Find Waste

"Back Door" by kpe II via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr

For the experienced identifiying and eliminating waste may not be difficult.  For other it may not be easy to find wate when you look at the production line or the warehouse or a process.  If you are new to Lean and just starting your journey you may find it even harder to discove the waste right in front of you.  As you have heard from many at Toyota it may take hours of just standing and observing people performing an operation before you get a sense of where the waste is.  Waste is everywhere, in every operation; it is so common and you are so used to it that it's hard to see.  You may have to take the "back-door" approach and look for the opposite of waste: work.

Work is the value-added activity in the operation.  It is everything that waste is not.  So when you can't see the waste, find the work.

You will need to closely inspect every operation in the entire process. Ask why that operation is happening at that point.  Continue to ask why until you have explored the operation in dpeth and are satisfied that you have uncovered the waste and understand the value of the operation or the need to eliminate it.  Ask why at least five times of every situation you examine.

Use this approach to your thinking:

1. Look at the three real things:
      The factory (functional area)
      The facts (data driven thinking)
      Work-in-process (material not moving)
2. Ask "what?"
       Ask what the operation is about.
3. Ask "why?"
       Ask why the operation is necessary.
4. Everything that is not work is waste.
       One you have found out what the operation's essential
       funtion is, everything in the operation that does not
       directly execute that function is waste.
5. Ask "why?" at least five more times to find the root cause.
       Ask why at least five times concerning each wasteful part
      of the operation.  This will lead you to the real waste.

Many who practice Lean Thinking get so focused on waste they forget to find value.  Lean is about adding value to the customer first (and respect for people second).  While quite effective, eliminating waste is only one countermeasure for contributing more value .  So if you have trouble finding the waste that might be right in front of you try coming in the "back door" and look for the value-added work.  This is what we are truly after any way.  Learning to see often requires us to look with different set glasses.

Lean Quote: Strive for Continuous Improvement

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Don't be afraid to give up the good for the great." — John D. Rockefeller

An essential element in Lean thinking is Kaizen.  Kaizen is the Japanese word for continuous improvement or change for the better.  As no process can ever be declared perfect, there is always room for improvement.  Kaizen involves building on gains by continuing experimentation and innovation.

The cycle of kaizen activity can be defined as:

• Standardize process
• Measure the standardized process
• Analyze measurements against requirements
• Innovate to meet requirements and increase productivity
• Standardize the new, improved process
• Continue cycle infinitely

Kaizen involves every employee - from upper management to operators. Everyone is encouraged to come up with small improvement suggestions on a regular basis. This is not a once a month or once a year activity. It is continuous.

Kaizen is based on making little changes on a regular basis: always improving productivity, safety and effectiveness while reducing waste.  The western philosophy is often summarized as, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." However, the Kaizen philosophy is to "do it better, make it better, improve it even if it isn't broken, because if we don't, we can't compete with those who do."
 
While Kaizen is really about improvement involving everyone everyday it is often associated with a structured event. In order for kaizen to be successful though it requires constant review.  Avoid common mistakes in your Kaizen like tackling too much at one time or striving for perfection. Embrace the challenge to improve your processes incrementally and often.
 

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Review: Lean Thinking Cards

The Lean educator in me is always looking for effective ways to teach and reinforce Lean Thinking.  I recently had the opportunity to review a great educational product called the Lean Product Cards. 

The Lean Thinking Pocket Cards pictured above were created by Pascal Dennis teach Lean concepts with a light touch. The images are funny, intuitive, and teach concepts fundamental to the world's most powerful business system. Each card illustrates a core Lean Thinking concept and contrasts it with conventional thinking., to prompt your thinking and guide you to your True North. Topics covered: Leadership, Problem Solving, Planning, Simplicity, Pull, Flow, Standards, and Quality at the Source. 

A few months ago the Lean Learning Solutions Team lead by Pascal released the Lean Tools Pocket Cards.  The twelve Lean Tools cards are designed to provide you with a visual overview and detailed view of the most common tools used in Lean organizations.  Topics covered include: Strategy Deployment, Waste, Visual Order (5S), Visual Control, Standardized Work, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Problem Solving, Problem Solving Tools, Kaizen, Kanban, Poka Yoke, and Quick Changeover. 

Learning and changing thinking requires constant reflection and reinforcement.  As the saying goes "a picture is worth a thousand words" these visual cards are extremely powerful.  These cards can be used by executives to machine operators and everyone in between successfully.  They are small and durable so you can carry them everywhere and refer to them as you need.   

I recommend these cards for any organization looking for educational materials to reinforce their Lean Journey.  My organization is going to use these and the Lean Leadership Pocket cards coming soon.  Buy your cards today.

Superbowl Commercial: 5S Shuffle

My friends over at 5S Supply have created a superbowl commercial just in time for the big game this weekend.  As you can understand, they didn't have a lot to spend on a commercial so they brought back a classic - with a twist of course. Since their beloved Bears (they're near Chicago) didn't make it to the show this year they resurrected the 1985 hit "Superbowl Shuffle" and changed it to the "5S Shuffle".



You can find more great videos from 5S Supply at http://www.youtube.com/5Ssupply.

Lean Lessons from a Snowstorm

In the northeastern part of the US we have received some record snow falls in the last few weeks.  All this snow got me thinking on the way home that there are some lean lessons we can take away from these snowstorms.

1. Forecasts are inaccurate.  You can only count on actual demand.  We have all experienced school cancellations based on high forecasts which result in only a few inches.  You can't rely on forecasts to plan your business either.
2. Overproduction is the biggest waste.  A snowstorm with 24 inches is much harder to manage than one with a few inches.  As in snowstorms overproduction leads to other wastes in business.
3. Waiting is inefficient.  Snowstorms often leave you stranded at home.  This means going to work and school is difficult.  Businesses can't afford this waste of valuable time.
4. Excess processing is not productive.  Large snowstorms usually result in multiple clean-ups.  This extra trip outside to remove snow is wasteful.  Extra processing and steps in business result in lost productivity.
5. Excess motion is dangerous.  Removing snow manually with a shovel is physical exhausting.  Excessive motion in your business can be physically and emotionally exhausting for your workers.  This overburden is referred to as Muri in Lean.
6. Inconsistency creates difficulties. The variation in type and amount of snow fall makes snow removal and road treatment more difficult.  The methods and effort to deal with sleet (freezing rain) and heavy wet snow is quite different. In Lean we call this inconsistency in demand Mura.  Businesses would prefer predictable level demand since it is easier to manage.
7. Preventative maintenance is essential.  If you want to be able to clean up from a storm your snow blower needs to be maintained and ready to operate.  If you want to deliver on-time to your customers then your equipment needs to be ready to produce.  Total preventative maintenance (TPM) is the program to help you do this.
8. Inventory is necessary.  During a storm you find many people stock up on supplies because of the unpredictable nature of weather.  They want to be prepared until they can resume their normal delivery routes.  This is necessary in business as well.  Lean is about having the right amount at the right time.

Lessons in Lean thinking are all around us.  Many of us are unaware of them but if you are willing look you can learn a great deal.  Jeff Hajek and I have highlighted various Lean concepts with everyday examples like making coffee, buying milk, and driving.  Keep learning and applying Lean to make work easier.

Lean Quote: Create a Learning Environment

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"The leader needs to create an environment in which people can analyze the situation and develop a good response." — Bill Gates

People learn more quickly in the right environment. Consider the following suggestions for creating an environment that is conducive to learning and development:

• Model your commitment to development by sharing your development objectives and asking for regular feedback. In particular, ask others to give you feedback on your coaching efforts.

• Tailor your coaching and support to each person’s individual learning style.

• Be genuine. Let your personality, insights, observations, and self-disclosures add depth and richness to your coaching efforts.

• Emphasize small, reasonable steps. Because people learn in small steps, expecting too much too soon can discourage progress.

• Promote active experimentation. When people try new things in different ways, they solidify their understanding of what really works and prepare themselves to use skills effectively in a variety of circumstances.

• Give people permission to make mistakes as long as they learn from them. Focus on what they learned rather than on how they performed.

• Encourage people to talk to each other about what they learned from their mistakes. Back up your words with willingness to talk openly about our own mistakes.

• Remember that your position as a people manager or team leader may make some people especially sensitive to what you say or do. Avoid offhand remarks and irrelevant criticisms.

What do you do to create a learning environment in your organization?

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Poka Yoke - Make Process Easier (Video)

Mistake-proofing is the use of process design features to facilitate correct actions, prevent simple errors, or mitigate the negative impact of errors. Poka-yoke is Japanese slang for mistake-proofing, a term coined by Shigeo Shingo.  Here is a good example of mistake proofing a process by Paul Aker at Fastcap.



For more on Poka Yoke visit Mistake Proofing Help.

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