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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Book Review: The Toyota Mindset

When I started my journey into Lean Thinking the likes of Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo, the founders of the Toyota Production System, were gone.  I consider myself the next generation of Lean implementers, learning from those who learned from the best.  My own sensei worked for Toyota for 30 years and often told stories of working with Ohno-san and Shingo-san.  As a passionate Lean Thinker I am always interested in learning about the creation and establishment of the Toyota Production System.

Now there is a book that sheds more light into the thinking of Taiichi Ohno.  The Toyota Mindset explains the ten commandments of the famous thinker.  Written by Yoshihito Wakamatsu, an early shop floor worker during Ohno's development of the Toyota Production System, now a manufacturing leader recounts Ohno's teachings. 

The 10 commandments from Taiichi Ohno thinking:

1. Wastes hide so start by disclosing all of your mistakes.

·    Collecting small parts lets you identify bigger wastes.

·    Don't plan with numbers from the past otherwise the same wastes will be inherited.

·    Measure your performance by productivity, not by how busy you are.

·    Produce only necessary items.

2. Discover the truth beyond your understanding.

·    Avoid first aid remedies; develop a habit of analyzing thoroughly on the shop floor.

·    Don't just do what you can, do until you can.

·    Don't become conceited by being satisfied with immediate results; avoid being over confident.

3. Increasing production while limiting the number of workers is the only way to gain true success.

·    Don't select work based on what's possible or not, always decide based on what's necessary or not.

·    Lead them to an answer but don't give it away.

·    Reverse your thinking process.

·    Motivating people requires swaying their emotions, however it comes with many difficulties.

4. Act on problems right away, don't procrastinate.

·    Do it now; you can solve anything.

·    You can find a better solution today than you can tomorrow.

·    Continuous efforts build a solid foundation.

5. Don't feel satisfied by saying, "I finished the job." Go beyond that and say, "I can do more."

·    Don't just follow instructions; add your own craftiness to it.

·    Avoid a uniform treatment of suppliers; it only leads to labor enforcement.

·    Don't teach your workers everything; let them realize on their own.

6. Add "appropriate timing" to "appropriate method" in problem solving.

·    Give your workers care and time so that they start approaching you.

·    Show workers what you can do first.

·    Don't let workers sweat or they will lack ideas.

7. Believe in "I can" and question "I can't".

·    Everybody has innate intelligence; it is the role of leaders to educe such intelligence.

·    Don't believe what critics say and don't base your judgments on criticism.

·    If you want to improve how work is performed you need to reform the basic mechanism of work.

8. The key to achieving progress is to never give up.

·    Don't give up because it's destined to become a failure; generate ideas so that it won't fail.

·    If you want to gain strong support from your workers; give out fewer orders.

·    See through the numbers; only the shop can validate the truth.

9. Don't do work at an average pace; the shortest way is always the easiest.

·    Continuously improve on a pattern of failure.  Do the same for a pattern of success.

·     The starting point can be low as long as your goal is set high.

·     Decisions can be based on profitability, but that shouldn't be the only factor.

10. Change yourself first if you want to change someone else.

·    Ask workers to do hard things in a gentle manner; ask workers to do easy things repeatedly.

·    An "I can" conviction can be as easy as an "I can't" conviction.

·    Make a great team and continuously improve it.

The author says the most important element is to have faith in human intelligence and potential.  From my experience I tend to agree.  Humans can be empowered by taking full advantage of their innate intelligence.  Remember, anyone can come up with ideas.  It is up to you to nurture and help bring forth tangible results because of those ideas.

The stories and examples recounted in the book provide valuable insight into Ohno's belief, as well as giving a glimpse into the transitional period of Toyota's history that led to them becoming a world leader in manufacturing.  There are not many other books out there that give the reader such and in-depth look at the man who revolutionized the way manufacturing is done.  While Ohno did not necessarily describe the 10 commandments in his work the author does this to explain Ohno's philosophy.

In my opinion this is a must read book for anyone interesting in Lean Thinking.  It provides a deeper understanding into the birth of the TPS.  The knowledge the author presents will better equip you to deal with problems that may arise in your organization.

Note:  A copy of this book was provided by the publisher Enna for review.

Learn Continuously

Go to your bookshelf and pull out one of your old college textbooks.  Is the information still current?  Now think about your industry – has it changed since you began your career?  Think of how quickly your most challenging competitors are moving.  Are you keeping up?  Clearly, learning is a must.

Learning needs to become part of your daily routine.  You are most likely to succeed if you consistently pursue a learning activity each day.  Even five minutes a day can make a tremendous difference.

So how do you make learning continuously part of job?  Here are ten ways to get started today:

1. Set development priorities.  Focus first on developing skills for your current job; then focus on the future.  Place reminders of your development goals where you will see them each day.
2. Pursue ways to develop and apply specific skills.  The most effective way to develop your skills it to make it part of your daily routine.  Each day, identify where you can practice new skills and behaviors. Compile a list of people who can support your development.  Observe people who are skilled in the areas you are trying to improve.
3. Make your learning more efficient.  Training yourself to take advantage of a broad variety of experiences can accelerate your learning and development.
4. Get the most out of readings and seminars.  When you are reading or are attending a seminar, take notes.  Search for one insight or application in everything you read.  Decide what you will do differently.
5. View mistakes as learning opportunities. Mistakes are a problem if you repeat them or don't learn from them.  When you make a mistake, ask yourself what you can learn from it.
6. Involve others in your development efforts.  Effective development rarely happens in isolation.  Instead, successful learning occurs through a continuous process of feedback and support.  Learn from people outside of work and realize that no single person will fill all your needs.
7. Seek out and learn from others who are different from you.  Getting input and advice from a wide range of people will provide you with new ideas.  Develop a habit of identifying what you can learn from each person you meet.  Realize that to keep learning, you need to put yourself into unfamiliar situations.
8. Demonstrate willingness to try new things, even at a risk of failure.  Doing new things and taking risks does not come easily for many people because they fear the potential consequences.  When you are concerned about doing something new, find a way to practice. 
9. Keep up-to-date on technical knowledge and expertise you need.  Gain the expertise you need by finding resources in other areas of the organization or by charting a path for increasing your knowledge.  Network with others to learn needed information.  Use resources available through professional associations, Web sites, blogs, and so forth.
10. Stay informed about industry practices.  Industry practices and standards change so you need to keep up-to-date on developments.  Visit other companies and talk with their employees.  Attend industry or professional meetings, conferences, seminars, webinars, and other educational events.  Join a group of professionals who get together to discuss issues of common interest.

Everything can contribute to our experience of learning.  But as you may realize, learning is incomplete if we don't listen to the voices of those whose background and experiences are different from our own. Part of our learning continuously is opening our minds and hearts to those who propose a different way.

This post is sponsored: Find out how to earn a business degree in online settings.