Meet-up: The Operations Blog Marci Reynolds

Today's guest on the Meet-up is Marci Reynolds, who authors The Operations Blog.  Blog posts focus on Service Operations and Tech Support, with an emphasis on how to align and leverage “people, processes, technology and data.” I have been following Marci for a couple of years and always enjoy her creative posts on leadership.


Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Marci Reynolds and I am Vice President of HELP24 Technical/Customer Support for ACI Worldwide, the leading global payments software provider for banks and retailers. I lead an international team of just under 200 employees with offices in the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions. Our vision is to provide the best customer support in the payments industry.

How and when did you learn Process Improvement?
My first introduction to process improvement was in the early 90’s, when I worked at The Boston Globe newspaper where they used the APIMC approach to address business problems. APIMC stands for: analyze, plan, implement measure and control. In the late 90’s, I participated in a Six Sigma wave with another company, was formally trained in the DMAIC process and received my Greenbelt certification. Last year, I got involved with another twist on Six Sigma, which we labeled the “Higher Velocity” approach.

How and why did you start blogging or writing about Process Improvement?
I have been blogging for about 6 years. I started writing about process improvement within sales (i.e. sale enablement) and then switched to process improvement within service operations about 2 years ago (refer to The Operations Blog). I enjoy writing, sharing what I have learned and getting feedback and ideas from the blog readers. It also forces me to keep current with industry trends.

What does Process Improvement mean to you?
It means identifying and taking action to remove the roadblocks and causes that prevent us from fully achieving our business objectives. Process improvement allows us to implement sustainable improvements in results, not band-aid fixes. It is about looking upstream, and thinking about end to end activities, instead of focusing on the end result only.

What is the biggest myth or misconception of Process Improvement?
The biggest myth I have heard is that process improvement (Six Sigma, Lean etc) is only for manufacturing environments. Second, that process improvement can not be used in creative professions, like logo design. In reality, process improvement techniques can be used in any work environment, for any profession and in any industry.

What is your current Process Improvement passion, project, or initiative?
My entire job is about process improvement. Here are some examples of the types of business questions/problems that my team and I are current addressing using systematic, process review techniques: How can we resolve customer cases faster? How can we improve the capacity of our engineering team to implement code fixes? How can we improve collaboration across departments?

Lean and 5S at Home with Paul Akers

Followers on this site know I have a fondness for Paul Akers as you can see from all these posts. He has found brilliant ways to simplify and share the message of continuous improvement. With Paul's 2 Second Lean book he is helping people grow and build a fun Lean Culture.

In a recent video by Paul, he again takes us home to share lessons on Lean. He focuses on using 5S elements to organize his home office and bathroom.  These improvements center around making tasks easier therefore saving him time.



Hopefully, you are applying continuous improvement thinking in your life and this will give you some ideas for your home and office.

Guest Post: Defining a Lean Organization is a Matter of Character

Today and tomorrow I will be doing a two part guest post on Christian Paulsen's Lean Leadership Blog. I attempted to define a Lean enterprise by the characteristics that embody a Lean organization. A Lean enterprise simplistically is a company that spreads Lean thinking across its entire organization. Those who find success embody a set of distinct characteristics that can help us understand what it means to be on this Lean journey. The first seven characteristics focus on elements of strategy, alignment, and continuous learning. The next of set characteristics focus on execution and continuous improvement.

Here is an excerpt from this post:

Lean is all about respecting people while eliminating Muri (overburdening), Mura (unevenness), and Muda (non value added activity) in all business processes. It is a philosophy which embodies a manufacturing culture of continuous improvement based on setting standards aimed at eliminating waste through participation of all employees.

While Lean can be beneficially applied to any process within an organization, its greatest benefit comes when it is applied across the enterprise. In The Machine That Changed the World in 1990, Jim Womack, et al., emphasized “that Lean thinking can be applied by any company anywhere in the world but that the full power of the system is only realized when it is applied to all elements of the enterprise.”

Lean focuses on creating and implementing processes throughout the entire organization that are highly responsive and flexible to customer demand. Lean paves the way for delivery high quality products and services, at the right location, at the right time, all in a cost effective and profitable manner.

...

A Lean Enterprise is not created quickly. To be successful, Lean manufacturing requires building a culture of operational excellence. It’s easy to say (or define), but harder to instill throughout an organization, which is why a lean implementation takes time. But the benefits of lean are undeniable, and those companies who make the journey stand to gain significantly. When a business applies lean thinking, culture, and methods throughout the entire organization and beyond its four walls to customers and suppliers a Lean Enterprise is formed.

To read the full article continue here.

Lean Quote: Dreams Can Come True With Courage

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.

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." — Walt Disney

When things are difficult, unknown, and perhaps unattainable we may turn the other direction. We must find the inner strength to overcome these perceived barriers. History has proven time after time that the power of a thought is the beginning for actions that will alter the future positively. Understanding this, and having the courage to keep going even in the face of all obstacles, allows us to accomplish anything we want.

Recognizing these truths about courage will assist you in overcoming any challenge that you face:

1. Courage Begins with an Inward Battle - Courage isn't an absense of fear. It's doing what you are afraid to do. It's having the power to let go of the familiar and forge ahead into new terrritory.

2. Courage Is Making Things Right, Not Just Smoothing Them Over - Courage deals with principle, not perception. It's knowing when to stand up and having the conviction to do so.

3. Courage in a Leader Inspires Commitment from Followers - A show of courage by any person encourages others. But a show of courage by a leader ispires. It makes people want to follow them.

4. Your Life Expands in Proportion to Your Courage - Fear limits a leader. But courage has the opposite effect. Courage not only gives you a good beginnig, but it also provides a better future.

Courage means trusting yourself to overcome your fears and doing what you are afraid to do. Courage increases conviction and inspires others to confront their fears.

Walt Disney embodied his quote by dreaming big and being courageous despite the challenges and skeptics. Without his courage to dream and execute we would not have the institution that has become Disney. 

It takes courage to begin the journey towards our dreams and courage to see them through.

What You Need To Know About OSHA Floor Marking Standards

Today, I would like to introduce a guest post by Mike Wilson from Creative Safety Supply. Mike enjoys blogging and reading about the lean manufacturing niche. He is invested in Creative Safety Supply, known for its safety products to help manufacturers with their 5S and Lean Projects. Mike is going to talk about the importance of 5S, specifically set-in order with floor marking to improve safety for employees.
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the government agency that is responsible in developing the rules and regulations to promote the safety of the employees working in various industrial facilities in the United States. One of their tasks is to ensure that these facilities are in compliance with the existing rules and regulations when it comes to marking floors and setting boundaries benefiting the workers.

About OSHA Floor Marking Standards
The major concerns of OSHA are the safety and welfare of the employees. These can be achieved by following osha floor marking standards that deal with the appropriate usage of floor marking tape and other materials when it comes to safety markings and setting boundaries. The organization also ensures that the aisles, hallways and other passages are built according to the standards.

In order to give you an idea, here are some of the guidelines being imposed by OSHA regarding floor safety markings:

• Broken lines should not be used as markings
• Icons, symbols dots, graphics and other elements can be used when necessary
• Line markings should be at least 2-6 inches long and 2 inches wider
• The markings should occupy the recommended space in the aisles and other areas
• The passages and aisles should not be less than four feet
• The passages and aisles should be at least three feet larger than the biggest equipment in the area

Materials to Use for Markings
The importance of having safety floor markings in the workplace is incontestable so you need to comply with the rules set by OSHA. Along with this, you also have to make sure that you are using the best material for markings. Essentially, there are various materials to use for floor markings but the most common are tapes and paints.

Paints for safety floor markings are incredible as they are long lasting, tough and resistant to moisture, water and other environmental elements. These can be used if you are looking for floor marking materials that can withstand heavy environment traffics.

Paints are available in many colors so you can have plenty to choose from. There are also glow in the dark marking paints and those that have anti-slip features making it a great tool to use in floor markings. However, using this can be time consuming and involves more hassle than using the other kinds of material like floor marking tape.

Floor marking tapes are growing in popularity when it comes to marking floors for safety due to a great number of reasons. Primarily, floor marking tapes are fast and easy to use. There is no hassle involved in using this product because you can just cut and stick and you are done. There is no need to set period for drying line when using paints.

Also, it comes in various forms like the vinyl tape which is the most common type. It can be purchased in different colors as well and glow in the dark. Lastly, they can also last for long if most especially if you choose the best kind.

Meet-up: Lean Reflection's Karen Wilhelm

I am proud to welcome Karen Wilhelm, who blogs at Lean Reflections, to our Meet-up.  She has been a dear friend for several years.  We met online through LinkedIn but have worked together for a couple years in promoting AME's mission online. Karen is a frequent contributor to AME's Target magazine.  She is a wonderful lady with a passion for helping others.

Who are you and what do you do?
I am Karen Wilhelm, a freelance writer, thinker, and blogger. I write articles and web content for business audiences, particularly in the realm of lean.

How and when did you learn Lean?
In the mid-80s, my husband was a contract programmer at a tier one auto supplier. They were rewriting some of their MRP application because the customer wanted to do something called JIT. Interesting. Maybe there was hope for our Detroit automakers to finally learn how to make better cars and measure up to the new Japanese companies in the market. Living in Detroit, a lot of my future rode on what happened at the Big Three. When cars are selling, life's good in the Motor City.

Just about then, I joined the publishing staff of Society of Manufacturing Engineers and found that we were reselling some of the earliest books of Shingo and Ohno in English, thanks to Norman Bodek and Productivity Press. Talk about just in time! My curiosity was aroused then and I have not stopped learning since.

How and why did you start blogging or writing about Lean?
Most organizations, like the one I worked for at the time, do not understand what it means to bring lean into what they do. I had been talking about lean for many years and people were tired of hearing about it. Then I heard about Blogger. It was a perfect match. I could put all my musings and rantings about lean on the blog and if anyone actually wanted to hear them, they could. My title "Lean Reflections" shows that I take what I learn, think about it, and then share it.

What does Lean mean to you?
There are lots of definitions out there, all true, but most falling short of what 25 years of absorbing lean ideas has defined for me. It is all-encompassing, a feeling that anything can and should be better than it is, and that there are ways for people to make that happen.

The closest I come is the idea of "kaizen mind," which hit me like a ton of bricks when I first read it. The author -- darn it, I can't remember his name -- wrote that a kaizen is fine, but the improvement is not the important outcome. The result is the thinking that is subtly changed every time someone engages in improving something, so it becomes a habit of thought and action. That only really happens in an organizations where leaders have the kaizen mind, and foster it in all the other people who work for the organization's purpose. It's not the tools, it's the thinking.

What is the biggest myth or misconception of Lean?
The biggest myth, and barrier to its real value, is that lean is a way to save money. Saving money is a byproduct of a strategic development (more than an "implementation") of lean in an organization. Profit is a goal, but it will come from better processes and flow, not from random cuts and "efficiencies."

What is your current Lean passion, project, or initiative?
I am intrigued and excited about lean entering the supply chain management community. To see businesses -- and not just manufacturers -- as networks, adding value cumulatively, pulled by customer needs and wants, evolves from seeing lean confined by the four walls of a single plant or workplace. Within each node, and between each node, is improvement waiting to happen. The network view touches every function in every extended value stream and finds better ways to connect.

Curiosity, learning, and knowledge are my favorite things, and I am grateful for all I have gained from all my lean friends over the years. They are people who do lean, who get in the middle of real processes and activities and help people make them better. I often wish I could do what they do. But my journey has made me an observer and an interpreter, so I hope that I spark ideas -- and even dreams -- by writing about lean.

Guest Post: Lean Tools Exercises

About the author: Andy Trainer works for Silicon Beach Training, leading providers of resources and courses in business skills including Six Sigma, Lean and project management techniques like PRINCE2.
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Here at Silicon Beach Training we regularly run Six Sigma courses for all levels as well as a range of Lean courses. Over the years we have noticed that certain tools are more popular than others, and that our delegates enjoy using our custom diagrams and examples!

In this post I’m going to share 3 of my favourite Lean tools and provide you with exercises to try them yourself.

1. SIPOC Diagram
We ask our Black Belt delegates to bring their own SIPOC diagram to the course so they can work on an example appropriate to their role.

SIPOC stands for “Supplier – Input – Process – Output – Customer” and is a tool used towards the beginning of a Six Sigma project for examining existing processes.

SIPOC diagrams are useful for clearly defining the elements and requirements of a process.

The SIPOC diagram is relatively straightforward and can be used by anybody to break down a process. It is best compiled in a group, filling the box under each heading as much as possible.

Here is an example SIPOC diagram for making coffee:

Exercise: Choose a business process and run through the steps to create your own SIPOC diagram.

To create a SIPOC diagram you must first define the process in a sub-diagram (as above). This should be kept simple with no more than 5 steps and a simple description for each.

The next step is to fill out the inputs and then work out who supplies those inputs.

Inputs can be anything from physical items to data and tools, and you should have a supplier for every input.

After establishing the inputs, define the outputs of the process, along with the customers who will receive the outputs.

2. Customer Requirements Tree
The Customer Requirements Tree (also known as the Critical to Quality Tree) is a Lean tool that allows you to break down hard to measure customer needs into easy to measure requirements.

The final stage of the tree involves defining upper and lower limits for requirements, which are easier to measure and maintain.

As with the SIPOC diagram we are using coffee as an example for our customer requirements tree:

Exercise: Choose an important customer requirements and run it through the Customer Requirements Tree.

Begin with a very basic customer requirement such as “I want a coffee that is good”. As a business you must define what the customer means by “good”. A customer requirements tree is a good way to do this.

Start by establishing the drivers – what the customer might use to decide on what makes a good coffee. Then define an upper and lower limit for each driver – these are your critical to quality requirements.

Once completed you will have a better idea of what your customer wants, and will be able to measure your product or service so that it meets the customer requirements.

3. The 7 Wastes
When thinking Lean, you should always be thinking about waste.

The tools above are for defining your processes and customer requirements. This tool will help you actively decide on your business wastes so that you can reduce them.

Each business potentially has 7 Deadly Wastes according to Lean thinking.

The 7 wastes are:
• Defects
• Overproduction
• Transportation of product
• Waiting
• Inventory
• Motion of people
• Processing

These can be applied to specific processes or to the business as a whole (more likely if you are an SME).

Exercise: Pick a business process and run through the 7 wastes. Fill in as much information next to each waste.

Once you have completed the table, you can run through your wastes and work out which are the priorities to reduce or eliminate.