Meet-up: The Lean Turnaround's Art Byrne

Today's meet-up guest is Art Byrne. Art is a well know figure in the Lean Community and has been featured in numerous books.  He now has published his own book The Lean Turnaround. I recently reviewed his new book which I recommend you read. I have been fortunate to see Art's handy work at Wiremold of the years since it is a few miles away. With the wealth of expertise Art has in Lean transformation it is finally great to hear it in his own words.



Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Art Byrne and I am an operating Partner with J W Childs Assoc. a Boston based private equity firm. Prior to that I was the CEO of The Wiremold Company and before that I was a Group Executive for the Danaher Corporation.

How and when did you learn Lean?
I started lean in January of 1982 during my first general managers job at The General Electric Company.

How and why did you start blogging or writing about Lean?
I recently had my book, The Lean Turnaround, published by McGrraw-Hill.

What does Lean mean to you?
To me lean is the greatest strategic weapon any company can use to improve it’s results.

What is the biggest myth or misconception of Lean?
The biggest myth about Lean is that it is just “some manufacturing thing”.

What is your current Lean passion, project, or initiative?
My current lean project is promoting my book.

Going Beyond Quality Brings Value to Customers

This month Paul Borawski raises the question about going beyond the traditional quality function. 

My question is, how well understood and embraced are the contributions of the quality professional beyond what is traditionally thought of as the quality function? 

Quality should be part of the culture of the company. Employing quality methods and practices in everything you do provides a firm foundation for your business and can be a determining factor in your success.

Quality must go beyond our product or service. We cannot add it at the end of the line or inspect it into the product. At best that is only a false sense of security. If we want a quality product it must be made with quality processes by quality minded people. A focus on quality must be intrinsic to the company culture and practices for the customer to take notice. 

In my opinion successful businesses are those that not only sell quality to their employees but make it part of the culture or what they do daily. The organization must make quality a top priority for everyone in the company, from top managers to the workers building product. The final product and goal of the organization is creating value for consumers.

A quality organization understands that the realization of quality must be continually energized and regenerated. Successful implementation of a quality focused organization requires commitment and patience, but the rewards are substantial. Beyond the obvious practical benefits, organizations become empowered to solve persistent process and performance challenges while raising the expectations they set for themselves. 

Excellence in quality improves customer loyalty, elevates brand position, reduces cost, attracts new customers, and draws the best and brightest talent. A strong orientation for quality helps to achieve business goals. Achieving excellence in quality provides significant momentum for the business and is a source of pride for all employees. A comprehensive quality management system is a key attribute to the longevity and success of an organization.

Unfortunately, there are not enough organization that understand that going beyond quality is the means to bring value to customers. Too many waste their resources on things the customer doesn't want. Too many look at their competition instead of listening to their customers. Too many can't sustain their initiatives for even several years. As quality professionals and the like it is our responsibility to continuously improve how we bring value to the customer. Going beyond quality brings true, lasting value. 

I’m part of the ASQ Influential Voices program. While I receive an honorarium from ASQ for my commitment, the thoughts and opinions expressed on my blog are my own.

Guest Post: Lean, Mean Safety Machine

Company safety policies generally have two important objectives. First, safety policies aim to ensure a company's compliance with federal, state, and local laws and, therefore, to avoid fines and other forms of punishment for violations. Second, and more importantly, these policies strive to prevent accidents and injuries in the workplace so that employees remain healthy.

Since lean business philosophy gained traction, some critics have charged that a strict focus on lean initiatives compromises a company's ability to deliver on these goals of complying with the law and keeping workers safe. Lean detractors reason that a focus on efficiency, productivity, and avoiding waste could diminish concern for employee safety, thus putting workers at risk.

Extensive research and the experience of many lean proponents around the globe have cast serious doubt on those unfounded theories. In fact, companies that adopt lean strategies generally report enhanced workplace safety and reduced on-the-job accidents and injuries. The information below reinforces the idea that a keen emphasis on preventive safety measures is, in fact, compatible with lean business philosophy.

The Bottom Line: Workplace Injuries are the Epitome of Waste
One of the lean movement's primary goals is to eliminate waste (whether it be wasted time, wasted resources, or wasted money). An unsafe workplace is a breeding ground for waste. Indeed, an employee injury leads into a waste explosion!

First, production must stop so management can survey the scene and take action to care for the worker's injuries. A halt in production is wasted time. Let's assume the employee has a great deal of experience, and his absence from work means a less skilled replacement must take over. That worker's diminished skill level will likely lead to less productivity. Then, if OSHA investigates, the facility inspection will likely create a further disruption to the normal orderly operation of the company's business.

If this cycle continues, where employees suffer injuries routinely, insurance rates will rise. In addition, chances are that employees who observe the accidents and their supervisors will become witnesses in workers' compensation litigation, creating a further drain on progress. In short, lean leaders have a vested interest in promoting safety in the workplace.

Preventive Safety Measures are Compatible with Lean Philosophy
In many ways, the interests of safety gurus and champions of all things lean are consistent. Take ergonomics, for example. Studies show movements that incorporate poor ergonomics typically take longer than motions with good ergonomics. And, as we all know, poor ergonomics can lead to a wide range of physical ailments. Therefore, managers should instruct workers on the safest (and, in many cases, the fastest) movements to employ when carrying out their duties. These movements and methods will then become standard practice, thus reducing unnecessary repetitive motion injuries and increasing productivity.

Pay Attention to Details
Lean principles can provide innovative solutions to what might appear to be insignificant, though wasteful and harmful, business practices. Consider an employee whose daily routine involves lugging heavy boxes from one place to another. Even if supervisors have instructed him on the safest way to lift heavy items, the constant strain could eventually lead to injury. The brilliant solution? A hand truck or dolly. No, it's not rocket science, but minor adjustments like that can make the difference between a healthy worker and a former employee on disability. In addition, now the worker can push several boxes at one time and complete his tasks much more efficiently.

Apply Safety Principles to Get Lean Results
The preferred order of dealing with recognized hazards is:

1. Use engineering controls to eliminate the hazard.
2. Institute administrative controls to deal with the hazard.
3. Use protective equipment.

Look at the previous example of carrying heavy boxes as a recognized hazard of repeated back strain. The least effective control is to provide a back brace, because that requires the worker to wear it every time. An administrative control would be to teach proper lifting technique. Eliminating the hazard by providing a hand truck is safer and more efficient. But what would happen to efficiency if you took the engineering control one step further and designed the process so the boxes were stored right where they are most needed?

Don't Underestimate the Importance of Staff Morale
If employees suspect that management is not concerned with their safety, animus will ensue. Dissatisfied workers become uncooperative workers. Uncooperative workers are often vocal, and their attitudes can impact the environment of the entire facility. Productivity will undoubtedly suffer. In contrast, employees who have a sense that their supervisors respect them and have a vested interest in their wellbeing will often return the favor. Satisfied workers become cooperative workers. Cooperative workers are typically efficient, productive, and don't cause problems.

Although lean proponents and safety experts may initially come to the table with different goals in mind, their objectives are not inconsistent. By implementing preventive safety measures in the workplace, companies often recognize unintended results that reflect the values of the lean movement. While going too lean could conceivably compromise workplace safety, smart decisions and careful planning can easily ensure a healthy balance.

About the Author:
Jay Acker is the leader of a Safety Services production team. Jay leads a team who supply businesses with regularly updated OSHA compliance related materials and a range of services for workplace safety. At www.safetyservicescompany.com, Jay Acker's editorial group makes materials for conducting weekly safety meetings, safety training programs, posters and other items.

Lean Quote: What Gets Measured Gets Done So Do it Right

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.

"What gets measured gets done. Make sure you are measuring the right things!" — Peter Drucker

It is not enough to simply create a numeric measure. The measure should accurately reflect the process. We use metrics to base decisions on and to focus our actions. It is not only important to measure the right indicators, it is important to measure them well.

Choosing the right metrics is critical to success, but the road to good metrics is fraught with pitfalls. As your endeavors to become more metrics-driven, beware of errors in the design and use of metrics.

Common mistakes include:

• Metrics for the sake of metrics (not aligned)
• Too many metrics (no action)
• Metrics not driving the intended action
• Lack of follow up
• No record of methodology
• No benchmark
• Underestimation of the data extraction

Although there may never be a single perfect measure, it is certainly possible to create a measure or even multiple measures which reflect the performance of your system. If the metrics are chosen carefully, then, in the process of achieving their metrics, managers and employees will make the right decisions and take the right actions that enable the organization to maximize its performance.


 

Fight Workplace Woes With On-The-Job Training

If you notice a decline in employee enthusiasm, it may be more than just spring fever in the air. Low morale is typically a symptom of something more serious than temporary mood swings or day-to-day conflicts among your employees. But fear not: one of the simplest and surest ways to lift employees’ spirits is to conduct empathetic and supportive on-the-job training.

On-the-job training helps fight low employee morale. This infographic from Compliance and Safety explains how and provides several tips for effective on-the-job training.

Featured By: C&S safety videos

Meet-up: Guy Wallace

Today, on the meet-up I am happy to introduce fellow ASQ Influential Voice Blogger Guy Wallace. Guy has been helping companies with performance improvements for over 25 years.  He shares his experiences and expertise on his blog. I've been fortunate to get to know Guy this past year because of our involvement with ASQ. Now you have a chance to meet Guy as well.



Who are you and what do you do?
I am Guy W. Wallace, a CPT - Certified Performance Technologist, and external consultant since 1982 in the areas of Instructional Design and Performance Improvement. I am also a past Board Member and President of ISPI - the International Society for Performance Improvement, and a co-founder of the local chapter, ISPI Charlotte.

How and when did you learn Performance Improvement?
In my first job out of college in 1979 I joined a Training department where my co-workers were into Performance Improvement as one of the ultimate criterion for Training Learning Measurement, and were members of NSPI (now ISPI). I joined the local chapter immediately and attended my first annual NSPI Conference (of 31 attended) back in 1980.

How and why did you start blogging or writing about Performance Improvement?
I began my Blog in 2004 but really got serious about it in 2007, and moved it from one site to another in 2009. I have a history of publishing going back to 1984 (in TRAINING Magazine) as a way to share with others - as so many have done knowingly or unknowingly for me - and I also learn a great deal from the process of organizing my own thoughts for others. So many have taught me directly or indirectly that I have felt the need to pay it forward.

What does Performance Improvement mean to you?
Use of Evidence Based Practices to improve performance at the individual level, the process level, the organizational level and the Societal level for Measured Results, in meeting Stakeholder Requirements.

What is the biggest myth or misconception of Performance Improvement?
Where to start? There are so many. They include the use of Subject Matter Experts in gathering information and insight, designing Instruction and Information for Learning Style preferences, clarity of expectations being the number one lever for performance improvement (I think it is a clear, defined process that is proven to meet stakeholder requirements).

What is your current Performance Improvement passion, project, or initiative?
Finishing up a new book on Learning Paths for those following my PACT and EPPI methods. PACT are my Instructional Systems Design methods, processes, tools and techniques. EPPI are my Performance Improvement methods, processes, tools and techniques.

Lean Defined by Paul Akers

In this new video by Paul Akers, he takes some time define Lean.  It is not about efficiency or killing muda.  Lean is about 2 elements: 1) Learning to see waste 2) Eliminating waste with small continuous improvement with everything endlessly. You can't be "Lean".  Lean is a journey. The big Muda that starts the waste cycle is over-production, as it causes all the other wastes.

Lean is seeing the eight wastes and then eliminating them through deliberate, consistent, endless, relentless, fanatical continuous improvement of everything you do everyday for the rest of your life to serve your customer. 

Paul says this is the most important video he has produced.  What do you think?