The Ultimate Guide to Lean Manufacturing

Originating on the assembly lines of Henry Ford's factories, then later refined by those that built Toyota into a world leading car manufacturer, lean manufacturing is the method by which manufacturers aim to reduce waste yet maintain productivity in their factories. The goals of lean manufacturing are to reduce the time, effort, and costs of making a good without sacrificing quality.

In this article from Propel, you can take a deeper dive into what lean manufacturing is, what its main goals and core principles are, and what are the major pros and cons of it. In many ways, lean manufacturing is the way factories and plants will continue to strive to operate. Its focus on low waste makes it environmentally friendly and the lowered production time makes us consumers happier, but implementing a true lean manufacturing process can be challenging and can sometimes require a true overhaul on the entire company.

Lean Manufacturing Guide - propelplm.com/articles/ultimate-guide-to-lean-manufacturing

Author Bio:

David Sides is the Outreach Director at Propel. We at Propel have made a tool that allows manufacturing companies to track its product across its entire lifecycle. Our expertise here along with our relationships have allowed us to have great insight into lean manufacturing and how it can improve the process.

5 Tips For Creating a Culture of Experimentation

"Experimentation" has become a buzzword for managers and business owners. Everyone wants their employees to think outside the box, develop creative ideas and be innovative. However, few organizations actually take the steps necessary to make that happen. 

Since the beginning of times, experimentation has served as a critical tool for challenging the status quo business models and driving radical changes. For organizations, it typically means the potential to take bold steps and decisions to improve the customer experience while minimizing business risks. It also provides an organization with endless opportunities to learn more about their customers by means of testing. 

1. Be Data Driven 

Don’t make the mistake of not measuring your data for better results. Data is what confirms results, validates change, and fuels growth. 

Don’t ignore even the seeming negative data, or opinions of users. Use these to fuel your next innovative move. Your consumers and users may have completely different ideas of what could work better. Listen to their feedback and study the data. Then, trust in that data enough to be driven by it. 

2. Be Open to Ideas and Creativity 

It is easy to get stuck in your ways. Instead, adopt a company approach whereby you are all open to ideas and creativity. 

Don’t be afraid to take a different path, to try different software, or just to do something completely different. Sometimes the biggest anomalies or most outlandish suggestions can produce the best results. After all, if you aren’t changing you aren’t growing. And if you aren’t growing, your business cannot progress. 

3. Break Down Silos 

For a company hoping to evolve, nothing will kill progress like silos. In a culture that values experimentation, collaboration and sharing is imperative. This is why it’s so important that all team members, regardless of position or department, are given the opportunity to present ideas and pursue new innovative opportunities. 

Oftentimes, the team members who are closest to the customer possess the greatest ideas for growth, yet they’re too afraid to come forward. By offering these individuals a platform to express their ideas, morale will be boosted and a sense of entrepreneurialism will be instilled across all levels. 

4. Integrate Experimentation Into Day-to-Day Life 

To make experimenting a habit in your business, it needs to be intertwined into your employees’ day-to-day life. Impending deadlines, on-going projects, endless meetings – it’s hard to find time to experiment. It’s the number one reason why employees feel held back from learning. If you’re part of an organization, developing a experimenting culture, you have to be an advocate for time. The concept of experimentation should be ingrained in your employees from the moment they join your organization. 

5. Learn from Failure 

My last tip: don’t be afraid of failure. Strive to grow from past mistakes, think outside the box, and embrace experimentation, even if it means you don’t get everything right from the beginning. Stagnation is one of the dangers of companies that start well but end up resisting growth. 

A culture of experimentation and risk taking is great for any organization. It keeps fresh ideas and opportunities flowing through the organization, helping the organization to optimize operations and maintain their competitive edge. 

With the tips shared above, you will be able to effectively push your team to take risks and create a culture where experimentation is the norm rather than the exception. 

Lean Quote: Be the Leader, Adjust the Sails

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 pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails."   —  John Maxwell

This is a fun quote, because it breaks the usual dichotomy of the glass is half full, glass is half empty paradigm. It adds a third choice to the mix. In this case, the ‘half empty’ complains. The ‘half full’ anticipates a better future. The third group does something about the situation.

While this is an example specific to sailing a ship, I believe it can be applied to our lives in general. You can complain, you can wait for things to get better, or you can get up off your butt and start doing something about the situation.

Not every situation can be salvaged. Some things will turn out badly. But there are few things that cannot be changed at least a little, if you are willing to work at it. Yes, you may still lose, but you might just be able to score a few points, if you work hard and smart.

I’m not saying any one of us could do a better job, but we are each the captain of our own ship. You can do nothing and complain about how poorly things are going. You can do nothing and wait for the world to improve. Or you can do what you can to adjust the sails and improve your condition.

In this manner, you are the leader. You provide the example for your crew, however small that may be. And when your ship begins to move, the ships around you will start to wonder why the wind favors your boat. The smart captains will ask what you did. The best captains will do what you did. And in their imitation, you have become a leader.

Once you can see past the false choice between “half empty” and “half full,” you can begin to determine what actions you can take to fill the glass, or drink what is in it to sustain yourself while you work on getting yourself more to drink.

Neither of those two options get anyone much of an improvement in their lives. The decision is fairly simple, you reject the dichotomy and select option three, adjust the sails. Now the question becomes what can you do to adjust your sails, to improve your condition or situation?

Now all that remains is to determine where you want to go, and how you set your sails to best take advantage of the prevailing winds. While some might say that it’s impossible to make any headway in the current situation, it is useful to remember that some of the greatest fortunes were made in poor economic times.

Complaining and hoping are the two sides of the coin of inaction. No matter how many times you flip it, you are still stuck with those two choices, and in the mean time, nothing gets done. Be a leader, even if you are the only person on your dingy. Otherwise nothing will get done, and that’s rarely going to be the best option.

Leader VS Manager: Key Differences You Need To Know

We are all leaders and managers in some way. These roles interchange even daily depending on the tasks people are on. But why do most people cope with these roles very differently? Some are excellent managers but their leadership qualities are too far from great. At the same time, there are inspiring and motivating leaders who can’t even manage their own schedules.

The question is what makes a person a leader? And how do managers differ from leaders and why? These and similar questions arise when you think about self-development, the skills, and traits you have to develop as a leader. Being a good manager is easy when you are a true leader, while the opposite may not be attainable.

“You see managers and leaders every day. You may not recognize each role because the difference is not that significant on the surface”, - says Adam Whitney, creative director at portrait retouching service.

A CEO of a large multinational company may seem to you as an impeccable leader. But the details always matter. You should find out more about managers and leaders to distinguish between them.

Who is a Manager?

Anyone could be a manager. If you manage something in a local grocery store your family owns - congratulations, you’re a manager! This term applies to a variety of occupations. It can be a cleaning manager (a janitor, for instance) in your favorite diner or an experienced CEO of a bank nearby. Both positions presume administration, maintenance, and focus on processes. The difference is in the level of responsibility.

The manager is a title. It is a position. Managers organize processes to make an organization succeed. The main focus of any manager is the maintenance of a working structure but not employees. The definition of management is what people should do rather than how they should do it.

One of the best leader vs manager difference examples is the approach to people. Managers see employees as effective instruments to get a job done. Leaders focus on the environment and human interactions. Managers are goal-centered, while leaders are people-oriented.

What is the main manager and leader difference? Managers are good decision-makers but rarely capable of envisioning things to come. They are excellent executives who are always ready to follow orders. Leaders are visionaries who give these orders.

Who is a Leader?

Leadership is what most people heard about but only a few know what this is. The synonym of leadership is responsibility. It is the readiness to accept any results of your decisions if you are a true leader. Managers have procedures and instructions about most situations they have to manage. In comparison with the last ones, leaders don’t have such a privilege. So, manager and leader traits are very different in most cases.

Undisputable Traits a Leader Should Have

Leaders are always determined. They focus on what they must do and follow this path with no excuses. If you want to become a true leader, you should develop this trait. There is no other way.

Leaders are always responsible for what they do and say. You’re either responsible or not if leadership traits are what you are after. Being harsh to others, though, is now what great leaders do. You need to learn empathy as well.

Leaders have positive thinking. They are always open-minded even if the world around them is against it. Being positive when you’re torn apart by hardships of life is not easy and you should keep this in mind. But true leaders do it somehow, so should you if you want to be like them.

If you want to know more about a leader's traits, read the following post.

Leadership Skills of a True Leader

Leaders set goals right. If they don’t, they accept that they were wrong and reset the goals. This cycle is endless so for some people it could be a difficult one. Yet, you must be ready that what you do is not what you should do.

Leaders are aware of their strengths and weaknesses. The ability to critically assess one's own capacity is what distinguishes leaders from regular people. A true leader is not falsely modest but overestimating one's abilities is not an option. You are what you do rather than say.

Leaders are great listeners. You can’t be a leader if you don’t know your followers. Building relationships with people is the most powerful skill of any genuine leader. You should learn to think about people first, their needs, and issues if your goal is true leadership.

Read more about leadership skills a true leader should have.

Get to Know the Key Difference Between a Leader and a Manager

Managers are doers, while leaders are thinkers. Keep it in mind on the road to true leadership. Yet, it should not confuse you because leaders usually see what they must do to achieve the goals. Managers ask leaders about it. Becoming a leader is not an easy task, but if you are on it, nothing should ever stop you. Building a trustworthy environment is one of the most powerful skills of a true leader.

Author Bio:

Nancy P. Howard has been working as a journalist at the online magazine in London for a year. She is also a professional writer in such topics as blogging, SEO and marketing.

Lean Roundup #150 –November 2021

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of November 2021.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.

Five Lean Questions for Rethinking Work - Jon Miller shares five questions for rethinking work from a lean management perspective in post pandemic world.

The Power of Commitment - Bruce Hamilton shares a story with tribute to Mr. Hajime Oba from his early experience with TSSC in 1996.

Henry & Edsel Ford – the Pride & the Sorrow - Pascal Dennis talks about how Detroit answered President Roosevelt’s call for weaponry in WWII.

Leadership Tip 15: Reward Meeting Behavior You Want to See - Johanna Rothman explains how leaders show their power with meeting example.

What’s Lean All About? - Jon Miller shares his thoughts on the meaning and purpose of lean from experience.

Going to Gemba Isn’t Sufficient - Ron Pereira talks about how you can use video to study and improve your processes.

This WSJ Article About Lean Isn’t Terrible (via GE and Larry Culp) - Mark Graban discusses a recent WSJ article about General Electric and CEO Larry Culp (who knows Lean very well from his time as CEO of Danaher).

Ask Art: I Want to Convert My Company to Lean. What Are the First Steps? – Art Byrne explains the commitment you must make— and the expectations you must set—when you start your continuous-improvement journey.

How a Focus on People Accelerated a Lean Transformation - Sharon Visser shares the story of dramatically improved business and operational performance when a car dealership's leaders embraced the lean principle of respect for people.

How to Respond to the ‘Great Resignation’ – Josh Howell says a trip to the gemba reveals an overlooked management strategy that could be the most effective way to keep your employees from quitting their jobs.

Leading in Uncertainty -  Steve Musica shares Dr. Eric Dickson MD lessons in leading a hospital system through the worst of the global pandemic.

 

Lean Quote: Thanksgiving is a Time of Togetherness and Gratitude

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.

"Thanksgiving is a time of togetherness and gratitude.."   —  Nigel Hamilton

More than any other holiday, Thanksgiving is a day dedicated to reflecting and gratitude for everything we have in life. Around Thanksgiving, many of us pause to reflect on the things, people, and circumstances that make us grateful. Some families even have traditions of sharing gratitude around the Thanksgiving table.

For many people, “thanks-giving” is a tradition that happens around the dinner table once a year. But research suggests that leaders should encourage gratitude in the workplace year-round.

Boost worker engagement and productivity – as well as satisfaction and health – by increasing gratitude in your workplace. Here are 4 ways to help encourage gratitude in the workplace and foster more thanks-giving year-round at work:

1. Be grateful for people, not performance.

Sometimes, gratitude initiatives can feel like old recognition programs warmed over. To avoid this feeling, focus on social worth and think about how people have made a difference. Give thanks for people’s willingness, enthusiasm, commitment, or efforts — not their impact on the bottom line.

2. Customize your thanks-giving.

Practicing gratitude requires thinking about how specific people like to be thanked and tailoring your gratitude accordingly. Thanking a very shy person at the global quarterly meeting might come across more like punishment than recognition.

3. Be specific in your gratitude.

Saying “thanks for being awesome” doesn’t have the same impact as “thank you for always getting to meetings 5 minutes early to set up the projector; I know that our meetings wouldn’t go as well if we didn’t have you.”

4. Don’t fake it.

Authentic leadership and showing vulnerability are key parts of gratitude. If you can’t think of anything you’re truly grateful for, don’t try to fake it. Most people can tell when an expression of thanks isn’t heartfelt, and fake gratitude is probably worse than none at all.

Make Thanksgiving count. This year, let’s be truly grateful and carry that gratitude throughout the holiday season.

Being Thankful this Thanksgiving

Whenever the holiday season comes around, annual traditions and Thanksgiving activities seem to explode. There are family events centered around each special occasion, and Thanksgiving is no exception. However, even though this celebration is so common for American households and we grow up anticipating the turkey, amazing sides (not to mention desserts!), the food coma, and football naps, a lot of us might scratch our heads at the origin story of this beloved holiday.

Thanksgiving is commonly known as a way to commemorate the colonial Pilgrims’ harvest meal that they shared with Wampanoag Indians (who “were key to the survival of the colonists during the first year they arrived in 1620”) in 1621. As years went on, designating feasts dedicated to giving thanks on an annual or occasional basis became common practice in other New England settlements as well.

Thanksgiving is all about reflecting on blessings and acknowledging gratitude. After all, in President George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation, he stated about its purpose: “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me ‘to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.’”

Thanksgiving has evolved over the years as an important holiday. It is not just about feasting and merrymaking. The tradition of Thanksgiving dinner teaches us to appreciate the finer things in life. It is about showing one's gratitude for the blessings that we are showered with. In all the hustle and bustle of getting ready for Thanksgiving, take a moment to focus on what being thankful is all about.

Being thankful for what we already have is probably the most powerful tool of positive thinking. The ability to notice what we already have and to consider ourselves blessed with it truly unlocks the door to abundance and to feeling good.

As we gather to celebrate Thanksgiving in the US, may we vow to live not just this day but every day with a grateful heart and to use our blessings to bless others.