• Six Principles of Mistake Proofing

    Six Principles of Mistake Proofing0

    Some may say that it’s impossible to eliminate mistakes. And they are right; it is, most of the time. But, to be honest, they are missing the point. Poka yoke, or mistake proofing, describes any behavior changing constraint that is built into a process to prevent an incorrect operation or act occurring.  The three aims

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  • Lean PD App

    Lean PD App0

    Paul Akers has developed a new app that is a simple and elegant way to develop powerful daily habits. The Lean PD app (available in the App Store and Google Play) is the most effective way to develop yourself! Lean=efficient or elimination of waste. PD=personal development. So, Lean PD is the efficient way to personally develop yourself

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  • The Best Meeting of the Day, The Standup Meeting

    The Best Meeting of the Day, The Standup Meeting0

    Photo Courtesy of Visual Management Blog A stand-up meeting is a daily team meeting held to provide a status update to the team members. This meeting is also referred to as Obeya in Japanese, meaning “the big room”; in agile circles a “scrum” or huddle; and in the automotive industry “fast response”. The purpose of

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  • 5 Reasons Why Suggestion Boxes Fail

    5 Reasons Why Suggestion Boxes Fail0

    Many organizations want to harness the ideas for improvement that naturally exist in their employees. Suggestion boxes are a common, but ineffective, way to engage employees in continuous improvement. They’re usually implemented with the best of intentions by managers who genuinely want to hear their employees’ improvement ideas, but the boxes fail to produce the

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  • Focus on “Quick Wins” to Stay Motivated With Transformation Goals

    Focus on “Quick Wins” to Stay Motivated With Transformation Goals0

    When adopting new habits, it’s always a good idea to start with small changes, and work your way up over time. For example, instead of starting an intense paleo-diet, start drinking a glass of water before every meal to increase metabolism. Or, instead of beginning a rigorous workout plan, start walking around the block a

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  • Lean Lessons – Historic Blizzard 2015 Edition

    Lean Lessons – Historic Blizzard 2015 Edition0

    In the northeastern part of the US we have faced historic snowfall from blizzard conditions from storm Juno. This has me recalling a post I did several years ago about the Lean lessons you can learn from winter storms. Forecasts are inaccurate.  You can only count on actual demand.  We have all experienced school cancellations based on high forecasts

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