Archive for August, 2009
Seth Godin is experiencing Lean six Sigma type thinking
Posted by: | CommentsIn a recent Seth Godin Blog he discussed “The modern talking pad“
Seth went on to say: “I think this is a big idea, but your mileage may vary. I’ve been having great success with a hybrid of the yellow legal pad and a printed presentation from Keynote (or Powerpoint). I use it during small meetings where more interactivity is useful, and where the group is too small for a laptop to be the best way to present slides (I think running a presentation says, “I talk, you listen…”)”
You can read his entire blog, but when I read it I thought he was creating a A3 report.. He went on to say:
“Now, when you make your presentation, sit next to the person you’re meeting with and go through the booklet page by page, writing directly on each page. As you work your way through the ideas in the booklet, the two of you can talk about what’s in front of you and mark it up. It’s not a brochure, it’s the outcome of a working session.”
I really think that I have a case developing for Lean Marketing. Let me explain an A3 report and you tell me if this is what Seth was trying to get across.
A3 reports are documents used to report solutions to problems established within any area of the organization. This differs from other types of report in the way that all information is disclosed on an A3 sheet. They start by collecting people’s ideas for possible countermeasures to the problems. The template is great for clarifying your thinking. The date typically contains: Objectives, Methodology, Results, Post result analysis and Learning points. The benefits of a A3 report are:
- Defines a standard for all to use.
- Provides a clear and concise method of reporting information.
- Method of operation is visible and accessible to all.
- Can promote communication, and team working.
- Leads to reduction of waste.
- Continuous improvement activity.
- Creates efficient working environment.
Your A3 report will be used anytime you wish to clearly tell a story and especially when you wish to simplify or clarify a complicated issue. Ok, if your out there Seth, is The Modern Talking Pad really a A3 report?
A3 Report Photo Courtesy of Systems2win.
Simple, Easy to use Lean Six Sigma Software tools
Posted by: | CommentsWhen talking to most Lean Six Sigma Consultants they will tell you the 2 lean tools that you start with are 5S and Standard Work. Looking for a simple way to describe the Standard Work process, I ran across this software company and their set of tools. I found them quite interesting and have started “Testing” them out. I wonder has anyone else tried them?
Here is a description and a picture of their template. Tools for standardized work are the most important tools in your Lean toolkit – because they avoid backsliding into old habits
The Standard Work Sheet Excel template is 5 tools in 1:
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Value Add Analysis (auto-calculates pie chart)
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Work Balancing (auto-draws work load balancing bar chart in relation to Takt Time)
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Standard Work Instructions & Analysis
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Quick Changeover tool for setup reduction.
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Standard Work Combination Sheet visual time chart.
What makes these templates unique is that they are built on Excel spreadsheet platform.
You have options to:
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Auto-draw a Standard Work Combination Sheet with a single click of a button.
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Create a separate time chart for each operator, or display all operators in a single chart.
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Use either stopwatch or video Time Observation to observe and time your standard work procedures
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Split your Value Add Pie Chart into your own user-defined types of waste
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Plot as many as 4 chart lines – for Takt Time, Target Cycle Time, Cycle Time, and even a 4th user-defined chart line (perhaps for out of cycle work?)
Draw the chart with or without labels -
Include up to 200 lines of work elements on a single chart
(and spread even larger processes over multiple charts – perhaps with summary data rolling up to each higher level) -
Define your own header data field labels
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Link to or from another worksheet for calculations such as Working Time Available, product mix, or master scheduling…
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Paste a picture of your Spaghetti Diagram on the same page with your Standard Work Combination Table!
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Use this as a Quick Changeover tool for Lean SMED setup reduction
I think it is a pretty unique product. You can download a free trial but I think it will ake a commitment to use these templates so if it is free, you may just never commit.
Ready for Operational Excellence, how to get started!
Posted by: | CommentsThis particular document covers Operational Excellence and how one would get started. Robert Stapp of OP-EX Direct Results was in the hot seat answering the questions.
OP-EX Transcript on Operational Excellence -
Related Blog Post:
Operational Excellence, It’s about the People not the Tools
