tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74888285176610068462024-03-13T11:15:47.199-04:00How to implement "Lean Thinking" in a BusinessLearn about Lean, Problem Solving, A3, Visual Management, Culture, Values, Principles, Strategy Deployment, TPS, Standard Work, Toyota methodologies, and much more.
Follow me on Twitter @tracey_sanTracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-82192429603591403492017-05-20T14:03:00.000-04:002017-05-20T14:03:38.062-04:00An early release story from The Toyota Engagement Equation (Problem Solving)<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Tracking Down a Perplexing Problem</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><i>Hey blog readers - I got permission to share just one of the many stories from <u><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Toyota-Engagement-Equation-Improvement-Organization/dp/1259837424" target="_blank">The Toyota Engagement Equation</a></u>. This story is about going to see, and finding the point of occurrence. It is a relentless attempt to find one scratch by a trainer and a supervisor! Enjoy! More to come soon! <u>The book will only be at a discounted rate about 5-6 more weeks. Click the link above to pre-order! </u></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One day a team member at TMMK noticed an intermittent
scratch occurring on one of the interior parts. The team member pulled the andon to alert the team leader, since it had occurred
more than once. The team leader looked at the process carefully
and confirmed that the scratch hadn’t been created by equipment,
another part, or a person. A deeper observation of the
standard work and discussions with the team member failed to
uncover any potential causes that could be re-created.
The vendor who provided the part was then asked to do a
process confirmation to ensure that the defect wasn’t occurring
within its processes. The supervisor at the vendor did the same
level of checks. (At TMMK, we worked with our vendors so
that they followed the same approach to these situations as we
did.)
After the vendor was unable to find any indication of the
defect in its processes, the only logical conclusion was that
the defect was occurring in the transportation of the parts
from the vendor to TMMK. These particular parts were being
shipped in truckloads (each truck was considered a kanban)
of approximately 80 sets, that is, the number of sets needed for
80 cars. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">To find out where in the transportation process the defects
occurred, the team decided to have somebody “ride” with the
parts. They designed a safe way for the supervisor to sit in the
back of the truck during the entire trip and equipped that person
with a radio to pass on observations as they occurred.
The first ride yielded no clues as to where the problem was
occurring. The parts went in without a scratch, and came off the
truck without any. The same occurred the next day, and after
several days of this, it was becoming more and more a mystery
as to why this was happening.
Then, a few days later, the defect appeared again. Each side
did their confirmations as before, and were honestly becoming
a little frustrated. How could they ever get to the root cause of
this intermittent problem? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">They decided that they would take
another ride with the parts to just be sure there wasn’t something
they had missed on the previous observations.
Grasp the Situation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">As the supervisor boarded the truck along with the parts,
he strapped in for the ride with eyes wide open. On this particular
journey, something happened that hadn’t happened the
other ride-alongs. About halfway between the two facilities,
there was a jolt as if the truck had hit a large bump in the road.
Most trucks aren’t equipped with the kind of shock absorption
you get in a passenger car, so it gave a little “jump” to all the
parts in the truck. The parts were suddenly lifted by about four
to five inches, and then came crashing down.
The supervisor radioed the driver and asked, “Did you hit
something? We had a good bounce back here!”
The driver said, “No, I didn’t see anything.”
But then he added, “Usually I have to stop at the light here
because this is a very busy intersection, but this time I made the
light. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">There’s an indentation in the road just past the light, but
we only get a bounce from it when we make the light and are
driving at our normal speed.”
After a few questions, the supervisor determined that
the driver made the light 10 to 15 percent of the time, and the
bounce had occurred when the truck was traveling at the speed
limit of 35 mph.
So the point of occurrence was identified as the back of the
truck at the point where it crossed that particular indentation
in the road, but only when the truck made the light and was
traveling at 35 mph.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> This led to more precise observations. There were parts of
the truck van that were more affected than others, and it turned
out that the defects were coming from parts at the rear end of
the truck that were at the bottom of their particular stack. It
also turned out that some were covered with plastic foam better
than others.
So as you can see, the point of occurrence can be very elusive,
and it can take a lot of observation, grasping the situation,
and open discussion to uncover it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of course countermeasures were put in place to address the issue as short term and longer term since the indentations of the road path of the opposite traffic couldn't be fixed easily nor within their control. This is a great example of the depth of going to see, otherwise they would have continued to fight symptoms! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Until next time</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">@Tracey_san</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Tracey and Ernie Richardson</span>Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-66731787522315509602017-04-04T00:42:00.002-04:002017-04-04T01:40:42.045-04:00PDCA thinking and the NCAA March Madness tournament<br />
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#Crossblogging with theleanpost.org this week! <br />
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Click on the link to go to The Lean Post to view and give feedback!!<br />
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<a href="https://www.lean.org/LeanPost/Posting.cfm?LeanPostId=709" target="_blank">PDCA thinking and the NCAA March Madness Tournament</a><br />
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Check it out!!<br />
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Until next time<br />
Tracey and Ernie Richardsoni<br />
<complete id="goog_1799898594">@Tracey_san</complete></div>
Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-61659277648222471932017-03-03T16:20:00.000-05:002017-03-03T16:20:05.935-05:00Valuing the Customer --My Lexus service experience! <br />
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Hello everyone, it's hard to believe its March already! I wanted to share a personal experience with our blog readers with this post. Ernie and I have been conditioned over the years to always look for different types of lean thinking examples in everyday life. We often think the best examples are all around us we just have to look closely for them and ask questions if folks are willing to answer. They can always say No, but what we find is if you take and interest in what someone does every day many take pride in what they do and our excited you asked. <br />
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We were home from work travel this week and my car was due for it's regular service at 10,000 miles and have a tire replaced from a nail picked up. We live in Ormond Beach, FL so the closest Lexus dealership is Lexus of Orlando which is about an hour away. I have been there before but this time I wanted to take a little deeper dive into their process and my service representative, who was very nice and willing to share part of her standardized work for each day; and how visual management, reducing wait-time for the customer, and ensuring communication takes place at each step of the process. <br />
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I know other dealerships may have some level of this but this isn't the norm from my experience (please share in the comments below your experiences). I love that the "Relentless pursuit of Perfection" isn't just about building a Lexus, but also about servicing the vehicle after the fact. <br />
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The process starts here with a scanner that reads the RFID sticker that is placed on the top back side of the rear view mirrors so the customer really never sees it. These stickers are also placed on the Lexus loaner vehicles they give you while your car is being serviced. The loaner car is numbered and the assigned to you. When you return to the dealer to pick up your vehicle the scanner lets your customer service representative know you are on site and you are greeted by name when you exit the loaner car, they are already working on getting you out before you are out of the car. Great reduction of wait time there.<br />
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This customer identification process is also visible to anyone in the service area in the form of monitors placed throughout the drive-in lanes. This gives you and them a quick visual as to where you are in the process. It can also signal when manpower may need to be re-balanced and brought in to account for certain times of the day with a rush of vehicles that may have an appointment and some that may not. It's a great leading indicator to adjust real time to the customer demand when everything can't always be planned. <br />
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As soon as you arrive it is as if you are on a time clock. A individual supporting the service representatives places a visual placard on your car stating who you are, what time your appointment was and when you arrived. This is to allow the Lexus service team measure how long it takes a vehicle to get in and out to it's designated area. For my experience I drove in (it was busy service lanes were almost full) I was out of my vehicle, greeted, asked if I wanted anything from the cafe', and was sent to my service representatives office. About 4 min. I witnessed my car being moved forward in the process to the next stage in their process. Here is an example of the time care placard placed on each car to measure their takt time. <br />
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One of the aspects of the process I found that was so convenient for me was the text communication as to the status of my car at any given time. Our world and market place is a lot more tech oriented than it ever has been. There may be a smaller percentage that aren't able to communicate this way, but that is being flexible to the customer need. For the majority the preference is to not play voice-mail tag during a busy work day, and real-time communication is much easier in the world of text messaging. I had several communications back and forth regarding my service and it was resolved and decided on in less than a minute, a win-win for both sides.<br />
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After I returned for my vehicle I was telling my service representative Caitlin my background with Toyota and what I did for a living and that I was going to write a blog about my experience. She was nice enough to take the time to show me the visual friend at her desk called Mimo. Mimo was her small visual board cascading from the larger boards out in the service drive-in lanes. (Similar to micro to macro KPI boards) This let her know her "plan for the day" and where she was at any given time and what was next or anything not planned. Notice I came up on the list and was being processed as my loaner car came through. I just loved the real time communication, greeting and attention to detail for the customer. Owning a Lexus is not just about the car but the total experience from purchase to service to daily driving. They make each customer feel it and leave there knowing their time matters and their needs when they are there. If you decide to wait on your car if its just an oil change there are massage chairs, Ipad stations, quiet cubicles to work, and a cafe with free food and drinks that will keep you comfortable while you wait with the ability to text at any given time for an update. <br />
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Lastly, Caitlin walked me through the paperwork, and took me to the car for a complete walk through for customer satisfaction confirmation. I thanked her for the extra time she spent with me allowing the questions and pictures I captured to share my story. I was thinking about a blog post the whole time I was there because I feel servicing your car can often frustrate folks even a bit of a drudgery in there. I feel Lexus and probably other dealerships are trying to make the service an experience as much as purchasing or driving it daily. I was impressed. It's the little things that make you smile. A personal card left on my dash thanking me for my time! Which they made minimal! Thank you, Caitlin and the Lexus of Orlando team for going above and beyond! Also I loved the glimpse of the new LC500 brochure! Could that be next-------------!!?? </div>
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Until next time</div>
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Tracey and Ernie Richardson</div>
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@Tracey_san</div>
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@Ernie_san_ </div>
<br />Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-84420436330586832462017-03-03T12:26:00.000-05:002017-03-03T12:26:22.938-05:00Looking for split seconds in NASCAR could mean a win or not! <br />
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<b>#CROSSBLOGGING</b><br />
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<b>Wanted to share my post on The Lean Post. Crossblogging in order to share with others! </b><br />
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<b><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">Looking for split seconds in NASCAR could mean a win or not. </span> </span></b><br />
<b><a href="https://www.lean.org/LeanPost/Posting.cfm?LeanPostId=698" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Click here to read the post!! </span></a></b><br />
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<span style="color: red;">Coming very soon a post about my experience with Lean thinking at my Lexus dealership! :)</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Tracey and Ernie Richardson</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">@Tracey_san</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">@Ernie_san_</span></b>Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-19667417068727087362017-01-11T14:10:00.000-05:002017-01-11T14:10:23.854-05:00Getting to Sustainability<br />
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Hi folks,<br />
Happy New Year 2017! Hope everyone's year is getting off to a great start!<br />
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I want to "crossblog" a column we wrote for The Lean Post through The Lean Enterprise Institute!<br />
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Here is the link to the column on the Lean Post! <a href="http://www.lean.org/LeanPost/Posting.cfm?LeanPostId=676" target="_blank">The Lean Post - Getting to Sustainability</a> You can also check out other daily posts there! Great way to share many examples of Lean Thinking!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Getting to Sustainability</span></b></div>
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Most folks think of GTS as a simple acronym for “Grasp The Situation.” This is a helpful way to think about problem solving (PDCA), because it conditions ourselves to go and see in order to effectively grasp the situation. In order to solve problems or make improvements, first we want to determine the current state and measure it against the known standard or the ideal state. The key is to measure; without a measure it’s very hard to know exactly what to improve, or whether there is improvement. </div>
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Ernie and I have found that there’s not just one, or two, but in fact six powerful GTS acronyms that we believe form the basis of we call Toyota’s “Engagement Equation” (we have a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Toyotas-Engagement-Equation-Understand-Organization/dp/1259837424" style="color: #0053a0; outline-style: none;" target="_blank">book</a> on this topic coming out in May of this year from McGraw-Hill.) We have come up with this set of principles as a way to share a process of thinking we were taught by our trainers at Toyota that was the foundation of our cultural climate. It’s a cyclical process that steps through PDCA thinking all the way through to continuous improvement. Every step is tangible and requires an action, followed by questions and fact based answers, through go and see. </div>
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<strong>Get To Sustain</strong> (<strong>GTS5</strong>) is one of them.</div>
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Sustaining gains from kaizen thinking is one of the hardest, and certainly most misunderstood, aspects of this work. It’s misunderstood because the actual change takes place at the beginning of the journey. Sustaining the improvement requires ongoing tracking and auditing, which we can categorize as change point management, or the discipline behind true continuous improvement. Some companies would say sustaining gains is much more difficult than creating the gains in the first place.</div>
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That’s because of a pattern we often see with companies practicing lean: a challenge when trying to “normalize” lean thinking on a daily basis. In some organizations people are often excited to find how much progress they can make as they internalize the potential of the tools they are learning to use. They often achieve dramatic gains. But then…the daily work or line of sight to the KPIs yields less and less tangible new progress. The novelty of the new approach wears off, and it gets harder and harder to visualize those gains. What started with a bang gradually becomes a daily whimper, a journey with no end—and with no end to the hard work. This can often lower the morale of an organization, especially when resources are removed.</div>
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This is the crucial moment where companies generally face the choice (whether they realize it or not) between fully committing to the hard work of lean transformation—or simply experiencing it as a flavor of the month.</div>
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Look, we know just how very hard sustaining the gains from any continuous improvement work can be. In our experience at Toyota, standardization was really the key to any continuous improvement initiative we did. As Taiichi Ohno stated, “without a standard there can be no Kaizen.” So, for example, the minor and major model changes at Toyota required a micro level daily PDCA tracking system that met the macro (monthly and yearly) status in order to roll out a new model without ever stopping the line (the standard for today). The standardization behind that is the “DNA” (discipline and accountability) to know what the expectations are and having leaders constantly monitoring gap to standard. Without this thinking it would be a daunting task to sustain with the daily/monthly gains of progress needed to meet the 5-year long-term goal.</div>
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Every company that has made improvements will find their progress challenged by both external and internal factors. Markets and supplier capabilities and above all customer expectations are constantly in flux, while the basic challenge of keeping key people on board, make the notion of sustaining the gains seem more like an illusion than a daily practice. I think in our personal lives we really have high expectations of standardization and routines. For example, when we go to a grocery store we expect a high level of standardization. We like the aisles labeled, prices visible, and we get used to where things are so it lessens the amount of lead-time it takes to do our shopping. If a grocery store didn’t maintain or look at better ways to display their goods and decided to change that standard weekly or just put it out there in the middle of the floor, it would create frustration, chaos and lengthen our time shopping. When it comes to our professional or work life we don’t often see the same importance of standardization as we do for or local grocery stores. I ask folks to individually be the “model home” on everything they can influence first, so that those actions can then become the “pull” for others to want to learn more, versus a push system of learning.</div>
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We’ve found one of the best ways to GTS5—Get to Sustainability—is through the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These indicators fall into two categories: lagging and leading. Lagging indicators are results-oriented, in that they appear after the fact. Leading indicators, on the other hand, measure what is happening in a process in real time: they let us know when we are operating out of standard and provide an opportunity to respond immediately. An easy way to explain the difference in leading versus lagging indicators is to ask an organization this question. Would you rather manage your problems or have your problems manage you? If you look for leading indicators you will be able to be more predictive; if you focus on lagging indicators you will stay in reactive mode.</div>
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"IF YOU LOOK FOR LEADING INDICATORS YOU WILL BE ABLE TO BE MORE PREDICTIVE."</h1>
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So, how should you start identifying and using your leading indicators? The key is by taking a close look at your daily processes. Go to the gemba and ask your team members how their processes are going and where they might be having issues. Consider a regular “how’s your process?” (HYP) check: a daily touch-point for supervisors to go see if people are experiencing any emerging issues. This gives you the capability to engage with the process owner and develop countermeasures in real time so it doesn’t get to the next process.</div>
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And never forget that the most important element of getting to sustainability has to do with your people. As leaders your job is to develop people, and so it helps to create indicators that reveal any real-time threats to the healthy culture you need for continuous improvement. When we worked at Toyota, for example, we saw how senior managers reacted immediately to circumstances that might lead to potential morale issues. If machinery wasn’t working properly, they were as worried about worker frustration as they were about delayed production.</div>
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"AS LEADERS YOUR JOB IS TO DEVELOP PEOPLE, AND SO IT HELPS TO CREATE INDICATORS THAT REVEAL ANY REAL-TIME THREATS TO THE HEALTHY CULTURE YOU NEED FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT."</h1>
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So it was common for our leaders, all the way up to the President, to walk up to a team member on the line and ask, “how’s your day going?” and then “how’s the family?” Ernie and I both remember Mr. Cho visiting our areas several times, just asking questions and offering to help in anyway possible. Our thoughts truly mattered to him and to Toyota, and that was the biggest secret of sustaining our unique culture.</div>
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Remember that <em>Get To Sustain</em> is really a journey that never ends. Whenever there is success based on a new countermeasure, we know that this will not survive unless we work constantly to preserve the gains that we have made and ensure we have the proper standards in place to meet the internal and external customers.</div>
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<em>Learn more at the Richardson's Learning Session "Understanding and Implementing a Continuous Improvement Culture in Any Organization" at the 2017 Lean Transformation Summit on March 7-8 in Carlsbad, Cali. <a href="http://www.lean.org/Events/2017_lean_transformation_summit.cfm" style="color: #f7901e; outline-style: none;" target="_blank">Learn more and register here.</a></em></div>
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Until next time, </div>
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Ernie and Tracey Richardson</div>
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@Tracey_san</div>
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<br />Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-32095993653202363802016-12-04T13:54:00.000-05:002016-12-04T13:54:29.998-05:00The TPS Evolution - Generation 3<br />
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Happy Holidays everyone! It's hard to believe we are closing in on the end 2016, what a year! We look forward to 2017 leading and learning with everyone.<br />
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We apologize for not having a monthly cadence with the blog, but our book writing has taken precedence over our spare time the past several months, we look forward to sharing it with everyone in May of 2017. We do have a 40% off pre-sales link on Amazon if you would like to grab one before they are full price click here! <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Toyota-Engagement-Equation-Improvement-Organization/dp/1259837424" target="_blank">The Toyota Engagement Equation</a><br />
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We wanted to end the year with a blog regarding TPS Generation 3. We bring it up in the last chapter of our book as "our" latest version of what TPS (Toyota Production System) means to us now and how our customers have evolved us and our thinking over the years.<br />
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When we were introduced to TPS at Toyota back in the late 80's it represented the Toyota Production System, which was understandable at the time since TMMK was the first wholly owned plant for Toyota Motor Corp. We were part of something very unique and the infamous TPS house allowed us to translate the tools of the production system into our daily activities. Our trainers relentlessly coached us to think differently.<br />
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As we grew as people and as an organization we realized internal and even external to Toyota that organizations that were trying to replicate TPS, that it wasn't as much about Toyota persay as it was the thinking behind the systems at Toyota. As time went on and some of the original trainers retired, a new group of trainers evolved and I often heard them refer to TPS (Gen 2) as the "Thinking Production System". In it's essence it is really true, we were always asked to think deeply about all the "systems running" in the background that created our climate or culture. There was a deep infrastructure reliant upon thinkers, as we discuss in the book E3 - we were always striving for the ideal state of <i>Everybody-Everyday-Engaged!!</i> <br />
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As Ernie and I both grew in our roles after Toyota, spending countless hours studying how best to share and translate what we learned in those early years and how it allowed us to be the people we are today - that being 2 sponges! We are always soaking up as much knowledge as possible, to help individuals think better not only for themselves personally and professionally, but also be the change agent or the "model home" for their organizations. I know that was our goal at Toyota to always create a pull for learning through example, not a push.<br />
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As the years have past and we continue to grow as people and coaches we learned there may be a next generation for TPS for us. (This is a Tracey and Ernie'ism!) - As we mentioned it is more than just Toyota in Gen 1, its also much deeper than Gen 2 with just "thinking". We would like to share our thoughts for <b><u><i>TPS Gen 3 --- The "Thinking People System"!!</i></u></b> Our sole purpose when we visit a client/customer is to begin to encourage people to think differently about what they do everyday. So we feel its fitting to evolve TPS to fit any organization that have people, processes, and problems. It can translate very well for you! So when you refer to TPS you can think about its foundational background, build on that and go to the essence of its creation! Thinking People~~!! <br />
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Until next time,<br />
Happy Holidays and New Year<br />
Tracey and Ernie Richardson<br />
@Tracey_sanTracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-65772205368277421312016-07-07T20:19:00.001-04:002016-07-07T20:19:23.059-04:00Video clip from Lean Enterprise Institute Mining Gold with Kinross and Teaching Lean Inc.<br />
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Check out this short video clip by Chet Marchwinski with the Lean Enterprise Institute at the Lean Summit this past March in Las Vegas. Chet is interviewing Kinross Gold who has been on a Lean journey now for several year, along with Ernie Richardson. <br />
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<a href="http://www.lean.org/LeanPost/Posting.cfm?LeanPostId=597" target="_blank">Interview with Kinross and Teaching Lean Inc at the Lean Summit in March 2016</a>Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-27344510678517022602016-06-28T14:39:00.001-04:002016-06-28T14:39:21.984-04:00Raised by Toyota - Q&A with Ernie and Tracey Richardson<br />
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Hello everyone, #crossblogging this month. Spent a week on a Q&A interview with the Lean Enterprise Institute extrapolating our thoughts and experiences from our time at Toyota and how we translate them to other across all different types of industries.<br />
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Check out the link to the column on The Lean Post by LEI<br />
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<a href="http://www.lean.org/LeanPost/Posting.cfm?LeanPostId=596" target="_blank">Raised by Toyota - Q&A with Ernie and Tracey Richardson</a><br />
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Have a GREAT 4th of July weekend coming up!!Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-12252968416779714352016-05-28T13:30:00.003-04:002016-05-28T13:30:55.460-04:00Have you found the point of occurrence (poo) in your process?<br />
Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone,<br />
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This post is to have a little fun while we learn, and if any of you have been in our sessions the past few years you will know what this means. It's the funny things that often allow us to remember important thinking as we learn and practice lean in our daily activities across all functional areas of our organization.<br />
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We all should be familiar with PDCA (Plan - Do - Check - Action), its a systematic approach to problem solving among other business practices at a micro and macro level. In this blog we will focus a bit more on the micro aspect. <br />
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So if you think of the 8 steps of problem solving we are looking at framing problems based on a proper go and see approach. We determine from as much data and facts what is our current state. This doesn't have to be manufacturing, it can be any process that creates an output, service, end result or product. Material and Information (M & I) flow can be involved, or perhaps the "day in the life" of a document (hard-copy or e-copy), or a process of approval. Once we have determined our current state and measured it against a known standard then we should have a quantifiable gap.<br />
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What we find is most are unable to measure effectively so assumptions are made and problem solving begins and our result could be from shear luck. As my trainers would say "lucky isn't sustainable" especially if we are running a business. This thinking allows us to only get a symptom of the problem not the root cause and it normally just returns. Also if we don't have a known standard, then start to document what should be happening in a process (based on customer internally and externally needs it to be). Often I refer to it as an Ideal state or expectation - believe it or not standardization is a perceived bad word in some organizations. I think for the most part we all can agree that we are doing "something" that creates our output, shouldn't we document it in order to improve? Doesn't Taiichi Ohno tell us that we can't have continuous improvement without a standard? So I encourage everyone to really look at how you frame problems in order to begin the shift from reactive problem solving to more proactive. Minimize the "fire-fighting" approach and reduce your hose-holders in the rear.<br />
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Once we have determined our problem or gap properly we must think about slicing the data into manageable pieces. Please reflect back on one of my past blogs about breaking down the problem. <a href="http://www.thetoyotagal.com/2016/04/why-dont-we-solve-problems-like-we-eat.html" target="_blank">How to breakdown a problem correctly!</a><br />
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Once we have done this then we go to the process of a smaller portion of the gap. Now how do we define a process? A process can be: (not an all inclusive list)<br />
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<li> A standardized work document</li>
<li> The day in the life of a document, product, or individual etc.</li>
<li> An administrative process (how to apply for medical leave) or get approved for vacation time.</li>
<li> A flowchart</li>
<li>Work Instruction or Job Breakdown</li>
<li> Engineering specifications</li>
<li> Material and Information flow</li>
<li> A pattern or routine that has been created (gym, workout, run path)</li>
<li> Grocery shopping</li>
<li> GPS directions</li>
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As you can see there are many articulations of what a process can be, usually it consists of a step-by-step approach that leads me to an outcome. Now the question is, as an organization, where does the waste reside? Do we recognize it? Do we consider it an accepted norm? Do we develop work around's to embed it as part of our process? Does tribal knowledge cloud our thinking? All these are good questions we need to answer through a go and see and engaging with people who do the work in all areas of our company. </div>
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As we teach in class, of course in a jokingly way, we ask have you discovered the point of occurrence in your process(es)? We often refer to as the POO? (Point of Occurrence). We say if you have stepped in the POO, you have found the discrepancy that is creating "pain" (translates to KPI's) to your organization. It could be in the form of quality, safety, productivity, or cost. Point of occurrence's are there it's up to use to think in the most granular form to find those wasteful steps and eliminate the POO, Just of late in the marketing world I have seen the Emoji's or Emojicon's come to life outside of our texting realm. I see these in the form of stuffed animals and often pillow size. We are in airports almost weekly and I ran across this little guy. Of course one of the popular emoji's we all have seen. This has become a "mascot" if you will within our sessions as a visual to know if you have found the point of occurrence (poo) in the process. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Many laugh or smile, some roll their eyes but secretly think its funny. I guarantee its an engaging way to remember are you finding the actual step in the process where the point of occurrence resides. Because until you do, I promise you will continue to fight symptoms and your problems will continue to manage you, not you managing your problems. Which is more value add for your company? So use the Emoji in a completely different way than intended, it has a key chain latch so attach it to a process so the root cause can be identified. Make "lean thinking" fun(ny) and see how much more interesting it can be. It has been a little joke now in our sessions and we will be handing them out for the teams who find the most point of occurrences on a gemba walk! Whatever it takes to move the needle! Lighten up and LEArN! Keep calm, go see, and step in the point of occurrence!</div>
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Until next time, </div>
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Tracey and Ernie Richardson</div>
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@Tracey_san</div>
Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-39539591945250497132016-04-25T20:15:00.000-04:002016-04-25T20:15:39.564-04:00Why don't we solve problems like we eat pizza?<br />
So we have been conditioned since our youth that pizza normally comes by the slice, of course if we make our own we bake it then slice it, right? Perhaps you can describe this as tribal knowledge or a learned trait. I think many are familiar with that and have. In the world of Lean thinking or doing business with the focus on adding value and respect for our people, we need to put problem solving methodology into that same category as well.<br />
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There is a misnomer out there that when we problem solve (using PDCA) that we must take on world-hunger level problems. Some, that are experienced in A3, tend to think putting a largely scoped problem into that format will help them solve it faster. Or should I say for some who may have minimal time, allow us to jump to countermeasures faster. Even at my time at Toyota TMMK, I caught myself being pulled into this vortex. We often need the problem fixed or the results to change so taking it all on a once seems like a faster process. When you lower the water to see the rocks is it really faster? You can do the cost translation to your KPI's.<br />
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When I first was introduced to problem solving I will admit we often went from a larger measurable gap (difference between the current state and the standard) to asking why, usually a fish-bone diagram. This process often reared us many root causes, more than we should change at one time to be honest. Many times we found ourselves outside of the Gemba trying to make the best selection based on assumptions, opinions and past experiences. This sounds good, especially if we have tenure in an area, but it's not a sustainable process - lucky at best as my trainers would remind me. As we all know when we trying to implement too many countermeasures at once it's very difficult to measure which one actually fixed it, and how do we know? So it's great if we can avoid rework and non value-added time if possible. As John Wooden as said, "If you don't have time to do it right the first time when will you have time to do it over?"<br />
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When I was introduced 12 years ago, when I was an internal trainer for Toyota, to a new way to approach problem solving that developed an additional step in the process - the light-bulb came on for me. Imagine for a moment, a process that encouraged you to take the large gap you have after defining a problem, and breaking that down into manageable pieces. In essence you would slice the gap up into weighted (based on data) contributors to the overall gap. Similar to a pareto chart where the sum of the bars equalled the total amount of the problem. A tree diagram often works well visualizing the "funneling" of the gap into one slice. Similar to pizza. <br />
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If we tried to eat this pizza in one setting without it being sliced it would be difficult for us on many levels. There may be a few that can accomplish the task, but it's not a preferred style of eating. Often times we would feel terrible afterwards, similar to the frustration commonly felt when we don't put problems to bed using true root cause analysis. If we just take a slice at a time as we have been conditioned to do eating, we should get down to a portion of the gap that takes you to a process level.</div>
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This process level allows you to be around 1-3 root causes maximum. If you find yourself with 5 or more root causes at an individual slice it should be a red flag indicator to lessen the size of the problem we are tackling. PDCA will talk to you if you use the process correctly and listen. Only when we try to take shortcuts and by pass people or the Gemba we fall in a potential state of frustration and band-aid fixes. Then the A3 gets blamed for being a terrible tool. Folks will say, "This doesn't work, why are we using it?"</div>
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A mock example I use of breaking down a complex problem is below. It shows how taking a world hunger level problem and getting it down to a manageable "slice" which is a process I can influence and go see. Not just manufacturing but service industry and material and information flow style processes as well. </div>
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So you can see the highlighted path down to one slice, which we can say is 40 of the 500 defects. This is a mock example so just allowing you to put some number to see the slice. In our real world problem solving we would attach values to each of these so they track back upward to the gap. It not only illustrates our path of thinking but shows there was Gemba visits to differentiate facts from our beloved opinions and assumptions. This process shows how many slices of pizza are remaining that contributes to the whole gap! It seems like a lot of time, it can be if you aren't an organization that track / measures very well. But this gives you the entire picture. It shows to you as a leader how many stakeholders I potentially need to involved and how many "city level" A3's I can disperse as training and development opportunities for a team or department. I think many feel they have to take everything on themselves. Another misnomer, we are only as good as we let our extraordinary people think for us each day. We have to foster that and find ways to manage all the gaps that are out there. It does come easier with having standards in place, either way you will get to improving a process. That is where the "extra cheese" lies.</div>
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So next time you consider tackling a world hunger problem just remember we need to feed the cities first, just as you would prefer a slice of pizza at a time. </div>
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Until next time</div>
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@Tracey_san</div>
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Tracey and Ernie Richardson</div>
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Teaching Lean Inc.</div>
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<br />Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-68791029844576200502016-03-27T16:11:00.001-04:002016-04-04T20:02:16.628-04:00You can't spell "challenge" without "change"! <br />
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Ernie and I were blessed to have many lessons from our Japanese trainers during our time at Toyota Motor Manufacturing. Some were purposely orchestrated for us to fail, some through detailed thinking, some during observations and some verbalized. The little nuggets that were often told to us were deeply valuable. We didn't always realize it at the time, it wasn't until we were in a situation that took us back to the moment when it was said. Then we had the "ah ha", and finally knew the greater lesson. Sometimes the discrepancy was our language barrier, but often times we couldn't grasp the metaphor or analogy they were using, but eventually it came full circle back and that's when you truly "got it", kind of like the muscle memory of riding a bike. </div>
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For example, the word "nemawashi" was used quite often in our environment and we labeled it under the category of <u><i>gaining consensus </i>or <i>getting proper buy-in</i></u>. At a high level this is correct. In the way that a Japanese trainer may explain it you might find it to be a little more in depth. I can remember once my trainer describing it as "<u>prepping the soil</u>" to plant a tree. Of course I gave them a bizarre look, but they asked me to think about what is necessary for that to take place and for the tree to flourish. Well I articulated that process step by step to him (the trainer) and he asked me to think of the "tree" as an idea. How can we cultivate ideas on a daily basis and prepare them for sharing and applying among the team? As a leader we must always be<i> prepping the soil</i>, not only for an individual but for the team and how that cascades upward to the company. It's an important challenge everyone must embrace and connect their line of sight. </div>
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I can vividly remember the moment I was given my team leader hat. In our culture the hat with a specific stripe color was a visual control for leadership. A blue hat with a brown stripe was a team leader, and a brown hat with a blue stripe was a group leader. These positions spent the majority of their time at or near the process supporting the team when discrepancies occurred. When I was handed by blue hat I remember my trainer saying, "Tracey-san", always be uncomfortable." I didn't totally understand this statement in the context of how he said it, but I could promise you as a 21 year old team leader I was uncomfortable those first few months(and continued to be). So no worries there (grin). As I grew as a leader and an individual in this role I realized that uncomfortable was like being "challenged". That if an individual feels comfortable in their position each day then complacency can step in and then it becomes about <i>putting my time in and going home</i>. </div>
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We don't want an environment that feels like a prison sentence, but rather a day full of empowering folks to challenge themselves. This means as a leader I/we have to do the same. Our trainers often referred to that as <i><u>leading and learning simultaneously</u></i>. This practice allowed us to learn but at the same time coach. How can this happen one might ask? Isn't it necessary for us to have the answers first? So I often say, just lead <u>not</u> from a position of power, but an empowering one. Often times you might have to say, "I don't know", and that is OK. You can say, "let's go find out together and learn". To many that might be uncomfortable at first because we have been conditioned as humans that the boss always has the answers. If they don't then they should be the boss, correct? This is a myth, one that is hard to change my lean thinking friends. If the work manages us each day and our people are going through the motions then we might as well turn their brains off and put a battery in. I will admit that the comfort zone is a vortex we can easily find ourselves sucked into, we cling on to the sides to not fall down further. It's not easy to climb out, but if we take it one step at a time we find that we can avoid the black-hole of comfort all together.</div>
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This is a paradigm shift in thinking, it's not easy to put yourself out there without a back-up plan at times. Raw unplanned learning can often give us the most rewarding results. Being a preferenced introvert I can admit that I didn't really care for speaking in front of others in my earlier years. So my leader and trainer pushed me to do our KYK 5 min talks in front of our team. I was nervous at first that people would notice the tremor in my voice or how fast my heart was racing, but in time it became less difficult so I was asked to raise the bar. My next task was to join a Quality Circle, these were our problem solving teams that worked together (7-10 people) to solve problems in their specific area. You had to share ideas, follow PDCA, and then create new standard work with the team leaders if the ideas were valid through experimentation. After working through several activities I decided to enroll in the class to become a quality circle leader. This would challenge me at an entirely different level, I just wasn't responsible for myself, but now for a team. I had to not only guide (as a team member level), but coach problem solving and foster ideas. Little did I know I was developing myself for the next level. All this took place across a 3 year span, but slowly I was creating base hits preparing myself for a home-run one day. </div>
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So from my experiences, which were many, I feel that the lessons I learned were layered like a wedding cake. Each layer of learning is foundational to the next. Without a strong foundation we can find ourselves on unstable ground. What we (Ernie and I) often find out there in various industry is the need to cling on but we know, <u>what is comfortable</u>. What we know is often what we hoard, create as our own, or what is easy for us. To walk down an unknown path can be compared to walking in the dark. But if we aren't moving the furniture each day (chaos) we can navigate through all the layers we created in the form of standard work and sustainable processes. This allows us to have a baseline to improve, in order to do that, we often have to challenge the status quo and build upon that tribal knowledge we have gained to create new and better ways we all can align with. When we align we cascade upward and downward hitting the KPI's the organization has set. When we know we are making a measurable difference, there is nothing like that base-hit. It really drives us to want to be at the plate more. So when I may find myself getting too comfortable with what I do or how I/we coach. We challenge ourselves to find a better way, this keeps us on the value-add side of the fence. Never stop pushing, always be learning no matter what level you are! </div>
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Until next time, </div>
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@tracey_san</div>
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Tracey and Ernie Richardson</div>
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Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-24284068242945007562016-02-23T20:08:00.000-05:002016-04-04T20:02:55.746-04:00The thinking behind an effective Gemba Walk<br />
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So what is the "Gemba"? In simplistic terms - it's where <u><i>"work"</i> </u>happens or the <i><u>"actual place"</u></i>. The Gemba doesn't have to be specific to manufacturing (a common misnomer). Often Gemba's are invisible or cyber in nature - some examples:<br />
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<li>Material and Information Flow</li>
<li>The day in the life of a document</li>
<li>Following a policy in human resources</li>
<li>Specifications in Engineering</li>
<li>Software integration</li>
<li>Date entry</li>
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In our experience from discussions and observations there are different articulations of a Gemba Walk across the various industries. In an organization trying to evolve a culture it's important to understand how essential an effective Gemba walk can be in regard to developing people. We have often been told that Gemba walks are about: </div>
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<li>To be seen</li>
<li>Review KPI boards (score-boards)</li>
<li>Downtime situations</li>
<li>Tours</li>
<li>Talking to People</li>
<li>Check up on daily result</li>
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Not all of these are necessarily incorrect, but we need to understand the purpose behind each "walk" we may be doing, and how it fits into the "development of people" category. </div>
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A question a leader (or anyone) going to the Gemba should always ask is - "What value are you adding to the organization by going?" Are we removing barriers and constraints for the people to do their process in the most effective and efficient way? Are we providing resources for people to be successful in problem solving?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">So what some of the key points to an effective Gemba walk?</span></h2>
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Show Respect </h3>
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<li>Ask good questions, not demeaning one's, - the people at the process are the experts</li>
<li>Build a mutual trust relationship (get to know your people)</li>
<li>Sincere communication (listening skills)</li>
<li>Leadership accountability for developing people</li>
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What are <u>some</u> <i>(not all inclusive list)</i> questions you should ask before, during, and after a Gemba Walk?</div>
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<b>Before</b></h3>
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<ul>
<li>What is the purpose for this walk?</li>
<li>Location?</li>
<li>Who is attending the walk?</li>
<li>Are there preconceived notions driving our thoughts?</li>
<li>PPE requirements</li>
<li>Safety Standards</li>
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<b>During</b></h3>
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<li>Let the process owners or team know why you are there</li>
<li>Are there standards (quality etc)?</li>
<li>What is the process flow?- can you see it from start to finish?</li>
<li>Do we see a push versus a pull?</li>
<li>What is takt/cycle for the process?</li>
<li>Differentiation between assumptions/opinions versus facts</li>
<li>Is the process meeting internal/external customer expectations?</li>
<li>Identifying 8 forms of waste?</li>
<li>Are you seeing through the process (people are behaving differently because you are there).</li>
<li>Go-See, Ask Why, Show Respect</li>
<li>Be noticed - noticing, but not judging </li>
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<b>Post</b></h3>
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<li>Document findings</li>
<li>Discuss improvement areas for the Gemba Walk process</li>
<li>Develop plan</li>
<li>Confirm plan with process owners</li>
<li>Support</li>
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<b>Reflection</b></h3>
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<li>How "value-add" was the Gemba walk to the company? (KPI relationship)</li>
<li>Did we develop people?</li>
<li>Did we engage with people?</li>
<li>Did we provide resources for problem solving?</li>
<li>What is the strategy for the next one?</li>
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Things to avoid</h3>
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<li>Harsh criticism</li>
<li>Selling, telling or convincing</li>
<li>Creating a hostile environment</li>
<li>Giving answers without questions first</li>
<li>Intimidating presence</li>
<li>Blaming the person first, instead of looking at the process</li>
<li>Root blame versus Root cause (defensive questions)</li>
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So to summarize, Gemba Walks are a essential part of a culture that focuses on developing people. It is the responsibility of all leadership to be the <i>servant</i> leader and remove barriers and provide resources for true problem solving to take place. Problems that are framed correctly are half solved, so finding the truth is crucial in completing the PDCA kanri cycle. If you take the time you will often find that where you think discrepancy lives, there is a vacancy instead when you discover the power of the Gemba. Utilize the extraordinary power of your people, they are one of the most important assets of your organization. </div>
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Until next time, </div>
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Tracey and Ernie Richardson</div>
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@tracey_san</div>
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<br />Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-65297048349904590852016-02-03T07:48:00.003-05:002016-04-04T20:03:17.709-04:00The Value of Key Performance Indicators in a Lean Transformation<br />
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Hi everyone,<br />
This month I am #crossblogging to share with you a column Ernie and I wrote for The Lean Post at the Lean Enterprise Institute. Here is the link to it. Also the post below.<br />
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http://www.lean.org/LeanPost/Posting.cfm?LeanPostId=531<br />
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<em>How do we measure our progress in an organization? How do we know what type of indicators we are using and what do they tell us about the current state of our processes? How do we know when we get there? What do we raise the bar on to show improvement?</em></div>
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These are just a few of the questions we hear from organizations that want to understand more about what data they are tracking and how they respond to what that specific information tells them. How much of it is truly value added to the company and customer?</div>
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What we do is break down the key performance indicators (KPIs) that organizations track into two categories: <em>lagging indicators</em> and <em>leading indicators</em>. Lagging indicators are results-oriented, in that they appear <em>after</em> something has happened. Some would say they’re historical in nature, since they are often a reaction to something that has already taken place in a process, perhaps months ago. In the car industry, for example, this could be a warranty claim a customer filed with the dealership for a creaky suspension. As the manufacturer, it takes a lot more effort to know what actually happened to cause the problem and when. In fact, it’s impossible to go back in time to re-create the exact scenario that allowed the discrepancy to happen. This can often put us in <em>symptom-fighting mode</em>, also known as <em>firefighting</em>. This mode is not always sustainable, nor is it especially value added.</div>
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Leading indicators, on the other hand, are KPIs that are tracking right at the process. This gives us a real-time measure as to when we may be out of standard or don’t have what is needed, when it’s needed, to produce our service or output. The beauty of leading (process-oriented) indicators is that while it can take months to get a report that tells the organization, “How are we doing?”, they can tell you what’s happening in the moment.</div>
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So for example, let’s look at safety—say a team member gets injured during their work process. This gets documented on an incident-rate report in most organizations. So think about it – I am <em>tracking</em> an injury <em>after </em>it happened. This is a necessary process in the majority of organizations due to OSHA or other safety mandates, but now I have to ask myself, “What does this information tell me about the process?” If the actual incident happened 1-3 days before the report came out, are we able to know what really caused it? Maybe, but it won’t be easy. That incident-rate report is a <em>lagging </em>indicator.</div>
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We find the majority of KPIs tracked are lagging (results-oriented) indicators. It seems to be a pattern across various types of industries – not just manufacturing. It is a common misconception that we should only track lagging indicators, as many feel they give us the most information.</div>
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But isn’t it better to have a process indicator that gives us a predictive factor <em>before</em> the injury actually happens? That would be more of a <em>leading</em> indicator – and that is where you can shift the focus from results after the fact, to process in the moment. Given the above example, maybe there were trends that were overlooked. Perhaps someone mentioned “This flow rack is very high and I have to reach several times a day.” Maybe there was a near-miss incident that hinted at a larger problem. That information could be predictive to an injury, letting us address the problem in real time – not just waiting for something to happen before we take action. </div>
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So, how do you start identifying your indicators?</div>
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One way is to take a closer look at your daily processes. Asking questions of your team members about how their process is going and whether or not there are issues can help you grasp the situation of predictive measure versus reactive. One way we have seen organizations do this is a “how’s your process” check. This creates a daily touch-point so the supervisor can see if there are any issues with processes. This is then logged on a visual management chart for Safety and posted daily. If something goes wrong it gives us a very specific window of time to track the discrepancy. This check can greatly reduce incident rates by shifting focus to the process itself (leading) versus tracking only after a problem has happened (lagging).</div>
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If an organization can shift a percentage of its lagging indicators to leading, they will see that the new focus on processes (and improving them through standardization) will begin to show the results they normally would be focusing on. Measuring the process in real time each day gives us a trend analysis that is perhaps a few hours old, versus a three-month quarterly report to which we will react in hopes that we make changes in something we are unsure of. I often say it’s like “throwing a dart at a moving target.”</div>
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So if you want to stay out of an endless “firefighting mode” with a team of hose-holders, then it’s time to change viewpoints and analyze your available measurements of a process’s success. There will always be a level of reactivity in an organization and that is normal in most businesses. But to do business each day in a reactionary mode is not good for long-term sustainability and growth. The key is to bring awareness to the indicators at your business – and you can do this through gemba walks, problem solving, creating standardized work, and better visualization (e.g. what is the current state versus the ideal state through visual management?). The more people can see, the more abnormalities will surface, the more the problem awareness muscle can be strengthened, and your culture can finally start to change. </div>
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~Tracey and Ernie Richardson</div>
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@tracey_san</div>
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<em>For more information on leading and lagging indicators and their value in lean transformations, stop by Tracey and Ernie's Learning Session at the 2016 Lean Transformation Summit in Las Vegas this March. They will be joined by three of their clients from a lean transformation at Nevada's Kinross Gold Mine, in which using KPIs was critical to success. Learn more about this and other Learning Sessions <a href="http://www.lean.org/Events/2016_lean_transformation_summit.cfm?promo=LPSUMMIT16" style="color: #0053a0; outline: none;">on the Summit webpage</a>.</em></div>
Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-34565725876956715272016-01-20T00:51:00.004-05:002016-04-04T20:03:47.459-04:00Yes-- we look for Lean examples, Standardization, and JIT even on our vacation time!<br />
Well Ernie and I were able to work in some vacation time to Hawaii this month (Jan). It was my first trip there and Ernie's second. We visited 2 islands (Oahu and Maui) and I have to say it was amazing and I hope to return one day-truly paradise for me. I wanted to dedicate a blog post to "lean even on vacation" to illustrate no matter how much I try to get away from it, it's really just intrinsic to who I am (we are). It was also a way to share a bit of our fun with a lean flare.<br />
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So as we arrived at HNL airport we noticed the awesome visual control system in the rental car garage as we exited. They had people/movement detectors connected to flashing stop signs to let a driver know when someone was walking across giving them a leading indicator to stop in time. There were several blind spots so this was a very good visual management countermeasure for safety.<br />
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Once we arrived at our hotel in Waikiki we made our way to the elevators and recognized technology that assisted with level loading process to help prevent wait time by a guest. We have seen different versions of these with our travel but this one never allowed us to wait past 10 seconds--very efficient. Once you enter your floor then it display which "specific" elevator door you should get on. There were 8 different elevators in this area. I would be nice to yokoten this idea putting in place in larger hotels everywhere :).<br />
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We saw various examples of 5S, but one I don't believe I have witness before was the "sweeping" of the beach. Since we were acclimating to HST time, we had the pleasure of watching the sunrise over Diamond Head. We noticed there was a beach sweeper (similar to an ice rink cleaner removing the marks and refreshing the ice). The beach sweeper removed all the foot prints and sand artistry made the day before. I was impressed and said "they 5S'ed the beach"--a fresh beach each morning to walk on. I jokingly said, it looks like "vacuum marks" on a carpet.<br />
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Next we were honored to visit the Pearl Harbor Memorial. What an emotional experience. We found that there was lots of standardization here. The U.S Navy was a integral part of the entire process. There were only 1300 tickets given out each day, and there are hourly trips outward to the memorial with a specific amount of people allowed each trip with a return of folks ready to leave, loading and unloading had a process to follow. As we sailed out silently we were only allowed to use our phones while sitting with only use of the camera function. Out of respect, we were instructed to have minimal discussions and if so very quietly. No texting, or phone calls from the memorial, most were very compliant. <br />
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Diamond Head Crater was an amazing hike, we also realized some rules and standards for the National Park. The park had hiking rules: <br />
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1. You had to stay on the trail (otherwise it could create further erosion issues)<br />
2. There were certain areas of the park that were off limits since it's owned by the U.S Government<br />
3. FAA is present inside the crater for communication with the US Coast Guard, Civil Defense and Emergency Services.<br />
4. No one is able to begin the hike past 430pm since the park strictly closes at 6pm.<br />
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We had the pleasure of getting an hour to swim with dolphins- a bucket list item for me. Part of their protocol included us sitting and discussing our outcomes of the visit and also to learn about the dolphins, their personalities and environment. They actually said the dolphins will choose us. We were given a level of Job instruction training in regard to feeding, holding, petting and swimming with them. We all wanted to be in a safe environment including the dolphins since we were in their "home". It was interesting to learn hand signals to direct them as they followed a process. Their trainers were amazing, and it was a very unique experience--one very standardized in all areas especially safety.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SckkREhQhyQ/Vp8Msf8CiaI/AAAAAAAABVA/X7MkWEh-PN8/s1600/dolphin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SckkREhQhyQ/Vp8Msf8CiaI/AAAAAAAABVA/X7MkWEh-PN8/s320/dolphin.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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On this trip we experienced for the first time flying Hawaiian Airlines. What an interesting airline. We have been used to flying Delta all these years and they are an affiliate of Delta airlines but their standardized work was a bit different. It was interesting to see a different process and learn as we went through it. </div>
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1. The Kiosk process was all inclusive, you not only signed in and printed your boarding passes but you also weighed and tagged your check bags.</div>
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2. Only about 1/2 the staff was needed since everything was done by the customer.</div>
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3. On the plane the refreshments were a foiled 4 ounce drink that was given to everyone, and the trash collected within 7 min making it a very efficient process/service- no cart necessary in the aisle. </div>
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I'm sure it may be different for their longer flights, but their island to island flights were practicing lean in many ways. </div>
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Another excursion of ours was whale watching, this was an experience to say the least. We learned a lot about whale population and routines throughout the year. The boat we were on had specific standardized work for us all to follow.</div>
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1. No one was allowed to walk around until we were clearly out of the harbor area.</div>
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2. When you stood up to observe you had to have a 3 point contact to walk around safely due to waves/swell.</div>
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Honestly, it was difficult to remember it all, but part of their process. If we spotted a whale we had to refer to the area of a clock they were at with the front of the boat being 12 o'clock. This was necessary for quick reference not to miss a shot if all possible. The whale are definitely unpredictable and on their own schedule, but so majestic! Priceless!</div>
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How many have eaten a pineapple grown in Hawaii? I am not a pineapple fan, but grew to enjoy them while there. There is nothing sweeter than these and you can find them added with many different foods on the islands. While visiting the Dole plantation we learned there was a specific process for cutting a pineapple. They had a demonstration every hour to share their standardized work and also free pineapple. They taught us how to minimize some of the waste by not eliminating all the core which many do (tribal knowledge I suppose), and how to lessen the acid once freshly cut. It was a process we hope to replicate in the future. </div>
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Tribal knowledge can be a good thing if "shared wisdom" is involved. We met Una who was a local on Maui his entire life. He learned his carving skill (standardized work) from his father, and has know passed on his knowledge to his children who now carve with him as needed based on demand. We were blessed to get to see him finishing a piece we purchased as a keepsake along with a symbolic whale tail which can mean strength. We learned that standardized work with the Hawaiian Koa wood is very specific and timely in order to produce high quality items. It was very interesting to hear about the Job instruction training between him and his father and with his own children. </div>
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Lastly was a great example of standardized work and job instruction training involving myself in regard to a paddle board lesson (my very first). For 4 days we were unable to rent a paddle board due to the swell and currents. Once it calmed and shifted I was able to take my first paddle board lesson. Little did I know there was so much involved in sustaining this process (meaning not falling off into the water). I had witnessed many folks even on the rough ocean days paddle with no issue and made an assumption that it would be fairly simple. Boy was I mistaken, until you experience the facts about a process, don't make an assumption. Go See! </div>
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First my instructor and I started on the dry beach practicing what I would do when I got into the water. So we did this for about 10-15 min preparing.</div>
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Once I was able to remember some essential standardized work steps we went out into the ocean to begin the process.</div>
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1. First was to just get on the board and sit properly, paddle correctly and practice turning.</div>
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2. Secondly, to get a feel of the water and currents and learn where to go and not to go do to the shallow waters, rocks and reef. Once I developed confidence sitting and paddling I was reminded of the standardized work process and asked to paddle on my knees as I felt comfortable doing. </div>
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As you can see my instructor directly behind me, telling me what key points I am not following exactly and how to improve. It was a great example of JIT. When you are out there its hard to remember all the nuances, it was great to have the reminder in the ear as I was learning and doing simultaneously! I spent a little while getting used to paddling and turns and was told when I was ready I could stand. Now mind you, there was a specific process for this that created the most sustainability for staying on the board. </div>
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So I followed the standard work process to the best of my ability being my first time. I got the board moving and began to stand. I will admit it was very awkward and have a whole new respect for paddle boarders and the leg muscles it takes along with upper body. Wow! </div>
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As you can see I did my best to replicate the process they taught me, I was a bit shaky but was able to recreate the process and stayed on my feet without falling off (a goal). From this point I was up and down continuing to learn to sustain the process. I was out for almost an hour and my fun was over, but I felt my body was spent and my legs were pretty sore for the flight home. A good workout to say the least. As I reflected it was a all about my instructors training technique and my ability to listen. Something we can all improve on. </div>
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Overall we found a lot of examples of lean, standardized work, problem solving, waste awareness, level loading, safety, 5S and many other lean aspects. It was a great trip and I thought I would share a bit of our experience over our 10 day trip! Hope you enjoyed! Remember lean is all around us, just look closely! Have fun with it! We do!! </div>
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@tracey_san</div>
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Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-76392490839062338082016-01-02T12:00:00.000-05:002016-04-04T20:04:03.546-04:00Sustaining New Year's Resolutions - Any different than sustaining Lean?<br />
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Happy 2016!! Last year seems like a blur, we worked with some of our regular clients and gained several more across various industry. It was a great year for LEArNing for all folks we were involved with. We enjoy turning on light bulbs and will continue to do the same in 2016. #movetheneedle day by day.<br />
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So for my first blog post of 2016 let's talk about New Year's Resolution's. How many of you have one? There are always various motivating factors involved with selecting one or several perhaps.<br />
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Here are some of the common ones out there I have heard:<br />
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<li>Join a fitness center and work out 3-4 times a week</li>
<li>Begin walking/jogging/bicycling</li>
<li>Weight loss program</li>
<li>Stop smoking</li>
<li>Spend more time with family</li>
<li>Be more efficient</li>
<li>Don't procrastinate</li>
<li>New hobby</li>
<li>Clean eating</li>
<li>Save more money</li>
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Let's take the gym as an example. I think fitness centers and gyms everywhere really look forward to the increase in January membership sales they attain through people wanting personal change. I saw this meme on social media and had to grin. Although a bit exaggerated there is some truth in it. I even witnessed a marketing tactic by Planet Fitness at the Time Square event in New York City this past new year's eve event. Great strategy to plant a seed in millions of minds!</div>
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So when we develop a plan or strategy for ourselves at the beginning of the year, how do we sustain it? What mechanisms will we put in place to keep us accountable for our actions? What if our work-load increases, or some other "un-planned" distraction takes us away? Some statistics have shown that 62% of people tend to revert back to their comfort zones or previous ways after just 4 weeks of setting their goal. </div>
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I've often wondered what creates the "hook" for the folks that can create a habit (or new lifestyle) and get over the hump of the "push versus pull". What I mean by that is often when we are creating a new habit it's a push. You may have to remind yourself to go to the gym or go even force yourself when you really don't want to. A "pull" is when you go because you want to, and you feel bad if you don't, not just mentally but physically. Really, it has become part of your lifestyle and not necessarily labeled anymore.</div>
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So what is the magic behind the "push-pull" transformation? I think each persons reasons or decisions are different in motivation. For some it could be a health related issue the doctor has encouraged you to improve. It could be setting an example for your children-- there are many that motivate us. Most people have to see a "what's in it for me" to create the hook to sustain the activity to allow it to become part of a "lifestyle" not an "add-on".</div>
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As we translate this to lean and our work life there are some parallels. So one of the first questions we ask is "why are you doing lean?" "What problem are you trying to solve?-- because lean is a countermeasure." We see organization's start out with great hopes perhaps after a conference, class or a new promotion. We want to make a change, or impact for ourselves and others, but we often forget the "what's in it for me/them" hook. Just as the gym example we have to know why and how this will begin to happen. </div>
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If I'm a leader and I say - "Let's do lean, it's going to be great--here is what I need you to do", then I'm more or less "selling or telling", so would even say <i><u>convincing</u></i>. If I don't engage in <u><i>why</i></u> it is important and involve the team and getting their <u><i>buy-in</i></u> then the stake doesn't go very far in the ground. It's not deeply rooted and normally the "add-on" or "flavor of the month" will fade until the next "resolution" comes by and we give it a whirl but to no real outcome. We find ourselves continuing to "push" because we never created the "pull" mechanism. </div>
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I've often heard and even said that everything has a process. Some processes are more complex than others but there is always a tangible to visualize I believe even in material and information flow. If I look at <i><u>process versus results</u></i> then perhaps the process I used at the gym (cardio, weights, yoga, or cize) allows me to start seeing the results --which are the scales and the mirror. Most people focus too much on the scales and mirror and not enough on the process that makes that transformation. Similar to lean, the processes you use to engage people each day collectively create the results as an organization that translate to your mirror and scales from a business perspective. </div>
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So for me lean thinking translates to so many things we all do in our personal lives. We just have to find "why" we want to do or change something in our lives and find the <u><i>hook</i></u> that keeps us there. I think if we ask the right questions of ourselves we can find what is necessary to go from push to pull. So those of you that created a resolution--where will you be 4 weeks from now? Create your own path through understanding why you need to be on it. </div>
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Until next time</div>
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Ernie and Tracey Richardson</div>
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<br />Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-32744869570172098722015-12-28T14:27:00.001-05:002016-04-04T20:04:26.469-04:00Want a eye opener? Yamazumi yourself!<br />
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Happy Holidays to everyone! This is my last blog post for 2015, it's been a great and exciting year for us. Teaching Lean Inc is looking forward to a very busy 2016 -- #lifeonplanes takes us to many places this coming year! Follow us on our journey to #movetheneedle!<br />
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So I thought for a bit trying to come up with a end of year blog post and I brainstormed various subjects, some of which have been covered to some extent and some not as deeply. I settled on one we discuss during our sessions that was taught to us very early on our learning path by our Japanese trainers.<br />
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So what is a Yamazumi chart? Basically its a "stacked" bar chart that can illustrate various aspects of a process such as:<br />
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<li> Wait time</li>
<li> Walk time</li>
<li> Process time</li>
<li> Machine time</li>
<li> Set up time</li>
<li> Rework/Repair</li>
<li> Delay work</li>
<li> Wait Kanban time</li>
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These are several of the elements to describe what can begin to create a yamazumi chart. Other important factors to take into consideration are:</div>
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<li>Process capacity</li>
<li>Machine capacity</li>
<li>Manpower capacity/level loading</li>
<li>Takt time (what does the customer need and it repeatable and attainable)</li>
<li> Mix capabilities / level loading</li>
</ul>
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What we find is that many organization (not just manufacturing) have a hard time answering these questions. These were never asked in the beginning with a customer and assumptions, estimations, and opinions are made as to how to best produce our product, output or service. Most are able to "wing it" and somehow at the end of the day, week or month we make it work. But this process is often not repeatable/sustainable or the most value added way to do business in regard to company key performance indicators. </div>
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Here is a picture of a Yamazumi chart being managed based on current state and what the standard should be. </div>
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As you can see there are many work elements (stacked magnets) that create the entire work process (some of which are the items above). The red line going across is the standard takt expectation so we are clearly able to see the gaps at a glance. This allows the trainer to re-balance or kaizen in order to meet the internal and external customer expectation. It's a great visual tool to see abnormality very quickly as well as the team being involved with where they are in regard to the standard. </div>
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Another valuable way I was taught the Yamazumi tool was to do this for my own personal work each day. Basically it was a very intriguing way to learn what we actually "do" in a 40-50-60 hour work work and putting that work into categories like value add, non-value add, ancillary work, rework etc. </div>
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Our trainers gave us this task to one understand how to track and measure, and two to gain an understanding of wasteful actions that we tend to accept as the norm. So we tracked items like:</div>
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<li>Training and development time (on the process/in classroom)</li>
<li>Gemba time (at the process)</li>
<li>One-on-one meetings</li>
<li>Staff meetings</li>
<li>Team leader meetings</li>
<li>Phone calls (differentiated by subject matter)</li>
<li>Andon call answer (or problem awareness discussions)</li>
<li>Kaizen time</li>
<li>Problem solving at the process</li>
<li>Scrap/Rework</li>
<li>Reoccurring problems</li>
<li>Human Resources </li>
<li>Corrective action conferences (attendance issues etc)</li>
<li>KPI board management</li>
<li>Set-up work (before and after shift)</li>
<li>Shift to Shift meetings</li>
<li>Quality Circles</li>
<li>Safety task force</li>
<li>Productivity management</li>
</ul>
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These are a few to get you started but by all means aren't meant to be an all inclusive list. There are many items that come up daily we "react" to. We have to determine whether or not its value add or non-value add to the customer/organization. </div>
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When I document all the items I did for a full week I then began to put them into the categories that I mentioned above. Some of them may go into a misc. category similar to a pareto chart. Most you can categorize. </div>
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What I found was amazing after doing the exercise. A personal note- the more honest you are with your documentation and categorization the more you will learn. After looking at all the categories and visualizing my week in a pie chart I made an important realization - that 30-35% of my work was actually non-value add to our organization and customer. Now this doesn't mean I sat at my desk twiddling my thumbs, (some could be-lol) it means that there is no value in some action items you documented. For example rework, or "do-overs" - having to deal with the same problems day after day. Some would say only solving the symptom not the root cause. There were many examples of that among other findings I was accepting as the norm. Until I could actually visualize it some of the items were never considered as a gap to standard. After that valuable lesson I never looked at what I did each day the same, it made me think at a different level and analyze actions and decisions I made and to teach that thinking to others. </div>
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I also did this exercise with my own team leaders as a way to develop their thinking as well. What we found as a team was enlightening. We were actually able to re-balance a team leader to another area that was going through a minor model change. We didn't have to hire another person, we utilized our current resources and maximized the value. This was such a valuable lesson for me/us along our learning path (which never ends). I encourage you to give it a try sometime. Shoot for a 70-75% value added week. It gives you a standard so you will be able to determine current state and see your gaps! As Nike says" Just Do It! --- I say -- "Yamazumi Yourself!!" :) #yamazumiyourself !! </div>
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Until next year</div>
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Tracey and Ernie Richardson</div>
<div>
@tracey_san</div>
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<br />Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-16432390645118646512015-11-29T18:11:00.001-05:002016-04-04T20:04:39.581-04:00Imagine a world without Standardization<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">We spend a
lot of time with different industries across the U.S, and Canada working vertically
with CEO’s to primary process owners and horizontally across the functional
silo areas that create the order to customer value stream. </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">The majority of them understand the </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">concept</i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> of standardization or standard
work and feel strongly they are implementing the right things – some are very
close.</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Once we hone in on specificity
of the steps we often uncover they are a bit vague, which can allow wiggle room
for interpretation or preference by the individual.</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">One of our favorite responses when we
discuss the importance of standardized work processes is – “but my job is
creative and you can’t standardize my creativity!”</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Our favorite response is – “we would never
try to!”</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">We just want you to “create” in
the most value-added way for the customer internally and externally taking in
consideration of the greater product or service value stream.</span></div>
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<u><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Standardization
is there for a couple of key reasons:</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">To control the process not to
constrict it (over-processing).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">To have a baseline/benchmark for
improvement (kaizen).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">To have a documented process for
training (JIT/TWI).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">To quickly see abnormality at a
glance (problem solving).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Elimination of unnecessary variation
(quality/cost control).</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So can
everyone take a brief moment and imagine yourself about to have a surgical
procedure and someone mentioned there wasn’t total accountability for the protocols
taken to complete the surgery but they said we are “pretty sure” everything would
be fine. Are you good with the words “pretty
sure?” There are numerous standardized
steps that <u>must</u> be followed in those situations to ensure patient health
and safety. I think we all are thrilled
of the creative skills the doctor has gathered over their tenure, but our goal
is to wake up with the issues resolved, zero incidents, and not worry if everything
step was taken or not.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Have you
ever thought about our roadway systems without stop light signals? We all know or should know the default “standard”,
if the power goes out, that the intersection immediately implements a “4-way”
stop process. How many have seen the
sustainability of the default process for over 5 minutes? Most often we see chaos after a while and
the potential for near misses and/or accidents to take place. This situation
is a great example of the quote I use – <i>A
good culture is what people do when you are not looking.</i> I know we all get frustrated when we get
stopped by a yellow light, but I would rather have the standards in place than
not mostly because I understand the purpose. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lastly, if
you have ever flown into a larger airport you know there is zero tolerance for
not following the control tower standards.
What if several pilots decided that they wanted to get there faster and
disregarded the instructions for what altitude, which runway, or time of
landing. Would you ever fly again if
there was variation in that standard based on how creative the pilot wanted to
be to bring us in based on their past training or experiences?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Point is,
standards are all around us every single day, at stores, online shopping,
banks, and countless other examples. It’s
amazing to actually stop and think about it in our personal lives- give it a
try. Our cultures drive us to put as
much standardization that is needed at that given time knowing standards can
change based on a situation/event or changing needs. Since we were young we inherently know many
of these standards through routine conditioning and have evolved as the world
of technology and other thing have.
Think about the last time the high majority of you have gone inside to
pay for gas at the pump. We like this
convenience and change, but we can’t seem to embed the same type of thinking in
our work lives as easy. Many are resistant to change even though it’s “suppose”
to be better. We have failed to explain
purpose if this is where you find yourself as a leader. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Taiichi Ohno
said – <i>“there can be no kaizen without a standard”</i>, so if we don’t set a
benchmark for improvement, training and variation then an organization/industry
can leave themselves open for damaging situations not just with a customer, but
their own branding. There are a plethora
of examples of companies not having enough standardization for quality and cost
control and some weren’t able to change rapidly enough and lost customer
trust. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Just
remember when we set a standard there must be a purpose for the steps involved
(explain why it needs to be this way) if you are unable to clearly explain then
you should reevaluate the decision process at each step.</span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Also create as much value as possible leaving
the smallest wasteful steps out (reaching, walking, waiting and mental burden.) Most importantly through this process involve your people, engage and discuss at the process - they know!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Until next
time, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tracey and
Ernie Richardson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">@tracey_san<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-20149338148749027062015-10-29T20:24:00.001-04:002016-04-04T20:05:01.240-04:00Recognizing waste is a "Golden" Opportunity at Kinross Round Mountain Gold Corporation<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Ernie and I have been blessed to be a part of the learning journey
with our friends at Kinross Gold Mine, in Round Mountain, Nevada. We had
the distinct pleasure of meeting several of their continuous improvement team
back in 2012, and it is been a true learning
"excursion" for us all. We often admit they are one of our unique clients in location and their gemba is just indescribable (see pic
above). The term "going to the gemba"
has been redefined for us at Kinross to say the least. There was absolutely
nothing that could prepare us for the trek
outward to Round Mountain (4 hours from Las Vegas).</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> The sheer natural beauty that surrounds the mine, residing
at approximately 6065 ft. elevation; as well as the internal anxiety I had my
first trip out. So imagine if you can for a moment going "home"
(within </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">eyeshot</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> of your work </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">every day</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">), and </span><u style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">all </u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">your
neighbors are your co-workers. Imagine going to the local grocery
store and you know everyone's face that surrounds
you. Think of a place where there is no traffic, no stop lights, no
Walmart or shopping opportunities, no fast food or restaurant </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">chains,</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">just</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> people
living </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">simply</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> between spectacular
mountain ranges where a vast amount of wild animals </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">roam</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> freely. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Each worker, regardless of their level in
the organization, goes to their process each day as if they were an
owner which invests them all towards their future. Without the
efforts put into succeeding, failure would most likely result in
uprooting their families, one that now have children who work there. The
town of Round Mountain combined with the mine and the workforce have created an
all-inclusive community for their people which includes a K-12 school, library,
recreation center, fitness center, golf course, post office, gas station,
grocery store, daycare and churches. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Our Kinross family enjoyed watching us "acclimate"
at our very first session in 2013 to life between the mountain ranges,
but what we all didn't realize that it was the start of a great opportunity to
visualize together how to do business a bit differently. We excitingly
admit that after a "Kinross training session" we can feel the
enthusiasm for change in the air and the urgent
motivation from everyone to get back to their roles and make an impact.
The energy there is contagious, and
the discipline and accountability for actions are inching towards the norm.
After almost two years of training
(customized for Kinross by Teaching Lean Inc.) and demonstrating learned
knowledge at the gemba their recent
improvement efforts at the mine have shown early success. This has
created an environment where the majority of the workforce are empowered and
have become invigorated by the opportunity to extend the mine life and improve
the way they do business. They are evolving towards an environment
where employees feel like they can share their ideas and make change
happen. Much of their workforce
has taken ownership in the overall improvement effort and the need to change for the better.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">As many of you know the price of gold is controlled by the
market so flexibility and adaptability is
crucial to when prices are on the lower side. As history has shown us
when the price of gold drops; so can employment in the form of layoffs, and
cutbacks and mines may have to close the doors to their operations. As
Ernie and I make that trek from Las Vegas to Round Mountain, we are often reminded along the way of the once booming
towns that are now just an eerie remnant of what the market can do if
an organization does not apply forward
thinking.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Round Mountain Gold is working diligently through developing their people and improving
processes to avoid another deserted town in the canyons of Nevada.
They are very aware that the price of gold and ore reserves will determine the
mine life unless they are all willing (entire value stream) to do business
differently. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Everyone is vested and realizes their
job security depends on their ability to think their way into mining more effectively and efficiently. RMGC is comprised of 900 employees – approximately
1,000 (including contractors at the mine). Their vertical roles start
with their </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">General Manager “equivalent President
level", Department Managers, Superintendents, General Foremen,
Supervisors, Leads, and workforce. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> All the functional
areas (silos) of the mine have to work together to optimize production &
efficiency of mining/processing.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Some have been intrigued and asked - "What is the value
stream of a mine?" So at a high level I can describe that it starts
with: </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Geological determination (where does the gold reside)
>> Mine
planning>>Mining>>Hauling>>Processing>>Milling>>Leaching>> Refining>>
Gold Bar</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Let
me share just one example of how waste was
discovered at RMGC through the development
of people. So looking a bit closer at the "hauling" value
stream:</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Some of the work is done
with excavators and front end loaders, so
the areas of focus that can impact company KPI's are-- (productivity,hang,
load and operational delay time)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Once loaded, hauling is an integral part to getting the ore to the
next step of the value stream which is processing. RMGC utilizes a fleet of
785 (150 ton), 789 (200 ton), 793 (260 ton) type hauling trucks. (I will
have to admit the tires on some of these are almost as tall as my house).
The granular value stream steps they are keying on are: Motion
waste, truck exchange time, load time, travel w/load time, dump time, travel
empty back to loading equipment. This is all considered cycle time.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So, in short- optimum utilization of haul trucks (improve
productive time) & loading equipment is crucial to their business:</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Reducing
operation delays</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">o equipment
inspection</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">o fueling</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">o blasting</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">o scheduled
break times</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">o shift & shift change</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rjXSB5mN4PE/VjJO4wkmH8I/AAAAAAAABKM/0xt_XHbm47Q/s1600/Loader%2Band%2BHT.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rjXSB5mN4PE/VjJO4wkmH8I/AAAAAAAABKM/0xt_XHbm47Q/s320/Loader%2Band%2BHT.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">There are various value streams but looking at one focus
area>> a 793 Haul Truck with a capacity of 260 tons, a grossly
generalized number would be about 1 oz of gold per load (~$1,150/oz.) With 800
loads per day, and the improvement of overall utilization of equipment; an
extra five loads per day can be achieved.
This practice demonstrates the application of the "One Second Rule"
we often use in our sessions and have written about in previous blogs. So
if waste can be reduced in the value stream, then five extra loads of ore moved per
day equates to approximately 2,000 more ounces each year. You can do the
math. Amazing when you look at each specific
value stream how it can contribute to the overall in grand ways. We call this cost translation. This is one of
many examples of waste elimination that results in adding more value and
positively affecting productivity and
costs. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jvsWzaUotHY/VjJb8OaJtgI/AAAAAAAABLI/gH4fqPFtaw8/s1600/Round-Mountain_ImageOverlay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jvsWzaUotHY/VjJb8OaJtgI/AAAAAAAABLI/gH4fqPFtaw8/s320/Round-Mountain_ImageOverlay.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So rather than accepting closure of the mine as the fate of many
before them, the employees of Round Mountain Gold are proactively working
together to raise the "gold" bar and
continue to learn and build on the successes they are achieving each day.
They have to lead, empower, engage and challenge each other believing that
future "mine life" is totally
possible and attained through continuous improvement and people development.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Kinross Round Mountain Gold mine
with the support of Teaching Lean Inc. will be telling their "story" of
how they are changing the way they are doing business differently to extend the life
of their mine and uniquely created community at the Lean Transformation Summit
in March of 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. If you are interested in learning
more about them and being a part of the Summit,
go to lean.org. </span> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><u>Ernie and I would like to
personally thank:</u></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Frank Wagener, Vicente Ramirez, and Deanna Hall for all their hard
work and willingness to share some insight to
their business practices and helping us share this very unique blog. They are part of the continuous improvement
team at Kinross Round Mountain, they are truly visionaries and change agents
for Kinross, and we are thankful to call
them friends. We look forward to seeing your future evolve through people
development.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Until next time, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-48542976662185599172015-09-11T17:35:00.004-04:002016-04-04T20:05:19.048-04:00Lean Leadership "Unplugged" Webcast Recording <br />
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HI Everyone,<br />
If you missed the live webcast today facilitated by Chris Burnham - Featuring myself, Ernie Richardson, Sam MacPherson, and Jamie Flinchbaugh. We were discussing many aspects of #Lean #Leadership as a prelude to the Summit on Lean Leadership next month in partnership with Lean Frontiers next month in Atlantic Beach, FL.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Please check out this link to watch -</span></b><br />
<a href="https://blab.im/chris-burnham-lean-leadership-unplugged-with-four-incredible-lean-thinkers" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #8c68cb; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">https://blab.im/chris-burnham-lean-leadership-unplugged-with-four-incredible-lean-thinkers</a><br />
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Come join us in sunny Florida next month!!!<br />
Until Next time<br />
Tracey Richardson<br />
@tracey_sanTracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-40362736828670744552015-08-06T10:04:00.001-04:002016-04-04T20:05:32.524-04:00PDCA, Fitness Apps, and Using Social Media to Improve Our Health<br />
Happy August Everyone,<br />
#crossblogging from The Lean Post<br />
<a href="http://www.lean.org/LeanPost/Posting.cfm?LeanPostId=456" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" target="_blank">http://www.lean.org/LeanPost/<wbr></wbr>Posting.cfm?LeanPostId=456</a><br />
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I often find it difficult to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle with my travel schedule these days. When my husband and I are home, it’s much easier to follow the standardization techniques we’ve created for ourselves with regard to meal choices and exercise. Similar to lean thinking and practice, it’s a choice we’ve made to create a “business” lifestyle. We’ve decided how it is that we want to think about our health, just as how at work, a team will decide how they want to think as an organization about their business.</div>
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I remind myself that I become healthier by following the same attention to process with personal health as I do when applying Lean, which is mostly about understanding mindset and how to measure success. Am I focusing on process or results? If I want to lose weight, for example, when I step on the scale, what I’m looking at is simply a “lagging indicator”. It’s what I do next in terms of process that determines the result of what the scale will tell me the next time I jump on.</div>
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As I try to be proactive about my health, I find social media, technology, and apps to be helpful in this regard. Whether you have them or not, you’re probably aware of the Fitbits, Jawbone 24s, and countless other models out there that help us track data about ourselves and the choices we make on an hourly basis. Many of these apps have the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) process embedded within them if you look deeply.</div>
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When I look over my personal current state (grasp the situation), and see how am I doing against the standards I have set, it takes me back to my production days at Toyota when I had to track hour by hour where my team and I were against the standards we set as well. It’s fascinating to me how in depth you can get with your own behaviors if you are willing to track them. Some people are reluctant to do this because it may tell them something they aren’t ready to hear.</div>
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Take Fitbit, for example. (I’ve used three different apps to find the right one for me, comparing the different measurements offered to customers). If you are willing to play along, it will ask you to set standards for yourself so in a sense it’s allowing you to set you own takt time with the hopes that kaizen will be applied when those standards are met, raising your own bar. You can track and set goals for:</div>
<ul style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.lean.org/img/marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 20px;"><img alt="Tracey Richardson" src="http://www.lean.org/images/uploaded/tracey_guns.png" height="218" style="border: 0px; float: right; margin: 5px;" width="218" />Steps in a day (miles walked/ran)</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.lean.org/img/marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 20px;">Sleep (awake, light deep)</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.lean.org/img/marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 20px;">Water intake</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.lean.org/img/marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 20px;">Calorie intake</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.lean.org/img/marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 20px;">Calories burned</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.lean.org/img/marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 20px;">Food categories</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.lean.org/img/marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 20px;">Floors climbed (stairs- elevation)</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.lean.org/img/marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 20px;">Heart Rate (resting and during a workout)</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.lean.org/img/marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 20px;">Active Time</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(http://www.lean.org/img/marker.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 20px;">Weight (Current and target)</li>
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Think about it… within an organization we are always looking for process indicators to be more predictive to our outputs. Most organizations track lagging, results-oriented indicators. This means we are reacting to results that happened months ago. But are we able to make changes to that process that took place 3 months ago? What we really want to do is search to find the leading indicators to make change in the present before it ends up on the lagging report. </div>
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The parallel I see with lean thinking and personal health decisions is about how we look at what we do. We have the ability to make change each day/hour in order to meet our goals. For example, if it’s 12pm and I only have 1,500 of my 8,000 steps allotted for my day, then I know I must change my process in order to meet the standard. The same goes for calorie intake. If my goal is 1,500 calories a day and I went to Cracker Barrel and had “Uncle Hershel’s breakfast”… then I may be way off my calorie ratio for the day! So what does this tell me? If I want to try to meet my standards, I must exercise or reduce my calorie intake for the rest of the day.</div>
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Health isn't about always being perfect. Just like in our organizations, we all have imperfect days. It’s how we change our process to meet expectations that is important. We all want to be able to have a nice dessert or treat from time to time… we deserve it, right? We just have to understand moderation. Just like in an organization, we don’t try to implement every improvement we want to make or new activity or behavior at once. It’s a process of changing our daily habits, changing how we think, and working toward the milestones we set in order to create new ones.</div>
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The other thing I like about Fitbits or Nike Run apps is the friendly competition they create among “friend” networks! If I see my friends are walking more steps than me, it’s an internal motivator to keep up or even do better. We all have some level of that competitive gene! For me, I’ll do whatever it takes to find fun in healthy practices and share them with others. In our business life, our “friends” are our competitors and we should always try to stay one step ahead of them to keep them in the rear view mirror. Just as apps show our competitive side, in business healthy competition can lead us to improve our processes for better profits and long-term sustainability. I personally love seeing the way lean thinking and practice translates in everyday life The more we can see it in our own lives, the easier it is to get buy in in our workplace. This is the same thinking we want in our work lives, whether we lead or are the ones doing the work. </div>
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So challenge yourself to see the PDCA that is all around you in this new, technologically advanced world. I try not only to build muscle for the purpose of my own personal health, but to flex my problem solving muscles as well. It’s all about finding ways to translate personal behaviors into different choices – at work and at home. Always, focus on making sure you #movetheneedle! #lean #fitness #PDCA #Problemsolving #workout #measure</div>
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Until next time,</div>
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@tracey_san</div>
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Tracey Richardson</div>
Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-62811554838948015502015-07-06T14:32:00.002-04:002016-04-04T20:06:49.122-04:00Why do we like change in our personal life, but not at work?<br />
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#crossblogging<br />
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Here is a post I made on Linkedin.com that I am sharing here with my followers.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Why do we like change in our personal life, but not at work?</span></b></h3>
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It's enlightening to me when Ernie and I ask during a session, "how many people have the latest smart phone <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">version</em> of their phone", we get an 85% hand raise from the participants. We deepen the conversation with the participants by asking:</div>
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<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tracey/Ernie: - "was the current version not working?"</strong></em></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The participants: the majority answer, "yes it was working". </em></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tracey/Ernie: "if was working properly why would you change?" </em></strong></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The participants: "we wanted the latest technology"</em></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tracey/Ernie: "so you are expressing to us that you like change?"</em></strong></div>
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<em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The participants: "Absolutely!"</em></div>
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So we grin and continue on with one more question for the participants, we ask - "How many of you have the same TV you had 20 years ago?", again the majority of hands show there has been a change. Similar to smart phone and other electronic gadgets these days we tend to gravitate towards the latest and greatest. So we have come to the realization that most people within this facet of life, love change. Why is this? </div>
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So we ask, "if you are so willing to change in your personal life, why is change in your work life so difficult?" When new concepts of thinking are introduced to a business why are they looked at with such judgement? For example, we can use 5S - how many people remember their first experience with it? Do you remember thinking of it as an "add-on?" Usually the first response we get is, "we have always done it this way and it's worked well--I don't have time for this!". Our response is "oh really, didn't we just establish change is good?" We are so open to it when we are in control of it, but yet we aren't in other facets such as work. It's fascinating to me what dynamics in our minds change. We have shown we like it, now how do we tap into that source for work. It's like re-framing our viewpoint in a sense. We need a hook!</div>
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We continue to fuel the flame and ask, "do you do business the same way you did 20 years ago?" We refer to our personal pasts and share "if we made the same model of Camry we made when we started (1988) would it still sell today?" Probably not as well, right? We try to make the point that change is a part of who we are as individuals (from the moment we are born) and what should <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">naturally</em> take place within an organization to meet the need of the ever-changing market. The problem is it doesn't, we migrate to a <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">comfort zone</em> and for some reason we like to stay there, as in ~ "we make plenty of profit now, why rattle the tree?" As we know from experience it takes a little shaking to get the fruit sometimes. </div>
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We feel that if an organization takes the time to explain why change is important, then people may find the buy-in process a little more acceptable. For instance if you are an Apple person, we may often watch the infamous Fall "announcements" about the latest and greatest Iphone. We as the consumer then make the decision as to whether we upgrade or not--did they present a good hook?. From what I see as a smart phone owner this tactic must influence the market well enough to encourage change, otherwise you wouldn't see a new one out each September. </div>
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So the question is how do we tap into area of our brains that is so accepting of change and create that feeling within our work lives. It's intriguing to us, we will continue to look for ways, how about you? </div>
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Ernie and Tracey Richardson - @tracey_san</div>
Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-52481370557680975102015-06-30T12:25:00.000-04:002016-04-04T20:07:09.603-04:00SDCA versus PDCA- when to use them.<br />
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#crossblogging from a Linkedin in article I wrote this month.<br />
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I know many of us have been exposed to Plan-Do-Check-Action (PDCA), (note some earlier versions from Deming the PDSA (Plan- Do-Study-Act) cycle). Both being a scientific, process oriented, approach to solving problems efficiently and effectively. </div>
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Often times if we have a known standard in place and a measurable difference in the current state, I like to refer to that as a <em>caused gap</em>. This means there are root cause(s) that need to be investigated and sought out at the gemba. Basically a discrepancy in a process (doesn't have to be manufacturing). Caused gaps use the PDCA process to get back to the original standard. </div>
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Another usage of PDCA is for a <em>created gap </em>problem which is more strategic in nature. A scenario could be I am meeting an expectation and looking or proposing or strategizing a new way or standard. Raising the bar through continuous improvement bringing to life the visual staircase depicting kaizen. </div>
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Here is a short video I did with The Lean Enterprise Institute using a visual to show caused versus created gaps:</div>
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<iframe data-mce-src="//www.youtube.com/embed/VNUpQUFmADk?wmode=transparent" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VNUpQUFmADk?wmode=transparent" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="560"></iframe></div>
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During my tenure with problem solving I have come to the realization there are 3 commonalities when you get to the root cause analysis step. Once confirming the true root cause based on facts you can categorize them into 3 bucket areas. They will fall into either:</div>
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<li style="margin-bottom: 5px;">Lack of a standard</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 5px;">Not following a standard</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 5px;">Wrong standard (not valid to the customer anymore)</li>
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So can you recognize the similarity? - Standards! I share with clients if all our A3's are telling us we needs standards I wonder how many A3's or problem solving events could be reduced if we just set standards to begin with. Imagine that theory. </div>
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One of my early lessons from my Japanese trainers was Standardize-Do-Check-Act - (SDCA). This was a process we often used when we knew there wasn't a established standard and by potentially setting one that it "could" remedy the problem properly by following the process. It's not as simplistic as it sounds and you have to gain some experience to determine when you use SDCA or PDCA. Both processes can move the needle for your organization if the time is taken to practice. </div>
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When using SDCA you start out with standardization first, putting what you know to be the best known standard in place that meets the internal and external customer needs. Once you determine the correct standard you continue the process by putting it into place with the "Do" phase and "Checking" the effectiveness of your change based on the performance measures before you change and after. Otherwise how are you going to know it was the right standard, so you must stay true to the process just as PDCA. When you have determined it's meeting the expectation then the "Act" is to make it the new documented policy or procedure and share it with other affected areas. This becomes the benchmark for improvement. </div>
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As you develop your problem solving muscle you can begin to make the determination when its best to use PDCA or SDCA. Either process must be followed thoroughly without taking the short cuts that are often driven by results of solving it quickly, instead the process of efficient and effective problem solving. </div>
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Until next time</div>
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Tracey Richardson - @tracey_san</div>
Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-34072054858536375072015-05-22T09:25:00.000-04:002016-04-04T20:08:06.054-04:00What it Takes to Share One's Wisdom: A Q&A with Tracey Richardson<div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">
<b><span style="color: blue;">Hello Blog readers - Sharing a column from The Lean Post - <a href="http://theleanpost.org/">theleanpost.org</a>--check out many other posts from Lean Thinkers here as well!! </span></b></div>
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Sharing Wisdom Interview:</div>
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What it Takes to Share One's Wisdom: A Q&A with Tracey Richardson</h1>
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Toyota veteran, LEI faculty member, and Lean Post contributor Tracey Richardson has written for the Post on problem solving, A3 thinking, leadership, lean culture, and visual management, among other topics. We sat down with Tracey to talk to her approach to both teaching and writing with the aim of learning more about her process of sharing lean thinking with others so that they might better achieve their business and organizational goals.</div>
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<strong>What led you to not just practice lean, but teach?</strong></div>
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Having the opportunity to learn from Japanese trainers in the early days at the TMMK plant (1988), sparked a passion for me to go into training and development not just for Toyota but outside as well. I've personally experienced how successful the "thinking" can be, how putting people development (respect for people) first and foremost can be. I'm also a very hands on visual and kinesthetic learner, so getting to go to many gembas across industries and share with people all the dynamics around problem solving and culture is priceless. As my trainers would say, I'm giving back and also "sharing wisdom."</div>
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<strong>What seems to work best in teaching lean ideas and practices to people who are just getting started?</strong></div>
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I try to lessen the "tool talk" and "lean talk." I think when the labels are more important than the process and thinking behind it, people can lose the true intent of why they are doing something. It often becomes more about outcomes, return on investments, measuring the wrong things.</div>
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"When you make a decision to change the way you do business, it should hold you accountable for certain leadership actions – new leadership behaviors that engage and empower team members to want make a difference in their daily work."</h3>
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When you make a decision to change the way you do business, it should hold you accountable for certain leadership <em>actions</em> – new leadership behaviors that engage and empower team members to want make a difference in their daily work. If people have an ability to impact key performance indicators for the organization, then they suddenly have a new line of sight. They understand their role in the organization or what their role <em>could</em> be. In other words, folks need to be supported in visualizing their own gaps in performance and then they need to want to learn more. That's how I learned. I had a responsibility to the company to contribute to the job security for then entire company as well as myself.</div>
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In the beginning we didn't call it anything but our job. When I teach, I try really hard to help people understand that investing in people and teaching problem solving – these are the actions of leadership. It's about recognizing nonvalue-add activities and creating value in every dimension of each functional area from order to customer. That is truly Lean to me.</div>
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<strong>And what's been most valuable for you about putting what you've learned into writing?</strong></div>
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I like to consider myself a practical instructor using past lessons to teach others to translate the learning into their world. I love the classroom. I try to hit all the learning styles and have fun doing it. I think writing can be just as impactful if I can grasp the readers' attention like I do in class. I truly try to write as I would tell a story in class. So far people have given me good feedback, but I'm always learning, so feel free to give me more so I can improve how I share!</div>
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<strong>What's the hardest about writing?</strong></div>
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I'll be honest, writing is not easy for me. This goes all the way back to when I was a kid. It takes time for me to extrapolate what's in my mind and put it into words. When I'm in the classroom I'm very animated and theatrical. If you taped my arms down I don't think I could talk! My fear or difficulty with writing is that I will miss some key translation points because I can't always put the depth of my learning experiences into the right words. I'm thankful to other authors and writers who share their wisdom, and I'll continue share what I can. It's a process like anything else.</div>
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<strong>What are you looking forward to seeing in the lean community? What new opportunities and challenges do you see ahead?</strong></div>
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This is a good question for all of us who are trying to improve how we teach others and share ideas. I think a really important thing to think about is how organizations measure how they are doing. We often find the scales are shifted on the heavy side of results-oriented indicators which are historical in nature. I'd like to see the lean community shift that a little – shift expectations a little – in the direction of leading more <em>predicative</em> indicators so people can make a difference <em>before</em> they get the "3 month report". It also puts the focus on processes and standards, which is important for continuous improvement to actually happen and be measured.</div>
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People get so focused on outcomes and not the processes that get them there. Embedding effective gemba walks along with good visual management – these are also important factors for longterm growth and sustainability. I think our challenges as a lean community reside in raw discipline and accountability to practice the right thing even when it feels uncomfortable. My trainers would tell me if I'm too comfortable everyday, then I'm probably not learning.</div>
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<em>Tracey Richardson will be teaching <a href="http://www.lean.org/Workshops/WorkshopDescription.cfm?WorkshopId=34" style="color: #0053a0; outline: none;" target="_blank">"Managing to Learn: The Use of the A3 Management Process"</a> at LEI's Washington D.C. workshops<strong>June 16-18<sup>th</sup>.</strong> Ernie Richardson will be teaching <a href="http://www.lean.org/Workshops/WorkshopDescription.cfm?WorkshopId=13" style="color: #0053a0; outline: none;" target="_blank">"Key Concepts of Lean"</a> and bring a "virtual gemba" to the classroom using a Landcruiser simulation (to demonstrate the Toyota Production System, Standardized Work, 5S, Visual Controls, Kanbans, Work flow, Push versus Pull systems, and KPI integration). Ernie will also teach "<a href="http://www.lean.org/Workshops/WorkshopDescription.cfm?WorkshopId=80" style="color: #0053a0; outline: none;" target="_blank">Gemba Walks: A Management Process for Leading the Organization"</a> workshop focusing on what a gemba walk is and isn't and how to run one by use of a real life gemba near the conference. Use the code "FACULTY" to receive a 50% discount on either workshop at the DC location only!</em></div>
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Until next time, </div>
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Tracey Richardson</div>
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@tracey_san</div>
Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-84503019190406917382015-04-10T14:33:00.002-04:002016-04-04T20:08:18.605-04:00Lastest Podcast with Chris Burnham at Lean Leadership Podcast<br />
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">Hello Everyone,</span></b><br />
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;">Wanted to share with you our latest Podcast w Chris Burnham at Lean Leadership Podcast. Check it out. Ernie and I share our Toyota experiences and stories of our time with our sensei's as well as today teaching others. Enjoy!! </span></b><br />
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: blue;"> <a href="http://www.leanleadershippodcast.com/009/">http://www.leanleadershippodcast.com/009/</a></span></b><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">iTunes Link:</b><b style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/lean-leadership-podcast/id971571634"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">https://itunes.apple.com/us/</span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">podcast/lean-leadership-</span></span><wbr></wbr><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">podcast/id971571634</span></span></a></b><br />
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Until next time,<br />
Tracey and Ernie Richardson<br />
@tracey_san<br />
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<br />Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7488828517661006846.post-56220491501703388402015-03-14T14:17:00.002-04:002016-04-04T20:08:38.488-04:00"Lean Thinking" in NASCAR- if you look close enough it's everywhere you GO !!<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Lean Tools in</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i></b><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c5sgU2ERZMY/VQR07P8qGeI/AAAAAAAAA6A/7ICtqa9jS6E/s1600/nascar%2Bpic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c5sgU2ERZMY/VQR07P8qGeI/AAAAAAAAA6A/7ICtqa9jS6E/s1600/nascar%2Bpic.png" /></a><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">By Ernie and Tracey Richardson</span></b><br />
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So Ernie and I attended the 2015 Daytona 500 this year with a little different lens than usual. We were fortunate to receive “hot pit” passes which gave us access to the garages, and pits during actual live racing. We were able to get up close and personal with every aspect of the race from behind the scenes. So of course we were doing what we are conditioned to do – look for examples of lean and how each team uses the tools to be more effective and efficient. It literally comes down to seconds, preparation, execution, continuous improvement and a little luck to cross the line in front.<br />
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As we were walking through NASCAR team trailer area, we noticed various <b><span style="color: blue;"><u>5S examples</u></span></b> of how the Goodyear racing tires were being mounted and staged before the race for each team to pull from based on certain track conditions and even unforeseen events during the race.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MfyQvNVkQ38/VQR2ZU1T4bI/AAAAAAAAA6c/FU8TnrH3rvE/s1600/wheels%2B5S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MfyQvNVkQ38/VQR2ZU1T4bI/AAAAAAAAA6c/FU8TnrH3rvE/s1600/wheels%2B5S.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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We noticed how <u><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><b>visual management</b></span></u> was being incorporated by the pit crew in order to differentiate the rear from the front tires (different tape color being applied) and how to align the lug pattern on to the studs in the quickest way possible during the tire changes. If you notice the yellow lug-nuts are actually glued to the rim to save time by the tire change pit member. An ideal pit stop time is around 12 seconds or less to be competitive. These <b><u><span style="color: blue;">visual controls</span></u></b> are crucial for <span style="color: blue;"><b><u>standardized work</u></b></span>. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A50bknLZ85M/VQR2mdoM29I/AAAAAAAAA6k/11Kg2jtKiSY/s1600/visual%2Bcontrol%2Bon%2Bwheels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A50bknLZ85M/VQR2mdoM29I/AAAAAAAAA6k/11Kg2jtKiSY/s1600/visual%2Bcontrol%2Bon%2Bwheels.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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As we continued to walk down the pits we observed more examples of <b><u><span style="color: blue;">visual controls, problem solving and data collection</span></u></b> which allows the teams to understand the relationship of tread wear and proper air pressure. The relationship of these are necessary in order to meet track conditions before and during the race. If you notice the various numbers that are visually displayed on the outside tire tread its telling the pit crew what the specific tread depth is on various areas of the tire in order to <b><u><span style="color: blue;">grasp the situation</span></u></b> before its placed on the race car.<br />
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If you notice in the 2nd picture these tires had been removed from the car at one of the pit stops and immediately were measure by depth and pressure to understand how the tire is performing under the current track conditions and allows them to adjust the next set if necessary. You could consider this a leading key performance type indicator that is predictive to future tire wear and the handling capabilities for the car/team. <b><span style="color: blue;"><u>PDCA</u></span></b> throughout the race.<br />
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As we were visiting various pit areas we noticed the use of a <span style="color: blue;"><u><b>Kanban</b></u></span> and <span style="color: blue;"><u><b>pull system</b></u></span> with the gas replenishing process. They come to the pit area in a Kanban of 4, then placed next to the pit wall for quick access and usage by the fuel replenishing pit member often called the “gas man”. When these two are emptied it creates an open spot giving direction to the pit support crew to fill both slots for the next pit stop. When all 4 are used the support crew refills the cart to restart the process. It’s practicing <b><u><span style="color: blue;">just in time</span></u></b>. <br />
Another data collection point in the gas refill process is weighing the gas can before and after the pit stop to determine exactly how much gas went in and how much the race car is consuming during the race to understand when the next pit stop is necessary and to determine fuel mileage for the team.<br />
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Lastly, on our tour of pit row we noticed a wheel hub mounted on the side of a pit box for the tire changer to actually practice their <span style="color: blue;"><b><u>standardize work</u></b></span> of placing the lug nuts on and off in a specific pattern in order to master the timing and body placement during a pit stop tire change. Tire changers are one of the essential parts of a pit stop, it can often make or break a team in how they come out and are placed after a caution or green flag pit stops.<br />
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It was very enlightening to get this special opportunity to see the things we teach in our sessions used so well with <span style="color: blue;"><b><u>discipline and accountability</u></b></span> for <b><u><span style="color: blue;">standard work</span></u></b> with each of these teams. We learned <b><u><span style="color: blue;">lean is everywhere</span></u></b> if you just take the time to look for it. NASCAR is a prime example of holding each member accountable for their actions and to always be looking for ways to <b><u><span style="color: blue;">continuously improving their processes.</span></u></b> Unlike most companies there are many more “leading” type key performance indicators allowing them to be predictive of their outcome, versus lagging and after the fact. The next time you get to watch a race look for the <span style="color: blue;"><b><u>lean</u></b></span> tools in action they are there! Keep the lean movement going—Green flag thinking!!!<br />
<b>Until next time</b><br />
<b>Ernie and Tracey Richardson</b><br />
<b>@tracey_san</b><br />
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Tracey Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247057317402178554noreply@blogger.com0