Posts tagged as:

Problem Solving

25 Problems..or how to focus on the right systems

02.08.2010

This month I have a featured article in Kevin Meyer’s Superfactory Newsletter. I’ve been a subscriber for many years, and Kevin does a great job.
My contribution is titled 25 Problems..or how to focus on the right systems. I hope you’ll give a read, and sign up for the Superfactory newsletter.
I haven’t contributed to Superfactory since [...]

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Is lean anti-technology?

01.07.2010

It shouldn’t be. But a lean organization also doesn’t adopt technology for technology’s sake.
There are often two camps in the “lean world.” There are those who really believe that lean is about no technology. Others believe that you can’t be lean without eKanban and ERP integration.
IndustryWeek covered the topic in High-Tech’s Role in Lean. The [...]

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4 Steps for Small Daily Investments

12.15.2009

What do you do when one of those little fires pops up? It’s not a big deal, it’s just a small problem. Put the fire out, move on to what’s next. After all there are many important projects to complete. But of course before you get to them, another fire pops up. It becomes a [...]

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Solve your own darn problems

12.03.2009

I was recently at a dinner meeting with a few people surrounding an event I was supporting, and at the table was both a young, aggressive, smart individual contributor from a large company and a 30+ year experienced general manager who knew his way around the flagpole. We got into a discussion about the young [...]

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Helping Make A3 Work, Part 4 (of 4)

11.25.2009

This is my last in the 4 part series on A3 problem solving. I’ll be answering more questions on a webinar hosted by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers which I hope you’ll check out and join. On to our final questions.
Q8. Is there software that can help me with this?
Yes and no. The no is [...]

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Helping Make A3 Work, Part 3

11.24.2009

I am continuing on with more Q&A about the problem solving process of A3, popularized through the use at Toyota and an effective coaching and development tool. So onto the questions.
Q5. What is the best way to start?
I think it is best to start on a problem that you have no other means to solve, [...]

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Helping Make A3 Work, Part 2

11.23.2009

Last Friday I started posting some Q&A on the transformation of problem solving using A3 methods. This is in support of a webinar I am leading on the topic. Here we continue to the Q&A.
Q3. What advantages does A3 have over other problem solving methodologies?
There are some advantages that are small. It is often more [...]

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Helping Make A3 Work, Part 1

11.20.2009

On December 15th, I’ll be providing a webinar on the topic of A3 problem solving. I’ve been spending a good amount of time lately helping leaders from various organizations improve their lean thinking by utilizing A3 problem solving. In the following few blog posts, I’ll answer some of the common questions people have about A3 [...]

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To Standardize, or to Not?

11.19.2009

A frequent question that I get is how far to take standardization. This is particularly true for multiple locations. Then the question becomes how far do you go to standardize from site to site.
As with anything, to key to avoid getting lost in questions like this is to get and remain clear on the purpose [...]

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Are you stupid or something?

11.13.2009

This is the thought process behind the reactions from managers more often than the words are actually spoken. Even if it were true, does that thought process help you improve? Does it help them? No, it just deteriorates the situation. Of course Forrest Gump had the ultimate response: “Stupid is as stupid does.” But I [...]

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