Lean Roundup #86 – July, 2016

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of July, 2016.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.

Consult with Humility – Bruce Hamilton explains his philosophy teach what you know, but don’t pretend to teach what you don’t, always be a student.

The Call and the Response - Steve Taninecz says “pulling the cord” to communicate “I need help” is a key tool to empower our staff and improve our patient experiences.

Information Overload: Is Too Much Data Crippling Your Supply Chain? – Alexa Cheater says to ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment in big data, make sure you have a quality supply chain solution with the ability to centralize and harmonize data, quickly perform analysis, and allows for a collaborative decision making process.

Integrating Technical and Human Management Systems – John Hunter says an integrated management system with an appreciation for the importance of people centered management is the only way to get the true benefit of the technical tools available.

The Misunderstanding of Andon – Jamie Flinchbaugh outlines the elements of building your andon system.

The Destructiveness of “What Can You Improve?” - Mark Rosenthal explains the demotivating, disempowering, destructive question “What can you improve?” can be.

The Improvement Mindset Is Rare – Bob Emiliani advocates adopting the mindset that “Everything is a disaster.”

The 5-Day Kaizen | Bob Emiliani – Michael Baudin comments on the kaizen process from Bob Emilianit’s earlier article.

Back to the Beginning with Ohno, Suzuki, and Yoda – Kevin Meyer talks about taking steps to neutralize your biases will help you make smarter, more rational decisions.

The Easiest Kaizen Trick in the World – Jon Miller says most kaizen tricks, and lean management in general, have a lot to do with getting out of our own way.

Don’t Let the Perfect Get In the Way of the Good – Steve Kane discusses the fact that you will likely never achieve perfection but he pursuit of perfection is success.

Lean Transformation: Have You Hit the “Lean Plateau?” - Craig Stritar says focus on Lean tools causes plateaus for most organizations.

Ask Art: Is There More to Becoming Lean than Conducting Kaizen Events? – Art Byrne explains that kaizen events are the catalyst, but continuous improvement and continuous learning by everyone in the company are the real objectives.