Lean
Tip #1696 - Discard Conventional Fixed Ideas
Part
of problem solving is thinking “outside of the box.” Encourage fresh
perspectives and ingenuity in your team in order to develop innovative ways to
forward Lean manufacturing without changing what is already efficient and
successful. With such a rapidly evolving climate in manufacturing, sometimes
conventional thought is what leads to the problem in the first place!
Lean
Tip #1697 - Determine What Works Best for You
It
is important to understand that one size does not fit all and a one-off
approach may not work. Concepts, such as value stream mapping, one piece
flow/continuous flow or 5S initiatives can be helpful tools, but keep in mind
that these “tools” are not meant to exist in isolation. At the same time,
success depends on a comprehensive, but not necessarily complicated, strategy
that is uniquely suited to your business. Not every rule or tool associated
with lean will apply to your business, so take the time to figure out what
works best for you.
Lean
Tip #1698 - Don’t Forget the Basics
Many
manufacturers are challenged with trying to manage hundreds or thousands of
part numbers. This can be especially
challenging in relation to lean.
Therefore, I recommend developing part families. Many people skip this
step and jump right into creating lean cells, but taking the time to first
develop part families will make things much easier for you down the line.
That’s because part families help you to further refine your core competency
and eliminate unnecessary and disruptive parts, creating a more automated
production flow. To create part
families, start by looking for parts that are similar in shape and geometry or
ones that are produced using similar material or processes.
Lean
Tip #1699 - People Can’t be Controlled like Machines
People
are your major assets, but they are also your major cause of variation and can
resist the change imposed on them. You must pay particular attention to people
issues in the beginning of a project; this is achieved by including people
working in the area on the Lean team or Kaizen event.
Lean
Tip #1700 - Use Kaizen Events to Identify Opportunities and Then Develop Solutions
Kaizen
uses common sense to improve cost, quality, delivery and responsiveness to your
customer’s needs. Kaizen is a focused activity that uses small cross-functional
teams aimed at improving a process or problem identified within a specific area
in a very short period of time (“Quick Wins”). Employees should be encouraged
to drive continuous improvements in their area that are more complex with a
Kaizen event.
Lean
Tip #1701 – Maintain Clear and Comprehensive Communication on a Consistent Basis
One
of the most vital strategies that must be employed in order to align employees
with the company’s vision is maintaining clear and comprehensive communication
on a consistent basis. Not only must a company’s basic vision be communicated
to employees in this manner, but the goals and objectives associated with the
mission must be conveyed via consistently reliable, clear and comprehensive
communication as well.
Clear
and comprehensive communication regarding the company’s vision is best ensured
by taking advantage of multiple resources. In addition to direct face to face
communication with employees about vision related issues, a company needs to
take advantage of high-tech resources as well — including email, texts, blogs
and related avenues.
Lean
Tip #1702 – Form Strategic Partnerships with Employees
When
it comes to aligning employees with the vision of the company, the business
itself — via its owners or managers — must form a reliable, meaningful
strategic partnership with the workers. In other words, employees need to feel
a sense of ownership in regard to the company’s vision in order to be fully
aligned with it.
Although
it is not always possible, one of the best strategies to utilize when it comes
to forming this type of strategic partnership is to include employees in the
development of the mission in the first instance.
This
is particularly useful (and possible) when an existing business elects to make
some changes or alterations to its stated mission. In that situation, employees
are already associated with the company. Moreover, they may feel quite wed to
the existing mission. By including them in the process of crafting a new or
modified vision, they are less likely to be reluctant to embrace the newer
mission envisioned by a business enterprise.
Lean
Tip #1703 - Share Leadership Responsibilities.
People
often confuse titles with leadership, but the qualities of true leadership can
be found anywhere in an organization. Managers should take stock of their
employees and spot the leaders among teams. These key employees take
initiative, inspire and encourage others, and positively impact productivity
and morale.
Take
time to acknowledge the leadership skills of these employees, asking how you
can support them in their leadership roles. Also, make sure their leadership
skills don’t come across as bossy or top-down, because that will have a
negative impact on their teams – and remember to encourage everyone to lead in
the areas they’re most successful.
Lean
Tip # 1704 – Clearly Communicate Objectives.
Teams
need to communicate constantly to stay on course – not just once a quarter
during ‘reviews’. Checking in with each other via email, an employee feedback
platform, and/or in person is paramount to staying aligned on goals. Continual
communications helps individuals understand where they fit in the big picture,
and helps them prioritize tasks to line up with the company’s greater mission.
Of
course, communication is also essential to deliver encouragement and coaching.
Positive reinforcement inspires everyone to work towards a common goal –
delivering a product, solving a sticky customer issue, or finalizing a plan.
Continual
communications helps individuals understand where they fit in the big picture,
and helps them prioritize tasks to line up with the company’s greater mission.
Lean
Tip #1705 - Rally Around Shared Values.
Teams
are most effective when people are purpose-driven and feel they share a common
mission. Beyond this shared end-goal, the best teams have the same vision of
how to get to this end-point. In other words, they are aligned at every step of
the way.
To
align your team around common goals, it helps to create core values for your
company. For example, our core values include supporting health and vitality; a
commitment to customer success and delight; keeping things simple; embracing
freedom and flexibility; holding one another accountable; and committing to
constant learning and growth.
Teams
are most effective when people are purpose-driven and feel they share a common
mission.
Lean
Tip #1706 – Challenge the Status Quo
Throw
out all your old fixed ideas on how to do things. Replace “sacred cows,”
personal opinions, and “it’s the way we’ve always done it” with performance
facts and data. Numbers are the language of improvement. Avoid the emotional
traps of blaming people or making excuses that prevent you from discovering the
real problem. Once you have established the new best-way of doing something,
stick with it until a better way is found. When confronting old ideas and
traditions, apply the Rules of Engagement.
Lean
Tip #1707 - Keep It Simple and Inexpensive
Ideas
for incremental improvements that bubble up from workers are usually easier to
implement and less expensive. Apply creativity and craftiness before cash for
your solution. Follow the 80-20 Rule; do the twenty-percent of things that get
you eighty-percent of improvement results. And do it NOW! Don’t wait until you
can achieve perfection.
Lean
Tip #1708 - Focus on the Right Things
Improve
the core business systems that enable you to find and keep customers, and earn
more money. Find ways to provide customers greater value and a better buying
experience. Zero in on removing the obstacles, bottlenecks, and weak links in
your business processes that slow lead-time, order completion, and collection
of cash. Fast throughput of products and services creates happier customers and
more profit. Remember: quality plus speed equals low cost. Put emphasis on
enhancing business systems that drive your Balanced Scorecard goals, or that
improve a line-item number on your financial statement.
Lean
Tip #1709 – Provide Training For Improvement
Kaizen
involves setting performance standards for your business systems and processes
and then striving to elevate those standards. Continuous Improvement requires
ongoing development of your most important asset—PEOPLE! Tom Peters,
business-management author, teaches, "If your company is doing well,
double your training budget; if your company is not doing well, quadruple it!”
As process changes are made, face any resistance by employees head on—Listen-Thank-Consider-Decide.
Lean
Tip #1710 - Never Stop Improving
Halt
the process immediately to fix quality or customer-related problems. Don’t let
problems accumulate for later handling. Reflect daily (in the Gemba) on your
opportunities for improvement and innovation. Make business improvement kaizens
a weekly habit. Implement a suggestion-box system that calls for employees to
submit so many improvement ideas per month or year. And be sure to compensate
people appropriately for implemented solutions. Just one improvement a day is
260 improvements a year!
