Lean Healthcare – Sunnybrook Surgeons given a hands-off way to Kinect

An article in today’s Toronto Star titled “Surgeons given a hands-off way to Kinect” clearly demonstrates how improvements can be realized in our work environment.  One of the concerns in the operating room is maintaining a sterile field during surgery.  Doctors cannot physically touch any devices away from the sterile field for fear of breaking it and have only 1 […]

Lean: Beyond Reach!

Almost everything I read or learned suggests that lean was never intended to be complicated. The simplest definition of lean I have read to date follows: Focus on what matters and eliminate what doesn’t This is not to suggest that lean is easy. In actual practice I find that some companies have sufficiently compounded the definition of lean to exclude […]

Lean – Walk and Talk

In my article “Waste:  The Devil is in the Details“, I discussed the importance of paying attention to the details.  From a company or personal perspective, the underlying theme to identify waste (or opportunity) is to be continually cognizant of what it is we’re doing and asking “Why?” I have continually stressed the importance of conducting process reviews right where the action is.  It seems […]

Waste: The Devil is in the Details …

I planned to publish this yesterday but for some reason I felt compelled to wait. I doubt it was fate, but as you will see, Toyota once again managed to serendipitously substantiate my reason for it. I was originally  inspired to write this post based on a recent experience I had at a local restaurant. After I was seated, I ordered a coffee to start […]

The Art of Deception – All Decisions are NOT Equal

As I discussed in “What did you expect? Benchmarking and Decisions – For Better or Worse” we are confronted with decisions every day.  I even went so far as to suggest that an underlying benchmark is at the root of all decisions.  As you will soon find out, not all decisions are equal. Most of us understand visual or optical […]

PI: Discovery to Application – 1900 years

Mathematicians celebrate PI day on March 14 to honour of the number 3.14.  PI day was founded by Physicist Larry Shaw at the San Fransisco Exploratorium on March 14, 1989. Greek mathematician Archimedes of Syracuse (287 to 212 B.C.) was the first to calculate the value of PI, however, its use became wide-spread only after it was adopted by Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler in 1737. Concept to […]

Brilliant Printing Technology

Research and development take problem solving to whole new level where solutions have yet to be discovered and are often only imagined.  I am impressed by the relentless efforts of research teams that continue to develop and give rise to the emergence of  life saving, innovative technologies. As our population ages and “baby boomers” enter into their retirement years, the […]

What did you expect? Benchmarking and Decisions – for better or worse.

What did you expect? Benchmarking & Decisions – for better or worse I recognize that benchmarking is not a new concept.  In business, we have learned to appreciate the value of benchmarking at the “macro level” through our deliberate attempts to establish a relative measure of performance, improvement, and even for competitor analysis.  Advertisers often use benchmarking as an integral component of their marketing strategy. […]

Integrated Waste: Lather, Rinse, Repeat

Admittedly, it has been a while since I checked a shampoo bottle for directions, however, I do recall a time in my life reading:  Lather, Rinse, Repeat.  Curiously, they don’t say when or how many times the process needs to be repeated. Perhaps someone can educate me as to why it is necessary to repeat the process at all – other than “daily”.  I […]