Don’t Panic Although the situation I am about to describe was successfully resolved, I felt compelled to share this event with you. Times like this expose our vulnerabilities and reinforce the adage to “expect the unexpected”. The Situation Imagine the shock and surprise followed by the deep, sinking feeling that set in when an unexpected notice suddenly appeared on my […]
Don’t Panic – When Bad Things Happen
Microsoft – Scratching the Surface
There is always a better way and more than one solution This certainly seems to be true in the tablet world as Microsoft unveils one of its own – the Surface. Taking a note from Apple, Microsoft has integrated hardware and software into a unique solution that is sure to compete directly with the iPad. From a lean perspective, I […]
Toyota #1 for a Reason
Experience is often gained by making mistakes, however, we don’t have to repeat them for the sake of experience. This is one of the reasons I decided to read “Toyota Under Fire” by Jeffrey K. Liker and Timothy N. Ogden. Aside from the many positive reviews this book has already received, it claims to present “The definitive inside account of Toyota’s […]
Remembering the Space Shuttle Challenger
Although this event happened twenty-five years ago today (28-Jan-1986), it seems like only yesterday. This tragic event serves to remind us that humans can make mistakes and errors in judgment do occur. In this case, history is our greatest teacher. Follow this link to CNN’s “Challenger disaster remembered“. CNN was the only network covering this event as this would be […]
A Paradigm Shift To Profitability
Is the “Automotive Industry On the Rebound” or just the companies that make them? Our local paper, The Toronto Star, reported some very encouraging news today regarding the state of General Motors. The headline that caught my eye was “A slimmer GM prospers”. What is more encouraging though is that GM’s recovery is based on a fundamentally new paradigm shift: […]
Toyota recalling 1.7 million vehicles
Toyota is tasked once again to deal with another recall. The details of the recall can be found at the following link: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iF7PDtO3qyJdQuqtpwz7rBTXyu7w?docId=5764670 Many people are quick to assume that resolving one recall issue somehow sterilizes or immunizes the full line up of vehicles from having other unrelated defects. History tells us that this is simply not possible. Although the […]
- Advanced Lean Manufacturing
- Contingency Planning
- Cost Control
- Labour Efficiency
- Lean Metrics
- OEE: Overall Equipment Efficiency
- Performance
- Standardized Work
OEE and Human Effort
I was recently asked to consider a modification to the OEE formula to calculate labour versus equipment effectiveness. This request stemmed from the observation that some processes, like assembly or packing operations, may be completely dependent on human effort. In other words, the people performing the work ARE the machine. I have observed situations where an extra person was stationed […]
- Advanced Lean Manufacturing
- Eliminate Waste
- Lean Metrics
- Problem Solving
- Risk Management
- Root Cause Analysis
The High-Velocity Edge Is Here!
Update: Steven J. Spear has been awarded the Philip Crosby Medal for his book “The High-Velocity Edge: How Market Leaders Leverage Operational Excellence to Beat the Competition” according to a Press release from ASQ—the world’s largest network of quality resources and experts (Milwaukee, WI March 2, 2011). We have raved about the book “Chasing the Rabbit” written by Steven J. Spear […]
- Advanced Lean Manufacturing
- Contingenc Planning
- Contingency Planning
- Problem Solving
- Risk Management
- Root Cause Analysis
- Standardized Work
- Training
- Trouble Shooting
Foundations of Failure
The problem with many of the problems we find ourselves having to contend with at any given time is that we learn of their existence after the fact (when the damage is done) or after discovering that the results we were looking for simply didn’t materialize. As we learned from Michael A. Roberto’s book, “Know What You Don’t Know“, there […]
Lean Recalls – Compromising Safety?
Is there ever a time when risk outweighs the real fix? As we are quickly learning from the latest news regarding Toyota’s proclaimed “savings” through limited safety recalls, the answer is “NO”. The details of the story surrounding Toyota’s knowledge of the mounting safety concerns and the Toyota’s defense is very disturbing. Toyota has responded by stating “Our first priority is the safety of […]