By: Chris Butterworth of S A Partners Too often the principle of flow and pull is seen as applicable only in a manufacturing environment. In fact, the principle can be applied in many different ways. On a recent trip to Kenya I had the pleasure of experiencing the “Matatu” bus service in Nairobi. It really got me […]
by Ken Snyder A few months ago, I spoke with an investment fund manager who invests in companies that practice Lean operational excellence. Both this fund manager and I shared our belief that Lean companies will outperform the general market, and will provide a better return to investors. This fund manager made the comment that […]
By: Peter De Clerck of Möbius Some time ago, a colleague was giving training in operational excellence to an audience mostly filled with high-level managers. Imagine how excited he must have been.
We do our best to bring a wide variety of great speakers to the Shingo Conference and we’ve managed to get some great ones over the years. One of the keynote speakers on the agenda for the 30th Shingo Conference is one you might not expect. She will bring a unique perspective to the topic […]
By: Ken Snyder In the Lean world, we have a tendency to hearken back to the senseis of yesterday – Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Dr. Joseph M. Juran, Kaoru Ishikawa, Taiichi Ohno, and, of course in our case, Dr. Shigeo Shingo. The list could be much longer.
By: Val Liberman, UL LLC A client from a large manufacturing organization once told me of their internal marketing campaign titled “Our Heroes.” It depicted, via giant posters hung throughout their facilities, a small number of employees who went above and beyond the “call of duty,” and highlighted their specific “heroic” achievements. This story prompted me […]
By: Randy Cook and Alison Jenkins, McKinsey & Company When a company engages its people in problem solving as part of their daily work, they feel more motivated, they do their jobs better, the organization’s performance improves, and a virtuous cycle starts to turn. Such an approach can tap enormous potential for the company and […]
By: Randy Cook and Allison Jenkins, McKinsey & Company Most of the leaders we meet pride themselves on their problem-solving ability. But when we watch how they work, we often see them behaving instinctively rather than following a rigorous problem-solving approach. All too often they fail to define the real problem, rely on instinct rather […]
