All Articles
A Time for Average Heroes
February 4, 2020 – 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 t...
Read Full ArticleThe Taste of Quality
February 4, 2020 – Jose Paredes, UL
The fall in New England is one of my favorite times of the year. Hues of saffron, paprika and pumpkin speckle the landscape. Combined with the smell of wood-burning fireplaces scenting the crisp night air, and the sound of rustling leaves, it becomes a living masterpiece. When I am not traveling for work, one of my passions is cooking. I ...
Read Full ArticleWe are not Toyota
February 4, 2020 – Gert Linthout
Some years ago, we guided a lean transformation project in a regional hospital. The ambition was to drastically improve the experience of patients in the surgical ‘one-day pathway.’ An in-depth patient survey and analysis of the value stream revealed that missing information for the patient and long and unpredictable waiting times were th...
Read Full ArticleContinuous Improvement from Where It Counts
February 4, 2020 – the Shingo Institute
"What’s the difference between the Shingo Prize® and other similar awards?” It’s one of the questions most frequently asked of the Shingo Institute. The short answer is that it isn’t just a framework for management. The Shingo focus is on organizational culture conducive to having improvements come directly from the mind of every associat...
Read Full ArticleMistake-Proofing Mistakes
February 4, 2020 – Bruce Hamilton, President, BHP
There is a popular lore provided by Shigeo Shingo that the original name for mistake-proofing (poka-yoke) was “fool-proofing” (baka-yoke). Shingo chided managers at Panasonic for using the latter term, as it was disrespectful to workers, essentially calling them fools. Shingo substituted the word “fool” for “mistake,” because, as he aptly...
Read Full ArticleKPIs are Dead, Long Live the KBIs!
February 4, 2020 – the Shingo Institute
Project succeeded? About a year ago, the head of logistics and purchasing asked me to carry out some observations on the floor. Their new ERP system had been implemented about two years ago, and he wanted to know where knowledge was still lacking so he could use the information as input for a training plan. So off I went to talk to som...
Read Full Article“Medical Taylorism:” An Article that Does a Huge Disservice to Needed Healthcare Transformation
February 4, 2020 – Dr. Patricia Gabow and Ken Snyder
The article, “Medical Taylorism,”[1] by Pamela Hartzband, M.D. and Jerome Groopman, M.D., in the New England Journal of Medicine, reflects a major misunderstanding of the principles and practice of the Toyota Production System, or Lean as it is often called. Specifically, the article appears to conflate poor implementation with ...
Read Full ArticleTruly Understanding Customer Value
February 4, 2020 – Chris Butterworth, S A Partners, LLP
Many organizations assume that customer surveys tell them what their customers truly value. This approach has its limitations. There is a difference between customer satisfaction and customer value. These must link to strategy and deploy throughout the organization. A deep understanding of customer value is critical to drive business e...
Read Full ArticleWant Different Results? Change the Right Behaviors
February 4, 2020 – Luc Baetens, Möbius
A supply chain director recently expressed to me his frustration that his new integrated business planning was ineffective. “We have spent so much time and money defining the new process, the reports we were going to use, and the monthly meetings we would hold. Even after all that, the only people who use the new system seriously are the ...
Read Full ArticleAn Inflection Point
February 4, 2020 – Ken Snyder
A few months ago, I had the chance to visit two companies that the Shingo Institute uses as “benchmark” companies. Both of these companies started their Lean journey about 20 years ago. Both companies received the Shingo Prize about 10 years ago. And both companies have continued their journey seeking perfection since receiving the Shingo...
Read Full ArticleShingo in Juran’s Quality Handbook
February 4, 2020 – Ken Snyder
In 1980, I graduated from my MBA program and accepted a position with a small, high-tech, Japanese-owned, electronics company. I spent the next few years learning how to make really complicated products. In December of 1980, I purchased several books to facilitate the learning process. One of these books was the quality reference book, Ju...
Read Full ArticleIs it Wrong to Always be Right?
February 4, 2020 – the Shingo Institute
We like to be right. To have correct answers, to solve problems of others, to be seen as experts on a variety of topics. This pattern starts early – long before we ascend corporate ladders and assume positions of influence and leadership. Starting in elementary school, we begin the laborious task of storing large amounts of information...
Read Full ArticleFlow Where You Can, Pull Where You Can’t
February 4, 2020 – the Shingo Institute
The Shingo Model™ captures ten timeless principles that apply to all, regardless of our beliefs or level of understanding. In my experience working with companies over the past 20 years, the principle that is least practiced addresses the idea that value should be flowed and pulled. So what does it mean to flow value? Why i...
Read Full ArticleA Look at “Flow and Pull Value”
March 6, 2019 – Ken Snyder
“Flow and Pull Value” is a principle in the Continuous Improvement dimension of the Shingo Model. This principle seems to be the most difficult for students of the Model to understand. The confusion experienced in learning this principle has caused us deep reflection on how we might better explain and teach this principle. Causes ...
Read Full ArticleShingo Japan Study Tour Recap
March 6, 2019 – the Shingo Institute
This year’s Japan Study Tour was based mostly in the Tokyo/Yokohama area with one trip by bullet train up to the Sendai area. After a delicious and authentic sushi lunch, the group visited the Meiji Shrine and the Imperial Palace. The first two days of the tour were spent in the classroom discussing the Shingo Model and how it a...
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