Blog Articles
COVID-19 – O.C. Tanner Develops Parts for PAPRs and Face Shields
April 17, 2020 – Ken Snyder
O.C. Tanner is the global leader in employee recognition. The organization received a Shingo Prize in the late 1990s and has continued improving since then. O.C. Tanner is one of the organizations we study to better teach how to improve the process of improvement.It is not surprising that O.C. Tanner was one of the first companies to conv...
Read Full ArticleCOVID-19 – The Massachusetts Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) – Responding to the Need for Safety Equipment for Healthcare Workers
April 13, 2020 – Ken Snyder
I mentioned in my last blog the great work being done by AccuRounds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In preparing that blog, I had the opportunity to speak with the owner and CEO of AccuRounds, Michael Tamasi. Michael wears multiple hats. He shared a remarkable story with me that deserves inclusion in my on-going blog stories about g...
Read Full ArticleCOVID-19 – AccuRounds – Ramp Up Production of Difficult Parts to Meet Surging Demand
April 13, 2020 – Ken Snyder
AccuRounds is a manufacturer of precision-machined parts located in Avon, Massachusetts USA. It is a second-generation, family-owned company. Having adopted Lean principles about 25 years ago, AccuRounds is a long way down the Lean road. The organization received a Shingo Prize Northeast Region Silver Medallion in 2006, and it just keeps ...
Read Full ArticleCOVID-19 – Regeneron and Rapid Development of Treatments
April 9, 2020 – Ken Snyder
Regeneron is a leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical company that invents life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. The Regeneron Industrial Operations & Product Supply Group received a Shingo Prize in 2019. It has been difficult to keep up with all the news coming out about Regeneron. It’s an impressive list...
Read Full ArticleLeadership, Lean, and COVID-19
April 7, 2020 – Ken Snyder
I was happy to read an open letter from Karl Wadensten, the CEO of VIBCO, that was posted to LinkedIn a few days ago. VIBCO is a long-time practitioner of Lean and has hosted many Shingo workshops over the years. In fact, VIBCO is hosting a Shingo DISCOVER EXCELLENCE virtual workshop on April 21-22. VIBCO manufactures many types of ind...
Read Full ArticleCOVID-19 – Rapid Conversion to Meet Surging Healthcare Demands
April 3, 2020 – Ken Snyder
Last year, I had the opportunity to share the stage with a senior executive at Dyson. We were attending a Lean conference organized by one of our affiliate partner organizations and co-sponsored by the Shingo Institute. I was excited to hear how Dyson is using the Shingo Guiding Principles in its improvement efforts. Recently, though, I w...
Read Full ArticleCOVID-19 – Rapid Development of a Rapid Test
April 2, 2020 – Ken Snyder
It is not surprising that Abbott, the worldwide leader in rapid-testing platforms, came up with a rapid test of the coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19. What is surprising is how rapidly the test was developed. Various Abbott Diagnostics operations worldwide have adopted the Shingo Model as their model to drive excellence. T...
Read Full ArticleCOVID-19 – Keeping Employees Safe
April 1, 2020 – Ken Snyder
Jabil Healthcare in Shanghai, China, is reportedly the world’s largest manufacturing plant of medical devices. Jabil produces medical devices as a contract manufacturer for almost all of the medical device companies in the world. The plant in Shanghai has more than 4,000 employees. The Jabil Healthcare plant started adopting Lean tools...
Read Full ArticleShingo Principles in the Time of COVID-19
April 1, 2020 – Ken Snyder
A few days ago, I reached out to the Shingo community seeking stories of the great work that is being done by organizations around the world during the COVID-19 crisis. We have already collected several amazing stories. Starting today, we will begin sharing them with you. It is our hope that they will motivate you as you deal with your ow...
Read Full ArticleWhy “Know Your Why”
March 31, 2020 – the Shingo Institute
Even though it's been postponed until fall, you’ve probably already seen the theme for this year’s Annual Shingo Conference in emails from the Shingo Institute: Know Your Why. It’s a familiar theme. Renowned speaker and author Simon Sinek wrote a book about it (Start With Why, Portfolio, 2009) and gave a terrific TED talk on it....
Read Full ArticleA Look at “Focus on the Process”
March 6, 2020 – Ken Snyder
“Focus on the Process” is a principle in the Continuous Improvement dimension of the Shingo Model. This principle holds the distinction of being the only principle about which no one has suggested an improvement. This is a sign of what we have witnessed numerous times – it is a principle that is so evident that everyone seems to unde...
Read Full ArticleTransforming from the Inside Out
March 6, 2020 – Norbert Majerus
When I talk at conferences about leading a lean transformation, I like to ask the audience for the most important metrics they track in their organizations. I write down their answers, which range from lead time to cost to inventory. Then I ask: “What is the most difficult part in your transformation — changing the process or managing the...
Read Full ArticleA Look at “Create Constancy of Purpose”
March 6, 2020 – Ken Snyder
“Create Constancy of Purpose” is a principle in the Enterprise Alignment dimension of the Shingo Model™. When we developed the Shingo Model, we borrowed heavily from the best thinkers who have influenced the operational excellence movement. In the case of this principle, we borrowed the wording from Dr. W. Edwards Deming. This i...
Read Full ArticleA Look at “Create Value for the Customer” and the Results Dimension
March 6, 2020 – Ken Snyder
“Create Value for the Customer” is one of the Shingo Guiding Principles in the Results dimension of the Shingo Model™. In the current Model, it is the only principle in this dimension. Within the Shingo Model, our working definition of this principle is: “Ultimately, value must be defined through the lens of what a ...
Read Full ArticleCongratulations 2019 Recipients
February 26, 2020 – the Shingo Institute
2019 was a banner year for Shingo awards. When an organization challenges for the Shingo Prize, they must first submit an achievement report that determines if an on-site assessment is warranted. If the Shingo Prize Examiner committee agrees that the organization warrants an on-site visit, a team of Shingo Examiners goes to the organizati...
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