Blog Articles
How Can We Respect Every Individual?
February 12, 2020 – Gwen Engelen, Solving EFESO
As a Shingo Certified Facilitator, among my clients I promote the 10 Shingo Guiding Principles that inform ideal behavior to realize enterprise excellence. One of the 10 principles is “Respect Every Individual.” But why is it necessary to respect every individual? And what kind of behavior do we have to show so that people truly feel resp...
Read Full ArticleThe Current Shingo Model Turns Ten – It’s Time to Reflect
February 12, 2020 – Ken Snyder
In 2008, the Shingo Institute introduced to the world the current Shingo Model™ that presented the Shingo Guiding Principles of operational excellence and a behavioral approach to cultural assessment. The Model propelled the Shingo Prize into the position of a true international standard of operational excellence. More impo...
Read Full ArticleModel Changes
February 12, 2020 – Ken Snyder
A Look at “Respect Every Individual” A few weeks ago, I announced our intention in the Shingo Institute to look at all of the principles espoused in the Shingo Modelcurrently to see if there might be a better way to name the principle in order to make the principle easier to understand. This blog looks at the first principle to un...
Read Full ArticleA Look at “Lead with Humility”
February 12, 2020 – Ken Snyder
With “Respect Every Individual,” the principle of “Lead with Humility” is the partner principle that together comprise the Cultural Enablers dimension of the Shingo Guiding Principles. Since becoming Executive Director three years ago, my observation is that this principle has resulted in more questions and misunderstandings than any...
Read Full ArticleThe Shingo Academy
February 6, 2020 – Ken Snyder
At our conference a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of inducting Andrew P. (“Drew”) Dillon into the Shingo Academy. Drew translated seven of Shigeo Shingo’s books into English, served as Dr. Shingo’s personal translator and apprentice, and was so influenced by Dr. Shingo’s teachings that he abandoned his position on the faculty at a maj...
Read Full ArticleA 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...
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