The Obstacle Parking Lot is a list created by Continuous Improvement practitioners to capture unresolved issues, sources of variation, and other problems that prevent a specific process from operating as well as it should. This list is used as a reference tool for coaches who are working with problem solvers…
True North is a term that originated recently with Toyota and refers to the ideal or "goal state"—where a company is headed. The idea is for the company to follow the path to its "True North"—achieving its vision and mission—like a hiker would follow a compass needle. By embracing Continuous…
Toyota's 8 Steps for Practical Problem Solving are rooted in Walter Shewhart's (and Dr. Deming's) PDCA Cycle (Plan Do Check Act). Toyota expanded on "Plan" with Steps 1-5 whereas "Do-Check-Act" correspond with Steps 6, 7 and 8. Both systems are based on the Scientific Method and help support a culture…
GoLeanSixSigma.com is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Facebook! We are excited to offer all Facebook employees substantial discounts on all of our Training & Certification courses. The multinational social media company joins a long list of companies from a broad spectrum of industries who have trusted us in…
Robert Fagan, a contracting officer with the Clothing and Textiles (C&T) team, is crediting a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training Course for giving him the tools to complete a process improvement project for the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support. After completing the Green Belt Training & Certification, Fagan found…
The target, within Continuous Improvement, refers to the desired value of the process characteristic being measured---"2-Day Lead Time" or "2% Defect rate". Once the baseline or "as is" process measure has been established, the goal is to reduce the gap between the basline and the target---"Reduce Lead Time from 5…
Best Practice Sharing refers to spreading news of improvement ideas throughout an organization. Another term is to share "Transfer Opportunities" although the idea is to include the sharing of failures as well. It's not enough to improve a process. It's important to let others know what you've learned so that…
Production Leveling refers to the smoothing of manufacturing production in the face of fluctuating demand. The method was developed as part of the Toyota Production System as a way to react to demand changes without overburdening production. Instead of over-producing products in batches, the method responds directly to consumer demand.…
Process management is an approach to better understand, measure and govern processes across an organization. Process Management is the antidote to the natural development of organizations to form siloed departments and separate business units. This approach enables a unified view of the end-to-end business which paves the way for targeted…
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