Leader Task Boards are a visual check system to review critical workplace items. It’s comprised of a list of tasks related to safety, quality, production, cost, Leader Standard Work and daily management. It’s a popular Visual Management tool that helps leaders monitor task completion at a glance. To learn how…
What is a Fishbone Diagram? A Fishbone Diagram is structured brainstorming tool designed to assist an improvement team in listing potential causes of a specific effect. It’s name derives from its resemblance to the bones of a fish. It is also known as an Ishikawa Diagram, for its creator. Causes…
Shadow Boards are visual methods of storing tools or materials and are always placed where the work is being done. Each shadow board consists of outlines or “shadows" in the shape of individual items to make it obvious where each should be put away. The shadow board accomplishes two essential…
Work Balancing or Line Balancing involves balancing the work rate between sub-processes in order to efficiently match customer demand or takt time. The idea is that process is always on time but never idle. For a better understanding of Workload Balancing and an overview of Lean Six Sigma, check out our Free…
Supermarket refers to a visual stocking system used in tandem with Kanban or reorder signals in a Pull system. The name comes from the type of shelving used in a supermarket where as one bottle of milk is removed from the shelf, another one rolls into place. Anyone viewing the…
Control Charts are time charts designed to display signals or warnings of special cause variation. Special cause variation, as distinct from common cause variation, refers to changes in process performance due to sporadic or rare events indicating that a process is not "in control." The advantage of Control Charts is that they enhance…
A Tree Diagram is a type of chart where a concept is successively broken down into subconcepts with increasingly higher levels of detail. It therefore resembles a tree in its finished state, with the main concept serving as the trunk, while subconcepts branch off. For a better understanding of a Tree…
A Rework Loop is a situation where a step in a process is repeated in order to correct a defect; also known as backtracking. Rework Loops are work that must be done over and over. They often become an accepted part of the process as people get used to them…
A Pareto Chart is a quality chart of discrete data that helps identify the most significant types of defect occurrences. It does this by showing both frequency of occurrences (bar graph) and cumulative total of occurrences (line graph) on a single chart. The type of occurrences are organized on the…
Kanban is a Japanese term that translates to "card" or “board” and indicates some form of signal within a process. Kanbans are part of Just In Time (JIT) processing where either a physical or electronic device indicates that it’s time to order inventory, process a unit or move to the…