Do you ever walk into a store and know at a glance where to find what you need? Do you notice that seemingly long lines can often move really quickly? Do you find yourself wondering why things don't go horribly wrong more often? Lean Six Sigma is at work! Mistake-proofing,…
What’s a good book to read if you want to succeed at process improvement? Is Lean Six Sigma all about manufacturing? Are there any about the service industry? Healthcare? Government? What If I’m only interested in Lean? What if I need help with statistics? And how about soft skills? What’s…
What’s the secret Quality connection between Italy and Japan? The Pareto Chart! Signore Pareto provided the visual for his 80/20 rule and Dr. Ishikawa included it in his 7 Basic Quality Tools. Voila! (that’s French) An international pairing was born to help pave the problem solving path. Vilfredo Pareto was…
Being introduced to Lean Six Sigma using online training means you can go at your own pace, return to topics when you want and listen to the accompanying voiceovers for additional information. But what if you want to know more? We've got the perfect thing for you! These 5 basic…
While looking to change the market focus for its products, L.B. Foster Threaded Products determined that a new manufacturing plant was needed. This new and improved lean-influenced facility allowed the company to eliminate waste while improving productivity and creating a safer work environment. This led to a 76% reduction in…
I write this blog at the risk of disappointing many people - okay, women - across the globe who love to buy shoes and amass gorgeous shoe collections. I hear you! For a long time, I reveled in the joy of buying snazzy shoes and spent plenty of time admiring…
Who said “Quality is free - but it’s not a gift"? Who was the first non-doctor to create a vaccine? Who maintained that zero defects was the job of management as much as the front line. Philip Crosby! He said it was less expensive to do it right the first…
Throughout the year we celebrate the birthdays of the “Grand-Daddies” of Quality (also known as “Quality Gurus”). These are the founders of modern day process improvement! We owe this venerable group a debt of gratitude for all of the concepts, tools and methods we often take for granted. If you ever…
Are you in Manufacturing? Whether you’re just starting your Lean journey or you’re in the middle of improving a process, guidance from Experts can help make your efforts easier – and more successful! In this short interview, Lean Expert, Mike Osterling, shares key insights to being successful with Lean in…
At UTC Aerostructures, a manufacturer of nacelle components for jet engines, everyone has a one-track mind towards continuous improvement. Every employee uses very detailed standard work to eliminate waste and speed up cycle time. Takt time clocks are utilized throughout the facility, breaking down an 8-hour workday (or 25,200 seconds)…