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Digg it UP - Lean Manufacturing - Are You Ready For Process Improvement?
Like showman P.T. Barnum, my grandpa used to say, “a sucker is born every minute.” Today, as we grope our way through cyberspace, there’s one born every second. And the hucksters are so brilliant at what they do.Subtlety went out the window with Windows. Even with your trusty iPod earplugs in place, you can’t read a magazine, go on line, pick up a telephone, walk down a street, ride a public conveyance without being accosted, shouted at; invaded by screaming aliens from the planet Madison Avenue. Like a bombardment of artillery rockets coming at you from every direction, so are the flashing signs, blinking neon, talking heads, blabbering blogs, news releases that aren’t news, how-to ads that serve the server when you buy the book.Every earthling has something to say about everything, and everything to say about nothing. Experts appear from nowhere with scholarly judgments on how you should live your life. Remember actor Peter Finch’s character Howard Beale in the movie, "Network?" How many times have you told yourself, “I’m mad as hell and I’m not gonna take it anymore?” Well, I'll tell you how NOT to be a victim. Log on to my website and BUY MY BOOK.I trust you’ve noticed the distinction between a how-to, and a how-not-to pitch? Right. There isn’t any difference.We’ve all been snookered at one time or another. I was standing on a Ft. Lauderdale Beach corner with a friend, when a young woman approached us with an offer for a free lunch and a boat ride if we would meet her at a hotel. All we had to do was give her ten dollars each and she would meet us in an hour with our tickets. Believe it or not, these “sophisticated” city folk fell for it. When we met the woman at the appointed time and place, we were herded into the hotel and seated in a room with dozens of other innocents. The lunch and boat tickets were withheld until we sat through six hours of unmitigated hard sell hell on the virtues of buying into the hotel’s time-share in beautiful Ft
TOTAL COMMITMENT
To be successful, any program which requires us to stray from our normal day to day behavior patterns has to be embraced and driven from the top down. This approach lends credibility to our actions, provides visibility of our endeavors, and assures motivation and direction will be maintained. Anyone who has tackled lean manufacturing will tell you it is a constant uphill struggle that requires leadershi
The cost of doing business continuously increases as gasoline prices soar. Many service companies (e.g. plumbing, air conditioning and chimney contractors) have realized this as gasoline expenses have reached the ceiling. In an effort to offset this cost many companies are cutting budgets in other key areas like marketing and advertising. Many companies are realizing as they cut budgets for advertising they are seeing a decrease in profits which requires further budget cuts. This can have a snowball effect; however, there are adjustments that can be made to relieve the strain on the gasoline budget.One adjustment that would make a significant difference is a process for more efficient routing. Companies that service large areas (e.g. large cities) discover that some areas are serviced more frequently than others; some areas require repairs (e.g. older areas) while some require accessories (e.g. new areas). Through computers and the internet there are a number of software packages which have scheduling and dispatching functionality. Companies can utilize routing and scheduling functionality to decrease the driving distance each work order requires.A good practice for companies servicing large areas is to schedule calls based on location (e.g. a technician may not be in someone’s area for three days, so ask if they can wait). Obviously not all of the service calls will fit into the routes so it is also a good practice to have a roaming vehicle. This vehicle will pick up the calls which could not be put in an efficient schedule.Another adjustment is to examine the vehicle’s engine, determining if the engine is too large. This is a long term approach; however, as these vehicles are retired and new vehicles are purchased it may be worthwhile to downsize the engine. For example, if a company has vehicles which do not require heavy loads but have V8s then maybe these should be exchanged for V6s; six pistons will require less gasoline than eight.The las
Now, as we are deeply entrenched in the lean manufacturing era, most small to medium businesses are of the same mindset. Just as we saw company after company abandon the ISO certification process because it was too time consuming, costly and wasn’t bringing those throngs of customers to our doorsteps, so too are many companies abandoning, or in many cases, taking only a random or unsystematic approach to this concept.
The major stumbling block to achieving a successful lean approach is usually shortsightedness. We mean well, we want to improve, but we really don’t have a genuine understanding of what is involved. For lean to work we need to approach it as a long term solution that requires continuous attention, involvement and commitment.
Any Improvement Practice MUST:
• be viewed as a major overhaul and not a short term fix
• be forward thinking and take a long term approach
• be driven from the top down
• involve all departments and personnel, especially upper management
• account for processes, procedures and tasks that do not currently exist, but are essential to success
• follow a detailed plan
• be well documented and controlled
• be allowed to grow and adapt to your changing needs
• have a committed, long term, budget and resource pool
• have well defined goals that are reasonable and achievable
• celebrate success, and
• share the wealth
LONG TERM METHODOLOGY
Lean manufacturing is a continuous and living entity. To approach it as a quick fix that will bring increased profits and efficiencies is a guarantee of failure. Although the lean process has been documented in countless papers, lectures, seminars, and accredited training programs, many organizations lack even the basic fundamental processes and tools needed to implement lean manufacturing. Most failures can be attributed to this lack of a solid foundation on which lean will be built, and as a result, we are quickly overwhelmed by the amount of work and capital that must be spent before we can even begin to implement the lean initiatives. In a relatively short time we lose enthusiasm, get increasingly bogged down in seemingly mundane tasks, we eventually succumb to immediate time and budget constraints, and before we realized it, the program has been pushed to the back seat or shelved altogether.
TOTAL COMMITMENT
To be successful, any program which requires us to stray from our normal day to day behavior patterns has to be embraced and driven from the top down. This approach lends credibility to our actions, provides visibility of our endeavors, and assures motivation and direction will be maintained. Anyone who has tackled lean manufacturing will tell you it is a constant uphill struggle that requires leadershi
Customers are people. They are not merely test subjects that you approach as a doctor would a cadaver. They are living, breathing, worthy individuals. They have pulses. They talk back. And they have feelings. You’ll increase customer loyalty and revenues if you adopt these simple practices.Be Warm and Hospitable. Take that monotone out of your voice. It is distancing and annoying. No one likes to feel they are merely a number. Let them feel that they are welcomed by the lilt in your tone. People respond to warmth.Smile While You Talk to Clients. Your voice sounds differently when you smile. It sounds more inviting and upbeat. Try this test. Listen to your tone as you lift your cheeks and smile when saying, “hello may I help you.” Repeat this test keeping your cheeks lowered. It sounds flat doesn't it?Respond In a Timely Fashion. Approach this as you would if receiving welcomed guests into your home. You’d never allow your visitors to wait outside your door, incessantly ringing the doorbell. Likewise, answer your phone on the second ring if possible. You’d be amazed at how this increases the likelihood that your customer will call again. In fact, he’ll think of you first.Auto-responders can be very effective when responding to an email inquiry. A word of caution: make sure that you respond within the timeframe promised.If using an automated answering service, program your service such that the client is aware of their caller number. For example, if they are caller number 7, program your service to tell them this. What I absolutely love is the way Bluehost.com approaches this. Their service updates you as you move closer to talking to a representative. I remember feeling a sense of comfort as the automated system said “you’re caller number 4…you’re caller number 2…a representative will be with you shortly.”Listen Without Interrupting. Think about how you feel when you’re talking and are unexpectedly cut o
Now, as we are deeply entrenched in the lean manufacturing era, most small to medium businesses are of the same mindset. Just as we saw company after company abandon the ISO certification process because it was too time consuming, costly and wasn’t bringing those throngs of customers to our doorsteps, so too are many companies abandoning, or in many cases, taking only a random or unsystematic approach to this concept.
The major stumbling block to achieving a successful lean approach is usually shortsightedness. We mean well, we want to improve, but we really don’t have a genuine understanding of what is involved. For lean to work we need to approach it as a long term solution that requires continuous attention, involvement and commitment.
Any Improvement Practice MUST:
• be viewed as a major overhaul and not a short term fix
• be forward thinking and take a long term approach
• be driven from the top down
• involve all departments and personnel, especially upper management
• account for processes, procedures and tasks that do not currently exist, but are essential to success
• follow a detailed plan
• be well documented and controlled
• be allowed to grow and adapt to your changing needs
• have a committed, long term, budget and resource pool
• have well defined goals that are reasonable and achievable
• celebrate success, and
• share the wealth
LONG TERM METHODOLOGY
Lean manufacturing is a continuous and living entity. To approach it as a quick fix that will bring increased profits and efficiencies is a guarantee of failure. Although the lean process has been documented in countless papers, lectures, seminars, and accredited training programs, many organizations lack even the basic fundamental processes and tools needed to implement lean manufacturing. Most failures can be attributed to this lack of a solid foundation on which lean will be built, and as a result, we are quickly overwhelmed by the amount of work and capital that must be spent before we can even begin to implement the lean initiatives. In a relatively short time we lose enthusiasm, get increasingly bogged down in seemingly mundane tasks, we eventually succumb to immediate time and budget constraints, and before we realized it, the program has been pushed to the back seat or shelved altogether.
TOTAL COMMITMENT
To be successful, any program which requires us to stray from our normal day to day behavior patterns has to be embraced and driven from the top down. This approach lends credibility to our actions, provides visibility of our endeavors, and assures motivation and direction will be maintained. Anyone who has tackled lean manufacturing will tell you it is a constant uphill struggle that requires leadershi
Unlike other marketing tools, newspaper classified ads bring forth a number of options for consumers, through the large classified advertising opportunity that they present. As a result, a consumer can make a decision after considering all the newspaper classified ads. From the point of view of an advertiser newspaper classified advertising has the potential of reaching a very wide audience. As a result, placing a classified ad in a newspaper is beneficial for both the consumers and the advertisers. You can gather the classified advertising info and details of various packages that are offered by different newspapers through consultants or even by carrying out an online search.Planning a targeted classified advertising campaign After gathering classified advertising info and selecting the suitable newspaper that you would like to advertise in, it is important to plan out the complete strategy. Entrepreneurs who plan on selling products using classified ads need to understand that just newspaper classified advertising would not be sufficient to reap results and if the strategy is not planned out properly, all their efforts would be wasted. As a result, it is important for them to plan out a targeted classified advertising campaign. In fact even if they are considering free classified advertising, until and unless the campaign is researched and well designed, all efforts of selling products using classified ads would be futile. A targeted classified advertising campaign helps in bringing forth the USP of the product, enlists the benefits that it offers over similar products, and at the same time taps the right segment of the market that would actually consider buying the product. Your campaign must clearly define all the advantages that a consumer would incur by selecting your product. One can even plan a blind campaign that merely entices a consumer to find out more about the benefits that you are offering. These campaigns usually garner a much higher response tha
Any Improvement Practice MUST:
• be viewed as a major overhaul and not a short term fix
• be forward thinking and take a long term approach
• be driven from the top down
• involve all departments and personnel, especially upper management
• account for processes, procedures and tasks that do not currently exist, but are essential to success
• follow a detailed plan
• be well documented and controlled
• be allowed to grow and adapt to your changing needs
• have a committed, long term, budget and resource pool
• have well defined goals that are reasonable and achievable
• celebrate success, and
• share the wealth
LONG TERM METHODOLOGY
Lean manufacturing is a continuous and living entity. To approach it as a quick fix that will bring increased profits and efficiencies is a guarantee of failure. Although the lean process has been documented in countless papers, lectures, seminars, and accredited training programs, many organizations lack even the basic fundamental processes and tools needed to implement lean manufacturing. Most failures can be attributed to this lack of a solid foundation on which lean will be built, and as a result, we are quickly overwhelmed by the amount of work and capital that must be spent before we can even begin to implement the lean initiatives. In a relatively short time we lose enthusiasm, get increasingly bogged down in seemingly mundane tasks, we eventually succumb to immediate time and budget constraints, and before we realized it, the program has been pushed to the back seat or shelved altogether.
TOTAL COMMITMENT
To be successful, any program which requires us to stray from our normal day to day behavior patterns has to be embraced and driven from the top down. This approach lends credibility to our actions, provides visibility of our endeavors, and assures motivation and direction will be maintained. Anyone who has tackled lean manufacturing will tell you it is a constant uphill struggle that requires leadershi
This article is meant to inform. Please don't construe this as legal advice. Perfection in a mail order catalog is like infinity...you can continually approach it but never quite reach it. In the case of many catalogs it is not necessary to achieve perfectionor even approach it very closely in order to make the catalog vastly more profitable than it is at present. Relatively small improvements can result in a more-than-proportionate enlargement of that all-important figure on the bottom line of the financial statement. Making as many improvements as possible as quickly as possible isprobably the most profitable procedure. But even making each new catalog a little better than the one that preceded it can produce substantial increases in sales per catalog and in total sales over a period of time. Following are 60 suggestions that should help your catalog do a better selling job for you if you are not already using these ideas. Whether you use all of them in connection with your next catalog or adopt a few at a time in the course of producing several future catalogs, the ultimate result should be very noticeable and very profitable. BEFORE YOU CREATE YOUR CATALOG.... 1. Look at your present catalog with extremely cold, critical andunsympathetic eye. Pick out all the faults-large or small-that you could find if you were no longer the owner of the catalog buta nitpicking customer who has been disappointed in his or her last purchase from you and is still sore about it. Such a review could be very enlightening-even if it should prove slightly embarrassing-and could make your new catalog much more profitable. 2. Put your "letterman" on your team. Review all incoming correspondence from customers and prospects during the last two years for comments, suggestions or criticisms that may be helpfulin preparing your new catalog. Scre
• celebrate success, and
• share the wealth
LONG TERM METHODOLOGY
Lean manufacturing is a continuous and living entity. To approach it as a quick fix that will bring increased profits and efficiencies is a guarantee of failure. Although the lean process has been documented in countless papers, lectures, seminars, and accredited training programs, many organizations lack even the basic fundamental processes and tools needed to implement lean manufacturing. Most failures can be attributed to this lack of a solid foundation on which lean will be built, and as a result, we are quickly overwhelmed by the amount of work and capital that must be spent before we can even begin to implement the lean initiatives. In a relatively short time we lose enthusiasm, get increasingly bogged down in seemingly mundane tasks, we eventually succumb to immediate time and budget constraints, and before we realized it, the program has been pushed to the back seat or shelved altogether.
TOTAL COMMITMENT
To be successful, any program which requires us to stray from our normal day to day behavior patterns has to be embraced and driven from the top down. This approach lends credibility to our actions, provides visibility of our endeavors, and assures motivation and direction will be maintained. Anyone who has tackled lean manufacturing will tell you it is a constant uphill struggle that requires leadershi
In order for any business to be successful today, it needs to have a good set of business strategies in place which have been developed and executed in the proper manner. In this article we will look at various ways of helping you to develop your own business strategies, as well as how to execute them in a well ordered, consistent manner. If you are like many other people today who are either thinking of setting up a new business, or are looking to expand the business they already have, then you need to have a good strategy in place to ensure that everything runs as smoothly as possible - right from the start.There are things that you will need to do in order to evaluate those situations which are extremely critical if you wish to succeed in any business venture you have. Although you may find that there is sufficient space in the market for what you are offering, you will still need to look at other factors to ensure that you can achieve your goals and that your business will thrive. You will need to spend time looking not at just what your target audience wants and needs are, but also at those companies who you will be competing against... in order to grab your share of the market.All this information you collect will help provide you with accurate knowledge of what the customer needs, rather than what you think they want. Below, we take a look at some of the things that should be included within your company's business strategy. These tips and techniques will provide any business with a sound basis for moving forward in the market they are in, when the time comes.Market ResearchThis is vitally important to any business, whether they be in the corporate or private fields. It can help them as follows:1. They will be able to organize their marketing activities much more effectively. 2. They will be able to develop both short-term as well as mid-term goals for their business. 3. They will be able to develop a number of differen
TOTAL COMMITMENT
To be successful, any program which requires us to stray from our normal day to day behavior patterns has to be embraced and driven from the top down. This approach lends credibility to our actions, provides visibility of our endeavors, and assures motivation and direction will be maintained. Anyone who has tackled lean manufacturing will tell you it is a constant uphill struggle that requires leadership with a strong will and an ambitious outlook. The major players need to be forward thinking, self motivated pioneers, who can look at the big picture and effectively break it down into smaller manageable tasks that move the project ahead one step at a time. Team leaders must possess an inherent ability to fully understand the day to day operational procedures of the company and to pull all departments together in a common purpose toward the same goal. Managements’ direct participation is essential in providing the support, motivation and cooperation of everyone involved. And make no mistake, everyone must be involved.
GROUNDWORK
Though the fundamental procedures outlined in the lean initiatives seam simple and systematic at first glance, implementation of these principles can be overwhelming. For instance, taking a close look at those processes that are too long or wasting valuable time and improving on those numbers through proven manufacturing methods is in itself somewhat obvious, but exposing those processes often is not. How do you know what processes are questionable? Do you have valid, proven process sequences? Do you even have documented process models? Are these sequences measured against valid cost studies or accurate estimates? Before you can begin to solve problems you will need to put into place all those procedures, time studies, controls, records, documents, etc. Who will perform this work? Are they capable of managing these tasks in addition to the daily workload? This are just a few of a multitude of tasks that will be required before the actual cost saving can begin, and it is precisely at this point that the project begins to lose effectiveness.
You are suddenly faced with mountains of work that drain resources and don’t show results on the bottom line. Experienced personnel are reduced to clerks, measuring and documenting data. The forms and documents produced are not universal across all departments. There is no system in place to file, maintain or control the mountains of paper and the endless sea of data collected. More often than not, as the day to day problems continue to pile up, you are forced to commit your resources to keeping the company afloat and lean manufacturing fades into the background.
GOAL DRIVEN
Only by having well defined goals can you hope to succeed. Outlining precisely each and every task that will be required, not just on the improvement side, but in developing the basic infrastructure that will be required to implement those improvements, will put the project in perspective. Once you have a complete and concise understanding of what is truly involved you can determine reasonable time frames, budget resources accordingly, assign the appropriate personnel, and develop acceptable expectations. Break the processes down into smaller, more manageable tasks that can be scheduled into reasonable time frames. Commit to ad
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