Use “5-Whys” to find Root Cause
"When confronted with a problem, have you ever stopped and asked why five times? It is difficult to do even though it sounds easy. For example, suppose a machine stopped…
The Key to Success
"The key to success is to have a production system that highlights problems and a human system that produces people who are able and willing to identify and solve them."…
Daily Problem-Solving Process
"Without a practical and continuous problem-solving process that is used on a daily basis, there will be a gap in any company’s lean transformation." Toyota Culture by Jeffrey Liker &…
Resolve Problems at a Root-Cause Level
"Another description of Lean is to think of it as a system, one that is designed to identify problems, and then resolve them at a root-cause level. Given that 99…
The THINKING for Problem Solving
"If you look at the Toyota Production System simplistically, it's about making problems and improvement opportunities visible to workers and management, and addressing them as close to the source as…
An Army of Problem-Solvers
"For any company pursuing any form of improvement, problem-solving is vital. An organization with only pockets of problem-solving ability will struggle in the long run. An organization with an army…
Understand the Root Cause
"In true problem solving, we are deeply trying to understand the root cause of a problem so that we can ultimately prevent the problem from occurring again." The Toyota Way…
How to Get “Stability”
"Without basic stability there is no just-in-time; without problem-solving there is no basic stability." Four types of problems by Art Smalley (Lean enterprise Institute, 2018) p. vii.
Constant Problem-Solving
"Daily and virtually constant problem-solving activity is the key to the Toyota culture and to its success." Toyota Culture by Jeffrey Liker & Michael Hoseus (McGraw Hill, 2008) p. 152
Improvement or Problem-Solving. Which is Better?
The correct answer is both. Let me explain. Here's a good definition of Lean:"Lean is a people-driven improvement system that can improve any work process." The key is to train…