Too Much Inventory Reduction Can Hurt
"Sustaining continuous flow also serves to surface any problem that would inhibit that flow. In essence, the creation of flow forces the correction of problems, resulting in reduced waste. We…
Flow and the Pursuit of Perfection
"Connected processes force all team members to strive for perfection. [Toyota Manager] Ohno taught that lowering the 'water level' of inventory exposes problems (like rocks in the water), and you…
The Benefit of One-Piece Flow
"One of the greatest benefits of one-piece flow is that problems surface and challenge people to think and improve." The Toyota Way 2nd Edition by Jeffrey K. Liker (McGraw Hill,…
How to Make Improvement Possible
"Accordingly, training underscores a perpetual cycle: perform standardized work, encounter variation, conduct problem solving, set a new standard, train everyone to the new standard, and perform to the new standard.…
When People Point out a Problem
"None of us like to see reality when it's unpleasant or disappointing; all of us are guilty, at least to some degree of wanting rose-colored glasses. This is not an…
Lean = Learning Together
"The breakthrough thinking that Lean offers is that of better individual competence and better teamwork. This means taking responsibility when things go wrong (as they do daily) and not explaining…
The defect in our brains
"Unfortunately, our general human tendency is to assume with great certainty that we know far more than we really do. Our primitive brain hates uncertainty and drives us to assume…