| Volume 8 No. 8 August 2007 www.superfactory.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| From the Editor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The next couple months bring us two of the best lean manufacturing conferences of the year. In late September we have the Lean Accounting Summit in Orlando, which is very close to selling out so register now. Then in late October we have the AME Annual Conference in Chicago, the largest lean manufacturing conference in the world. As always we appreciate your support for our mission to spread manufacturing excellence knowledge. Click here for more information on sponsorships. - Kevin Meyer |
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| In the Blog | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Join the other 2,500 readers who get their daily dose of blunt manufacturing reality by subscribing to the Evolving Excellence blog! Recent posts in the Evolving Excellence blog include:
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| Upcoming Events | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Visit the Superfactory Events Calendar for the full list of events.
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| Featured Book | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 
Real Lean (Volumes 1 and 2) Shingo Prize winning author Bob Emiliani explains the purposes, advantages, myths, and misinformation surrounding Lean management. In a lively and engaging style, he answers the key questions that leaders of organizations have about Lean management. A perfect read for the busy executive, each volume is a practical guide to Lean management, complete with interesting and informative linkages to historical events and long-forgotten perspectives. Readers will learn how the two principles of Lean management, "Continuous Improvement" and "Respect for People," work in tandem, with emphasis on "Respect for People" the principle that is often missing from the practice of Lean management. |
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Toyota calls it “lowering the water level.” Imagine a value stream or a production process as a river. Reducing the inventory in the process – “lowering the water level” – exposes the “rocks” that represent all of the hidden costs and waste in production. Only by revealing those rocks can you improve the process and reduce the waste. This metaphor works for knowledge workers, too. In this case, however, their key inventory item is time. Having too much time to do one’s work hides the waste and inefficiencies in the process. Now, most people would deny they have too much time to do their work. Not too many people are taking three-martini lunches anymore, or leaving the office right at 5:00pm. Hell, on average Americans only take about 79% of their vacation time, and 20% of people work on their vacations. And with our cellphone- and Crackberry-addled days, nights, and weekends, it seems as though there’s an infinite torrent of work. Further, these vacation-skipping, Bluetooth-beholden employees complain vociferously about a lack of time for their personal lives. But here’s the thing: your cellphone, Blackberry, and general willingness to work late and on weekends are part of the problem, not the solution. Counterintuitive, but true. “No way!,” you gasp. “If I didn’t have my Blackberry, if I didn’t put in a few hours on the weekend, I’d never get on top of everything I need to do. I’d be buried. I’d get fired. I’d end up on the street with two Dixie cups and a string instead of an iPhone.” Let me ask you this (in the words of Dr. Phil): How’s that working for you so far? |
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| Featured Evolving Excellence Blog Post | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Toyota Training the World... Sort Of It appears that Toyota has set up a 3 year technical training school in India to expand automobile manufacturing expertise in that area. According to one report this is the only training school outside of Japan. “The Toyota Technical Training School will train students in various aspects of automobile manufacturing such as welding, painting, automobile assembly and mechatronics.” Another article described the venture in this way: “The purpose of this technical training institute was to offer an opportunity to acquire special skills 'Monozukuri' or skilled manufacturing, for those students who had the talent but could not go for higher education due to economic reasons.” Students for the school are carefully screened prior to admission. “...the first batch of 64 students has been selected through a competitive exam and classes for the three-year residential course will commence this month.” Wow, a three-year residential course. How can someone afford to drop everything and take three years off to learn about automobile manufacturing? Read entire post (you can also view and post comments) |
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For the first time in over two years we have redesigned the 
You've Got Too Much Time On Your Hands. Really. 
