October 2008 | Gemba Academy

Act Small, Think Big

By Jon Miller - October 29th, 2008

Act small, think big: this is a borrowed phrase from a recent post on Seth Godin’s blog article titled Too Small to Fail. In this article he shares a profound common sense insight on the effect of size of thoughts and actions on

Millions of Dollars Saved in 60 Minutes

By Ron Pereira - October 28th, 2008

Last night I told you the story of a measurement system analysis gone bad. Tonight, as promised, I’ll explain exactly what the issue was and how we solved it in around 60 minutes. The Part in Question The plastic component in questio

Tour Japan with Kevin

By Ron Pereira - October 28th, 2008

My friend Kevin Meyer is on the Gemba Research Japanese Kaikaku Experience this week. He just posted his first article that summarizes his thoughts about one of Toyota’s top plants – the Kyushu operation. I also had the g

A Variation Story

By Ron Pereira - October 27th, 2008

If you test or inspect (visual or automatic) a product of any kind I’m very confident I can show you how to save your company thousands, if not millions, of dollars (or Euros, Pounds, etc.). How you ask? Three words. Measurement Syst

Office 5S Video: Too Much or Too Little?

By Jon Miller - October 27th, 2008

Cheers jeersfrom across the internets as the Wall Street Journal gives prime time coverage to our beloved lean management principles sort, straighten, sweep, standardize and sustain, otherwise known as 5S. Kyocera’s North America

The Spooky Resemblance of GM, Ford and Chrysler to Zombies

By Jon Miller - October 25th, 2008

This week families across the United States celebrate the pagan festival of the harvest and visitation by the dead. They place hollowed-out and glowing gourds and gruesome decorations in their homes. Their children go out to harvest sw

What Tool of Lean Manufacturing Do You Use First?

By Jon Miller - October 23rd, 2008

Today we received a question from Konrad, one of our readers, on how to implement lean manufacturing (LM). He asked: I tried to find if there is a particular way to implement LM. I found only this: 1. Factory tour & meeting with m

System Toyota Of Production: TPS or STOP?

By Jon Miller - October 21st, 2008

Another way to think about lean manufacturing is that it is a system of stopping: no more waste, variation or overburden, just the value the customer wants at the right speed, quality and cost. The classic TPS house comprised of the pi

Value Stream Mapping Q&A

By Ron Pereira - October 20th, 2008

Sunil, a reader of LSS Academy, recently asked me several value stream mapping questions via email. I have been to your site and was quite impressed by your e-book on Lean Manufacturing. I need your guidance related to VSM as per below

Is Mean Lean Better than No Lean?

By Jon Miller - October 19th, 2008

Often lean implementations are begun not after great thought and deliberation but because of a conviction that waste is evil and there is no time like the present. Is mean lean better than no lean? I thought this was a rhetorical quest

Month: October 2008