Lean

Superfactory Training

By Ron Updated on June 4th, 2007

I recently came across a news article about our friends over at the Superfactory. It seems they have recently launched some elearning and the prices are very affordable compared to some elearning I have seen from others.

Upon further examination on their site and viewing the Jidoka module demo it seems they have done a really nice job. You may want to check it out.

Follow this link and then click on the little guy with a tie next to the Jidoka link.

Ron

  1. Anonymous

    April 9, 2007 - 3:13 pm
    Reply

    Yes a good job, except that in the quiz the next to the last question asks you to order the 4 steps of jidoka and according to the quiz – the correct answer places fix after investigate.

  2. Ron Pereira

    April 9, 2007 - 3:35 pm
    Reply

    Great catch anonymous. I didn’t actually take the self test. You also have a good topic for tonights blog!

  3. Maciej

    April 10, 2007 - 4:02 pm
    Reply

    I gotta be honest — I found this presentation to be quite a waste of time. The presentation style was annoying:
    – voice does nothing but read the bullet points (I can read too!!).
    – rather than being allowed to read at my own pace, I had to anxiously wait for the points to appear, and click the next slide button repeatedly

    What ever happened to a plain text document? I hardly think there was anything revolutionary in here that a simple introductory “Pocket Guide” to lean manufacturing wouldn’t explain better. I can’t believe people actually pay for this garbage.

  4. Ron Pereira

    April 10, 2007 - 7:07 pm
    Reply

    maciej, thanks for the, eh hum, comments. Perhaps you can come up with something better that will make the world more lean. Or better yet, instead of criticism you may offer some suggestions to the guys at Superfactory. That would be the kaizen way. Complaining and calling someone else’s efforts garbage seems a bit mass production. Personally, for the price I think you would struggle to find better material out there. Could they have jazzed it up with fancy flash and talking cartoon characters… maybe. But download any of James Womack’s training and I think you will find it quite plain. In fact, I have seen some Toyota training material that lacked spark. But spark is not what makes people learn and apply lean. In fact, it is just the opposite which is why so many western companies can’t make things better… employees are too worried about fancy animation and talking cartoon characters.

  5. Maciej

    April 11, 2007 - 8:42 am
    Reply

    Ron, I apologize, but I feel you may have somehow misinterpreted my comments. I’m not sure where you got this “fancy animation and cartoon characters” thing from. I am essentially arguing for the exact opposite — I truly believe that an 8.5 x 11″ sheet of paper with all the same bullet points as this presentation would have more value. Read something like “The Toyota Way”, and you are light-years ahead of where this course seems to be able to take you.

    I am surprised at your reaction. It isn’t my place to contact Superfactory and volunteer to redesign their course. If I was asking them to fix a typo, sure. But they are entitled to do their own thing.

    I certainly do not feel that I should be opening myself up for criticism through my comments. The simple fact of the matter is that I did not find much added value in this product. Sorry.

  6. Ron Pereira

    April 11, 2007 - 9:39 am
    Reply

    No need to apologize maciej. I had a rotten day yesterday and treated many people wrongly yesterday (ask my kids for verification). I shouldn’t have snapped at you like I did so it is I that should apologize. Please feel free to comment openly and honestly in the future.

  7. Maciej

    April 11, 2007 - 10:23 am
    Reply

    No hard feelings. I do understand that sometimes I can be a little more blunt than is appropriate. I wasn’t having the best day myself, and had actually just come out of a presentation at work in which the speaker monotonously read everything on the slides. This has always been one of my pet peeves — the person talking distracts me from reading, and the text in front me distracts me from listening to the person. I actually read some interesting research on this a few days ago: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/04/powerpoint_bad/
    So I think the cumulative effect here just irritated me.

    By the way, I have been reading and enjoying your blog for quite some time. Keep up the good work!

  8. Ron Pereira

    April 11, 2007 - 11:21 am
    Reply

    Thanks for the nice words Maciej. I am glad you are enjoying the blog. Cheers!

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