Training, Coaching and Consulting
Defining Excellence Metrics: A Challenge for Today’s Leaders “If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” That is one of Peter Drucker’s most poignant quotes. It is foolish to pursue a campaign of continuous improvement without quantifying and analyzing every facet of a company’s performance, and then acting upon the results. Progress is not a […]
Can a country operate as a company? I don’t mean in a purely capitalist sense, focused solely on profits and market dominance, but instead, can it embrace principles of excellence and lean management even when it does not partake directly in free market economics? Every country depends on an extensive administrative system to keep its […]
Toronto is the largest city in Canada, with a population of three million, which represents eight percent of the country’s population. Like many rapidly growing cities, it faces problems around increased demand on infrastructure (housing, hospitals, and transit). It shares a trait with other iconic cities, including San Francisco, Paris, Mexico City, Geneva, Prague, Amsterdam […]
There are very few companies, if any, that will publicly say they pursue mediocrity, or that they really don’t care about their customers or their products. That just doesn’t happen. The problem comes about when the customer says these things about a company. Comments from end users naturally have enormous influence on a company’s financial […]
As a company grows and moves along its lifeline from start-up into adolescence and then early middle age, it will be inevitable that Management will seek to review all of its processes to take stock of what is working well and what is not. This is the time when concepts such as lean production start […]
Is there a difference between solving a problem and problem-solving? It might seem like pure wordplay, but I will suggest otherwise. In my experience, I have noticed that the first activity, solving a problem, involves taking steps to resolve an issue. It’s a one-off action. Over time, it can become a series of one-time measures, […]
One of the most significant challenges faced by senior management in most organizations is keeping up with a pace that continues to accelerate. I have noticed this on numerous occasions in which I have visited organizations in both the public and private sectors, many of whom say they follow the fundamental principles of Lean management […]
Lean Management approaches are management process that has attracted so much following in the world of business. It is the approach to running an organization supportive of the continuous improvement concept. It is a long-term management approach that systematically seeks achieving small but incremental changes in order to improve quality and efficiency. The objective of lean […]
After the financial blows the economy has suffered, banks and banking institutions have been searching for ways to effectively reduce their expenditures. They need this to be able to drastically boost their operational model as well as sustain and create a capital buffer as a requirement with financial regulations. Armed with this mindset, fiscal reduction […]
Lean maintenance has been erroneously thought to be a spin off or subset of lean manufacturing. What business managers failed to realize is that lean maintenance is actually a prerequisite for the success of lean manufacturing. It is an independent discipline under the broad concept of lean management or lean business operation. Definition Lean maintenance […]
When it comes to manufacturing and services, there are a lot of point of views about horizontal and vertical management. Most companies have vertical reporting lines. These usually have horizontal communication on the same management (vertical) level. A value stream manager allows the organization to see the process or service as a whole. He is […]
Lean management engineering is a concept to boost the efficiency of various engineering segments within manufacturing enterprises. It is a consistent process that helps increase the levels of valid engineering data developed compared to the dollar investment. The entire process entails a straightforward review of the current condition, coupled by several adjustments to handle inefficiencies […]
Insurers know that lean processes and dynamics pave a way towards customer satisfaction. However, many find the whole set-up a challenge to accomplish. The needs and requirements of insurance customers are fast increasing with regards quality of service and processing speeds. In addition, the payoffs from complying with these demands are also fast growing. Especially […]
There are so many men who can figure costs, and so few who can measure values. Once you have taken the necessary measures for developing and sustaining a Lean culture within the organization, it is time for the evaluation phase of Lean Six Sigma deployment. We now move towards the end of our LSS deployment […]
“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning” Benjamin Franklin Now that you are aware of how to train people for implementing a Lean or Six Sigma strategy in your organization, the next step is to move towards sustainability. Training the right personnel is just one part […]