Introduction It seems as if every organization today is doing some form of Continuous Improvement. I have visited hundreds of companies who claim they are transforming their business with Lean methodologies. On the surface, these companies have put in place all of the fanfare that would give the uneducated eye the impression that the transformation […]
Lean Resources
Doing Lean vs. Being Lean
The Six Sigma Hysteria
Introduction Back in the 1980’s, Motorola pioneered the idea of Six Sigma, later institutionalized by Jack Welch at General Electric. What does Six Sigma actually mean? Statistically, it represents 3.4 defects per million occurrences. The Six Sigma methodology is a set of statistical problem-solving tools designed to primarily improve the quality of a product, process […]
Strategy Deployment vs. Daily Management Knowing the Difference and Why it Matters
Introduction Mention the phrase “Strategy Deployment” or “Daily Management” and a number of thoughts, concepts and disciplines come to mind. In general, industry has confused the two, which in fact are quite different from one another. The Lean consulting industry added fuel to the fire with service offerings that unknowingly attempted to combine the two […]
“But We Don’t Make Cars” Lean in Manufacturing vs. Insurance: Are They Really That Different?
The Danaher Business System vs. the Toyota Production System How Are They Alike? How Are They Different?
Introduction Having had the fortunate opportunity to be the principle architect of the Danaher Business System (DBS), I am often asked what it is and how it compares to the Toyota Production System (TPS). Much has been written about TPS, almost to a fault in my opinion. Academics have spent countless years studying Toyota but […]