Archive for January 2022
Control or Cooperate?
FEATURE – Lean Thinking is about voluntary participation, not audits that are meant to ensure compliance. The authors explore the advantages of pursuing cooperation rather than control. Words: Michael Ballé, Cyril Gras and Daniel Jones Pick any lean tool. What do you intend with it? Take Just-in-Time, for example. Do you mean to use it…
Read MoreLean on the Agenda
FEATURE – This Brazilian manufacturer was able to achieves significant improvements in its processes in just one week thanks to kaizen. Words: Claudio Marcelo Macedo and João Marcos Linares In just five days, as part of their second Kaizen Week, Tilibra, a manufacturer of notebooks and personal organizers, achieved improvements of over 50% in several…
Read MoreTaking the Next Step
FEATURE – How Lærdal Medical was able to enthusiastically restart its lean journey with help of a good old-fashioned Kaizen Week. Words: Eivind Reke, with Gert Frick and Torbjørn Gjerdevik The lean journey of Lærdal Medical is about more than productivity improvements – it’s about “helping save lives”. Over the last three generations, the Lærdal…
Read MoreThe Power of Suggestions
FEATURE – At Toyota, led by senior executives, suggestion schemes have contributed to decades of improvement. This article explores why they are so effective and encourages you to try one out for yourself. Words: Andrew Quibell TPS is the most prominent and visible element of Toyota’s story, but it’s not the only one. There is…
Read More4 Critical Steps In Change Management
Every organization handles change differently – there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. There are many steps involved, and if some of them are not handled correctly, the entire initiative can be undermined. Here are four such steps that are critical to change management. 1. Identify the Need for Change Before starting the change management process, it is…
Read MoreCultivating CI in a digital work environment
FEATURE – This global designer and manufacturer has leveraged a remote kaizen initiative to keep the flame of continuous improvement burning during the Covid-19 pandemic. Words: Christos G. Chatzopoulos Ph.D., Christophe Gonet and Simon P. Winn, West Pharmaceutical Services For the past two years, the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing restrictions have disrupted everyone’s personal…
Read MoreTechnology Is Changing PR and Marketing Forever
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. We’re living in the most technologically advanced time in history. With the increasing rise of a myriad of technological upgrades, changes and inventions, it is safe to say that nearly every industry is rapidly evolving. One such industry is marketing and public relations. Running a tech PR and marketing…
Read MoreThe Importance of Communication in Six Sigma
Six Sigma is a highly beneficial methodology for businesses and companies in any industry worldwide. Its purpose is to make a firm more successful by improving productivity and eliminating problems and defects. Although it has many benefits, a company has to have great communication to establish Six Sigma as a culture or strategy. In such…
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