Comments on: Once Again, Dell is Not TPS http://www.leanblog.org/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/ Mark Graban's leanblog.org - Lean Healthcare, Lean Thinking, Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:59:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Updated: Wal-Mart and Dell New Bed-Fellows? — Lean Blog http://www.leanblog.org/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-22931 Updated: Wal-Mart and Dell New Bed-Fellows? — Lean Blog Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:44:41 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-22931 [...] but Dell shifted production overseas in the chase for cheap labor. That’s another reason I don’t like to consider Dell a “lean” company (in the Toyota sense), although they are working on that [...] [...] but Dell shifted production overseas in the chase for cheap labor. That’s another reason I don’t like to consider Dell a “lean” company (in the Toyota sense), although they are working on that [...]

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]]> By: Don’t Look for "Lean" in the PC Industry — Lean Blog http://www.leanblog.org/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-22930 Don’t Look for "Lean" in the PC Industry — Lean Blog Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:44:25 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-22930 [...] on Kevin’s post — as I’ve stated here before, “Dell is not TPS.” I would agree with the comments on Kevin’s blog that Dell’s layoffs [...] [...] on Kevin’s post — as I’ve stated here before, “Dell is not TPS.” I would agree with the comments on Kevin’s blog that Dell’s layoffs [...]

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]]> By: Airbus "Violated Key Tenet of Lean"? — Lean Blog http://www.leanblog.org/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-22924 Airbus "Violated Key Tenet of Lean"? — Lean Blog Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:42:23 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-22924 [...] As an aside, this is a concept that Dell never understood well when I was there. This is just one reason why I don’t consider Dell a true Toyota “Lean” company. [...] [...] As an aside, this is a concept that Dell never understood well when I was there. This is just one reason why I don’t consider Dell a true Toyota “Lean” company. [...]

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]]> By: Communists Hate Lean — Lean Blog http://www.leanblog.org/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-22677 Communists Hate Lean — Lean Blog Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:18:31 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-22677 [...] proving he doesn’t get it, he mistakenly ties Lean to Dell: Lean manufacturing, while it is prevalent in the auto industry is still just growing elsewhere. [...] [...] proving he doesn’t get it, he mistakenly ties Lean to Dell: Lean manufacturing, while it is prevalent in the auto industry is still just growing elsewhere. [...]

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]]> By: Don’t Blame Lean for Part Shortages — Lean Blog http://www.leanblog.org/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-22676 Don’t Blame Lean for Part Shortages — Lean Blog Wed, 27 Jul 2011 23:16:32 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-22676 [...] as a refresher course, here’s my take on why Dell is not a Toyota Production System company. The article I linked to above blames “Lean” for part shortages in the laptop industry, [...] [...] as a refresher course, here’s my take on why Dell is not a Toyota Production System company. The article I linked to above blames “Lean” for part shortages in the laptop industry, [...]

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]]> By: Tracy Esau http://www.leanblog.org/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-3184 Tracy Esau Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:48:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-3184 i dont know why people find problems with dell.... i have been using dell for a long time and im happy with it i dont know why people find problems with dell…. i have been using dell for a long time and im happy with it

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]]> By: Mark Graban http://www.leanblog.org/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-646 Mark Graban Thu, 15 Jun 2006 21:48:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-646 Good point that "better service" shouldn't have to drive up costs, at least in the long term. Womack and Jones' book "Lean Solutions" has a great case study showing how Fujitsu used customer services complaints to really drive root cause problem solving and improvement all the way up the supply chain, thus cutting costs in the long-term by solving problems and reducing the need for as much tech support.<br/><br/>I read about Dell "throwing money" at the problem, by hiring more people. Those are people that Dell can lay off to cut costs later. Is Dell fixing root cause problems? I don't know the answer, but that's a good question. Good point that “better service” shouldn’t have to drive up costs, at least in the long term. Womack and Jones’ book “Lean Solutions” has a great case study showing how Fujitsu used customer services complaints to really drive root cause problem solving and improvement all the way up the supply chain, thus cutting costs in the long-term by solving problems and reducing the need for as much tech support.

I read about Dell “throwing money” at the problem, by hiring more people. Those are people that Dell can lay off to cut costs later. Is Dell fixing root cause problems? I don’t know the answer, but that’s a good question.

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]]> By: Rob G from the UK http://www.leanblog.org/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-634 Rob G from the UK Wed, 14 Jun 2006 15:31:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-634 a couple of points<br/><br/>1) good spot on the reaction of Wall Street to Dell 'investing' in service. If only the analysts looked at things longer term and, more importantly, looked at the costs end-to-end from the customer's point of view, they would see that good service costs less, not more...<br/><br/>2) Before trying to apply a manufacturing tool (andon) to a service environment, Dick Hunter should take the time to understand what type of demands his customers are placing on the call centre. How many calls are 'value demands' and how many are 'failure demands'? What do these demands tell him about 'what matters' to his customers? What is the predictability of each type of call? He could then train his staff to do 1st-time fix with the most common calls at 1st point of contact without the need for a hand-off. He might even be able to provide some robust information to the factory so that they can work on improving quality, stopping the calls coming in in the future. Before he knows it his costs will be falling not rising. a couple of points

1) good spot on the reaction of Wall Street to Dell ‘investing’ in service. If only the analysts looked at things longer term and, more importantly, looked at the costs end-to-end from the customer’s point of view, they would see that good service costs less, not more…

2) Before trying to apply a manufacturing tool (andon) to a service environment, Dick Hunter should take the time to understand what type of demands his customers are placing on the call centre. How many calls are ‘value demands’ and how many are ‘failure demands’? What do these demands tell him about ‘what matters’ to his customers? What is the predictability of each type of call? He could then train his staff to do 1st-time fix with the most common calls at 1st point of contact without the need for a hand-off. He might even be able to provide some robust information to the factory so that they can work on improving quality, stopping the calls coming in in the future. Before he knows it his costs will be falling not rising.

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]]> By: curiouscat http://www.leanblog.org/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-633 curiouscat Tue, 13 Jun 2006 23:26:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2006/06/once-again-dell-is-not-tps/#comment-633 Good post. <br/><br/>But we shouldn't give management a free pass when they cave in to short term thinking. It seems to me we too qiuckly excuse bad managmeent because that particular management failure (short term thinking, disrespect for people...) has been endemic for decades. Frankly those failures should be less tolorable than making new (or less common) mistakes in my opnion.<br/><br/>Management should know better and has a responsibility to do better. Good post.

But we shouldn’t give management a free pass when they cave in to short term thinking. It seems to me we too qiuckly excuse bad managmeent because that particular management failure (short term thinking, disrespect for people…) has been endemic for decades. Frankly those failures should be less tolorable than making new (or less common) mistakes in my opnion.

Management should know better and has a responsibility to do better.

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