Comments on: A Lean Guy Reads FORTUNE

By: Mark Graban

Mark Graban — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:19:00 +0000

I agree Martin that measures like “# of kaizen events done” or “what’s your 5S score?” are pretty meaningless compared to the real measures of a company’s long-term success — quality, profit, employee satisfaction, growth, etc.

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By: Dwane Lay

Dwane Lay — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:05:00 +0000

It’s funny you mention the “required Kazien” metric. I’m in a large manufacturing organization in year 2 or our Lean transformation. In the first two years (and continuing next year, as I hear) we have required 2 events per year for bonus eligible employees. (Really more kaikaku than kaizen, but why split hairs, right?) There is also an issue with project selection, especially at year’s end when people are scrambling to get in their required events.

The rationale was that doing it in year one drove awareness, year 2 drove effectiveness. I’m not sure what year 3 is supposed to bring.

My arguement is that this (and other decisions) has created an “event Lean” culture rather than true Lean. To combat, we are working on a new structure to drive value into the events by creating a clear line of sight to our long term and annual plans.

My perspective is that the tape around the keyboard comes from a culture being shifted without enough direction as to where it goes. It falls to the Lean/SS team to help guide the direction and build the structure to make the effort mean something. Otherwise, the “transformation” just becomes the things you have to do before you can get back to “real work.”

Dwane Lay
MBA, SSBB

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By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:12:00 +0000

I am in the process of establishing Lean at a company that manufactures ammounition for the US and forigen military market. I am more focused on Key Process Indicator maturity than if the keyboards in the contracs office have an exact place.

Throughput in the office and on the production floor is more improtan than if someone has to many pictures on their desks.

At a historical reenactment this weekend I spoke with a couple of the ladies who were working the kitchen and both of them are in companies that are doing Lean implementation. Both of them are seeing the “tape around the coffee mug” situation. Also they have metrics of 5S and number of Kaizens per month.

I see LAME implementation more now than ever before. Anyone else feel the same way?

Martin J. Hickey
MBA, SSBB, CAPM

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