STLtoday – News – Science & Medicine This was sent to me by blog reader Joe. He was appalled to read about this and I understand where he’s coming from. It’s hard to understand that hospitals can throw their hands…
I have something else to add to my earlier post on the state of lean through the eyes of an Industry Week survey. My point is this: we don’t know what to call this stuff, and at the same time,…
Along with the profiles of this year’s Industry Week’s Best Plants Award, the latest issue includes the latest census data on continuous improvement. Of course, a survey question being checked on a website is far from direct observation (or gemba),…
Mishandling Has Spiked Since Liquid Ban Reduced Carry-Ons – washingtonpost.com With the new security rules in August, the number of checked bags increased suddenly (including my own, until I changed my process to include leaving a bag of toiletries at…
I had to buy a new router for home (a different quality discussion about why my old one quit working after a year). I noticed an error proofing (poka yoke) device on the back of the router (the orange strip…
Henry Ford Changes the World I can’t find the date online, but XM Radio’s “This Day in History” feature claimed that today, October 7, in 1913, was the first activation of the continuously moving assembly line at the Ford Highland…
The ChronicleHerald.ca Finally, the right combination of the words “lean” and “mean” in a headline. Lean is NOT mean. Good overview of lean and Toyota Production System thinking in the article linked to above. Please check out my main blog…
By Mark Edmondson, LEAN Affiliates I made a day trip to the Assembly Technology Expo in Chicago last week. What an adventure. After all, here’s an event dedicated to the latest automated innovations for manufacturing: Over 600 leading suppliers were…
With permission from the recruiter, posting this as a free service. As a blog reader, does it add value to see a job posting once in a while? Give me feedback under “Comments.” I’m posting this because it looked like…
I was able to have dinner at the famous Pizzeria Uno in Chicago on Friday. It had been too long since I’ve had really good Chicago stuffed pizza — REAL Chicago pizza, not the fake bready stuff that too many…
Landmark Study Investigates Root Causes of Profitability Gap Among North American Automotive Manufacturers Here is a Harbour Report study which claims the key to American Competitiveness is “beyond lean.” I always hate it when people talk about what is beyond…
A “shadowboard” is a common method in the Toyota Production System. It is a “5S” method where an outline or solid “shadow” is drawn behind where a tool would go on a board, bench, or table. With the shadowboard, it…