Don’t Let Operator Issues Be An Excuse Not To Do Your Job!
I recently visited a client that is experiencing a number of quality issues both internally and externally with their customers. A large portion of their manufacturing process relies on operators doing their job properly. In reviewing their process, it was evident that operators were not handling material properly, not using process fixtures, and not following the methods they were taught....
Read MoreDon’t Let Luck be the Major Factor in How You Define and Transfer Critical Process Knowledge
One of the largest contributors to inconsistency or variability in an organization is caused by lack of a written method, i.e., a procedure, work instruction, or standard work. When no documented method exists, knowledge of a particular job is based on tribal information and most workers have their own way of doing the work. Often their is a lack of an effective method for defining what is...
Read MoreLearn to Work Smarter, Not Harder!
Many employees go to work each day frustrated because of all the non-value-added activities that occur in their work day. Good, accurate information is hard to get, answering all the emails that come each day, interruptions that occur, and unproductive meetings are just some examples of the daily activities that cause anxiety and frustration. On top of all this, no one seems to care and the...
Read MoreEliminating Process Waste Begins With How You Define Work
Work is defined by Merriam-Webster as any activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result. Many people go to work everyday to make something or provide a service in order to make a living. We all expect to get paid for the things we make or the service we provide. But how much of what we do everyday is real work and not just the appearance of being...
Read MoreFour Elements of a Successful Continuous Improvement Program
Problems, customer issues, productivity issues, and making decisions are an inherent part of daily life in every organization. Many organizations do an outstanding job and are able to resolve issues and make decisions very efficiently and quickly. However, there are still many organizations that struggle to resolve the simplest of issues. Why is it that some organizations are so much better...
Read MoreDo You Really Understand The Data You’re Collecting?
Organizations collect massive amounts of data every day. Production numbers, inventory numbers, sales, costs, customer feedback, efficiencies, process data, etc. There’s probably not a metric on the face of the earth that’s not being collected somewhere. Managers, workers, engineers, scientists, financial analysts, bankers, doctors, nurses, educators, students, etc. all digest...
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