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The e-newsletter for leaders who are passionate about learning the latest concepts and implementation approaches for lean enterprise transformation. |
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Current Issue: Volume 1 Issue 1 - Paving Cow Paths With Technology |
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President's Column
"What's Your Daily Rate?"
As the President of LEAN Affiliates, I
get this question a lot. Explaining why we don't
have a daily rate gives us the opportunity to
express that we work differently than most
consultants.
Our mission goes beyond just
workshops and training- we define our partnership
with you so that our committed deliverables are
tangible, breakthrough business results.
With this approach, rather than being
a "time and
expenses" contractor, we become your risk-sharing
mentor during your lean enterprise transformation.
-- Mark Edmondson
Learn more about our risk-sharing, self-funding approach
Trusted Resources
Favorite Bookmarks
Daily Smile
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| Dear Mark,
Welcome to the inaugural edition of "The LEAN
Executive"- the e-newsletter for leaders who
are passionate about learning the latest concepts
and implementation approaches for lean enterprise
transformation.
You're receiving this newsletter either
because you're an existing client, or you've
expressed interest in keeping in touch with us or one
of our Affiliates.
As always, your comments and suggestions are
welcome- please follow the links at the bottom to send a note to the editor, to forward
this newsletter to colleagues, or to unsubscribe to
future editions.
Yours in success,
LEAN
Affiliates
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Paving Cow Paths
with Technology |
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"The first rule of any technology used in
business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the
efficiency. The second rule is that
automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency."
Bill Gates, The Road Ahead
The founder of one of the world's largest software
companies gets it- technology is not a silver bullet
for process excellence.
The tendency for organizations to automate an
inefficient process was aptly described by an
executive client of ours as "paving cow
paths".
A recent survey suggests a strategic opportunity
for you: most of your competitors are spending
tremendous capital and resources paving cow paths
with their suppliers- yet are not achieving process
excellence.
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The Gemba Walk*:
The Most Valuable Part of
the Plant Manager's Day |
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by Norman
Bodek
During a trip to Japan, Dr. Ryuji Fukuda took me to a
Meidensha Electric plant outside of Tokyo, and
introduced me to the plant manager. At 11:00AM,
the plant manager got up from behind his desk. He
asked me to join him on his daily walk; in fact he told
me that he walked the plant twice a day every day
and that it was the most valuable part of his
day.
The plant manager said, "Norman, I select a
different theme for every walk and this morning I
am going to look at the quality charts to see if they
have a real purpose for the company and for the
employees; if people are keeping them up to date; to
see how they're used; and to learn who looks at
them and when they're looked at. I want to find out
what is the real value of those quality charts."
*Gemba is a Japanese term that
means "actual place", and walking around the work
place could be the most important part of a
manager's job.
Full story
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LEAN Affiliate to Keynote
IIE Lean Conference |
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LEAN Affiliate Norman Bodek will be a
keynote
speaker at the Annual
Lean Management Solutions Conference sponsored by the Institute of Industrial Engineers
(IIE). Norman will be presenting "Kaikaku- The Power
and Magic of Lean", which chronicles his journey
while introducing the Toyota Production System and
lean to North America. You'll hear about his
encounters and lessons with Crosby, Deming, Juran,
Ishikawa, Ohno, Schonberger, Shingo, and others.
Conference dates: September 13-14, 2004
Norman speaks: September 14 @ 1:00 pm
Where: Wilshire Grand Hotel in Los Angeles
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