Visualize the Discovery

So far in my discussion on the process of discovery I have focused on methods of collection. Specifically, process observation, interviewing people, and performing frequent waste walks. Discovery goes further than collection. We have to visualize the information that has been discovered and we have to communicate it. The most powerful tool for this purpose […]
Quantifying the Discovery

We can agree that in the process of discovery observation is not enough. To make characterizations about a process we need hard data. Observation can be a form of data, but it is qualitative and open to subjective bias. Quantified data creates a much more powerful understanding of process performance. When I was first […]
Waste Walks In Action

This article will focus on waste walks as a part of the discovery process. I suspect most of my readers know what a waste walk is, but I would still like to start by providing my own definition. The rest of this article will focus on how waste walks differ from other forms of discovery […]
Interviewing to Discover the Current State

A great deal of knowledge can be gained through observation. But observation alone does not tell you everything. In the process of discovery we have to employ a multitude of methods to fully understand the current state of the operation. Individual and group interviews are also an important part of the discovery process. There […]
Observing the Details

When I teach Lean I like to tell the commonly shared story of Taichii Ohno instructing his young engineers on how to observe a process. He would draw a circle on the floor and instruct an engineer to stand in the circle and watch the process. He would leave and come back in a few […]
Exploring the Process of Discovery

Maybe you have noticed, or at least I hope you have noticed that with my newsletters I try to come up with good themes that are useful to my readers and write multiple articles around that theme. Many of you have mentioned to me at one time or another that you find these articles useful, […]
Habits and Routines to Sustain Improvements

As we have explored over the last few months, it is one thing to create an improvement and a whole other thing to sustain improvement. Sustaining improvement requires clarity in roles from top management through middle management. It requires many structures and techniques. It requires a culture that backs this up and supports the organization’s […]
The Integrity to Improve

This month I will continue to stress the importance of company culture to sustain improvement. Last month I shared the importance of accountability. This month I will talk about integrity. Now integrity is a big concept, possibly a bit too big for a simple continuous improvement discussion. There are many aspects of an individual’s character […]
The Culture of Accountability

In February I laid out an outline of topics that provide my perspectives on sustaining improvement inside an organization. So far, I have shared my thoughts on organizational structure topics such as management responsibilities and skills that the organization needs. In the next two articles I want to provide my thoughts on culture. By this, […]
Building a Culture of Discipline and Learning

With the CI Mastermind program Chalmers St. is not just embarking on developing a better Lean Six Sigma training program, we’re creating a transformational path to a sustained learning organization for our clients. “Sustained” is possibly the most challenging part. We are building great problem solvers who become role models for their respective organizations. This […]