I just returned from my annual trip to visit some customers and attend a trade show in Shanghai, China. Always an interesting experience and I personally love Asia, although I prefer the respectful humility of the Japanese and the constant happiness of the Thai and Cambodians. The latter always seem to be full of joy [...]
Compression is the art and science of maintaining quality of life while consuming far fewer natural resources doing it. That’s a very different concept of economics from those prevailing today. Business analyses and perhaps our human instincts are to grow – to expand – so everyone has a bigger piece of pie, especially me. As [...]
Jidoka is one of the core principles of the Toyota Production System, one that empowers production workers to stop the assembly line and solve problems at the moment they occur. Jidoka integrates the two guiding pillars of the Toyota Way, “Continuous Improvement” and “Respect for People.” Recently, Toyota has suffered some major blows to its reputation. Toyota’s [...]
Quality information and effective information systems are vital to the success of the modern enterprise. But the magnitude of IT spending on ill-conceived or poorly implemented IT projects is staggering. And the dire consequences of unstable and inflexible systems, failed projects, and chronic misalignment of IT activities with business strategy are unacceptable—and unsustainable. Editor’s note: [...]
There are many books that seek to explain Lean and Agile software that offer theory, techniques, and examples. Michael Levine’s first book, A Tale of Two Systems, is one of the best, synthesizing Lean manufacturing and product development with agile software concepts in an engaging business novel. However, there has been precious little practical guidance [...]
In this refreshing and engaging book, Russell Watkins proves that ‘lean’ need not be a dull, dry topic. Adventures in Leanland weaves his global experiences into stories, examples and advice to challenge and inform. Russell’s highly readable style traces a path through destinations as diverse as Mumbai and Mexico to give an honest evaluation of [...]
One of the most powerful ways businesses have improved profits over the past two decades has been by moving away from mass production to lean manufacturing. Many, many businesses have successfully learned to use the lean way to generate stronger profits and growth. But even today, even after what feels like a barrage of training, [...]
Association for Manufacturing Excellence – In order to assist companies align their lean production system strategies with the organization’s accounting and financial strategies, AME and Auburn University – Business Executive Education (AU-BEE) are co-hosting an in-depth 3-day course on Accounting for a Lean Enterprise. This three-day seminar will teach you how you can make appropriate [...]
Association for Manufacturing Excellence – Research has established that employee engagement is a leading indicator of future business performance and success. Employee satisfaction, tenure, and organizational perception are all linked to individual engagement and performance level. Organizations with highly engaged employees have earnings per share growth rates that are 2.6 times higher than less engaged [...]
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