What is Lean vs. Six Sigma vs. Kaizen? TAGS: blitz | condiments | consulting | continuous improvement | control chart | difference | kaizen | lean | operations | process | project | six sigma | sports | toyota way | wastes Questions I’m asked often – by potential clients and colleagues and friends alike – center around Lean versus Six Sigma, and versus Kaizen. What are the differences between them? When …Continue reading →

A Lamborghini & Process vs. System TAGS: activities | adding | blitz | bolster | capabilities | consulting | continuous | difference | driving | fancy | flow | gold | hammer | improvement | information | lamborghini | lean | management | metaphor | operations | optimization | optimize | procedures | process | productivity | scenarios | significant | six sigma | sports | subaru | success | system | tools | value | waste | wheel I have encountered multiple scenarios in my career where upper management was under the impression that putting in fancy new systems and technology would dramatically boost productivity and the quickness …Continue reading →

Vision and Value TAGS: ability | action | annie | associate | blitz | brand | cat food | cereal | consultant | consulting | detergent | difference | director | electronics | engineer | eradicate | expert | field | fish | fix | function | guru | improvement | indiana | irreplaceable | kelley | laundry | leader | lean | leibovitz | management | manager | marketing | mba | mentor | operations | opportunity | partner | photographer | pipe | plan | plumber | process | profession | retail | school | service | six sigma | sports | teach | university | value | vision | visualize Everybody has the opportunity to create value, in one fashion or another. A person can merely be a “warm body” that stands in as part of a process creating a …Continue reading →

If You Don’t Have Standardized Processes You’re Wasting Money TAGS: best | blitz | concession stand | conditions | difference | labor | lean | manufacturing | margin | operations | practices | principle | process | processes | savings | six sigma | sports | standard | standardized | studies | time | toy | toyota | waste | wasteful | way | work That’s a very bold proclamation, but it’s true. It applies to every type of process – manufacturing toys, cooking burgers, coding medical charts, delivering mail, checking a customer out at …Continue reading →