Evolving Excellence

New at Superfactory - July 2009

Each month new articles, book reviews, and other content are added to the Superfactory website. The new content is featured in the monthly e-newsletter which goes out to 50,000 subscribers worldwide, and we will also post a monthly heads-up on this blog.

New content in July includes:

The featured article is from Michael Balle and is titled Who Teaches the Teachers?  The following is a brief excerpt, and you can read the entire article here.

I was recently walking through a factory shop floor that was essentially a machining shop (20-odd mills, drills and turns of varying age and design) with one small assembly cell stuck at the end of the hall. In this cell, the local lean team had worked very hard at implementing all the lean tools and improved quality, productivity and eliminated WIP by going to single piece flow. They were still struggling with regular supply in small containers, for the usual organizational issues with logistics. This was not bad at all, considering the general panic about 20% lower volumes than at this point last year. They’d managed to reduce headcount faster than falling demand, and to do so without traumatizing the operators, who had participated actively to the “lean implementation.”

The featured book this month is Follow the Learner by Sami Bahri.  The following is a brief summary, click here for more information.

'What does it really mean to be a learning organization? What does it take to get the people in a nonmanufacturing environment to think of work in terms of flow? How do you build a culture based on lean principles and lead that culture as it continuously evolves? Dr. Sami Bahri describes how he and the staff in his dental practice tackled each of these questions. The book describes how their organization transformed their work and their thinking from a traditional batch approach to one focused directly on the needs of the patient, not on the needs of the practitioners. It explains the technical changes that they made in the way that they scheduled and treated patients, as well as the understanding of the human interactions needed to make this new model succeed.

Gemba Academy has released several new modules in their School of Lean: the 7 Wastes course and the first modules of the Quick Changeover course.  Take a look at how Gemba Academy is revolutionizing online training, on demand, in High Definition HD quality.

We continually update the other major sections of the website, including:

• PowerPoint Presentations: Over 50 downloadable PowerPoint presentations on lean manufacturing, quality, enterprise, and safety concepts.
• Factory Toolbox: Almost 300 downloadable forms, procedure templates, assessments, and tools to help you not reinvent the wheel.
• Events Calendar: a listing of lean excellence seminars, workshops, training, and conferences worldwide
• Topic Information: Summaries and resources on over 40 enterprise excellence topics.
• Virtual Factory Tours: Web and streaming video tours of over 100 factories.

For all you LinkedIn junkies, we have created a LinkedIn group for Superfactory, which now has over 2,000 members.  Join the group to  network with other Superfactory enthusiasts and to show our logo on your profile.  If you haven't explored LinkedIn, check it out to see why over 17 million professionals use it for networking.

We are always looking for new articles and other content.  Contact us via the Superfactory website if you would like to contribute to our knowledge base.

Evolving Excellence Now Available on the Amazon Kindle

For those of you with an Amazon Kindle, you can now automatically receive the latest Evolving Excellence posts directly to your device.  For information on an Evolving Excellence Kindle subscription, click here.

• Kindle Blogs are auto-delivered wirelessly to your Kindle and updated throughout the day so you can stay current.
• It's risk free—all Kindle Blog subscriptions start with a 14-day free trial. You can cancel at any time during the free trial period. If you enjoy your subscription, do nothing and it will automatically continue at the regular monthly price.
• Don't have a Kindle? Get yours here.

New at Superfactory - May 2009

Each month new articles, book reviews, and other content are added to the Superfactory website. The new content is featured in the monthly e-newsletter which goes out to 50,000 subscribers worldwide, and we will also post a monthly heads-up on this blog.

New content in May includes:

The featured article is from Shingo Prize winning author Jean Cunningham and is titled Financial Worries? Take Action with Lean Now!.  The following is a brief excerpt, and you can read the entire article here.

Many are currently quaking in their boots about the viability of their company during this confusing and complex global economic downturn? All of us are worried about cash since it is the grease that makes our business engine run smoothly, and now more than ever, we need to maximize its availability and use it prudently.

Further, since applying lean thinking to processes often conserves cash, you probably should ask, “How can our lean efforts help us RIGHT NOW?” While lean at a macro level is a long term culture transformation, there are focused actions to consider when trying to free up cash.

The featured book this month is In Pursuit of Elegance by Matthew E. May.  The following is a brief summary, click here for more information.

In this thought-provoking exploration of why certain events, products, and people capture our attention and imaginations, May examines the elusive element behind so many innovative breakthroughs in fields ranging from physics and marketing to design and popular culture. Combining unusual simplicity and surprising power, elegance is characterized by four key elements—seduction, subtraction, symmetry, and sustainability.

Gemba Academy has released two new modules in their School of Lean: the 5S Numbers Game and Skills Matrix.  Take a look at how Gemba Academy is revolutionizing online training, on demand, in High Definition HD quality.

We continually update the other major sections of the website, including:

• PowerPoint Presentations: Over 50 downloadable PowerPoint presentations on lean manufacturing, quality, enterprise, and safety concepts.
• Factory Toolbox: Almost 300 downloadable forms, procedure templates, assessments, and tools to help you not reinvent the wheel.
• Events Calendar: a listing of lean excellence seminars, workshops, training, and conferences worldwide
• Topic Information: Summaries and resources on over 40 enterprise excellence topics.
• Virtual Factory Tours: Web and streaming video tours of over 100 factories.

For all you LinkedIn junkies, we have created a LinkedIn group for Superfactory, which now has over 2,000 members.  Join the group to  network with other Superfactory enthusiasts and to show our logo on your profile.  If you haven't explored LinkedIn, check it out to see why over 17 million professionals use it for networking.

We are always looking for new articles and other content.  Contact us via the Superfactory website if you would like to contribute to our knowledge base.

New at Superfactory - April 2009

Each month new articles, book reviews, and other content are added to the Superfactory website. The new content is featured in the monthly e-newsletter which goes out to 50,000 subscribers worldwide, and we will also post a monthly heads-up on this blog.

New content in April includes:

The featured article is another meticulously researched piece from Shingo Prize winning author Bob Emiliani and is titled Toyota's British Influence.  The following is a brief excerpt, and you can read the entire article here.

Unaware of the details of Toyota’s history, it’s easy to think that Toyota managers and workers were the originators of all the important ideas. In fact, they were the originators of some important ideas and adopters of ideas from many others– most good, but a few not so good. This article highlights one idea that originated in the U.K. and which Toyota senior managers have for decades found very useful for determining the size and output of their automobile plants, and for informing them when to develop new models.

For many years I have been interested in the origins and evolution of Lean management and have recently written book chapters and papers on the topic. During the course of my studies I have periodically come across reference made by Toyota executives and others to the Maxcy-Silberston production cost curve, invariably without attribution or with erroneous attribution. As a result, the original source for the curve had long been difficult to locate.

The featured book this month is Supply-Based Advantage by Stephen Rogers.  The following is a brief summary, click here for more information.

It's not enough for companies to simply try to find ways to save money through suppliers. If suppliers aren't fully integrated into their corporate strategy, there's no way for companies to ensure that they will continue to save money...and that their supply decisions will fit with changing organizational goals. Filled with enlightening examples from companies including Mars, Procter & Gamble, Intel, and Wal-Mart, this book shows how any organization can transform their supply function into a key driver of profit.

Gemba Academy has released a new 7 module course on 5S Workplace Productivity.  The first module, 5S Overview, is one of the 4 videos now available at no cost.  Gemba Academy provides HD-quality online video training modules for a single low subscription cost.  The HD quality means you can train individuals at their computers or project the videos to a large training auditorium, with no per-seat or per-use fees.

We continually update the other major sections of the website, including:

• PowerPoint Presentations: Over 50 downloadable PowerPoint presentations on lean manufacturing, quality, enterprise, and safety concepts.
• Factory Toolbox: Almost 300 downloadable forms, procedure templates, assessments, and tools to help you not reinvent the wheel.
• Events Calendar: a listing of lean excellence seminars, workshops, training, and conferences worldwide
• Topic Information: Summaries and resources on over 40 enterprise excellence topics.
• Virtual Factory Tours: Web and streaming video tours of over 100 factories.

For all you LinkedIn junkies, we have created a LinkedIn group for Superfactory, which now has over 2,000 members.  Join the group to  network with other Superfactory enthusiasts and to show our logo on your profile.  If you haven't explored LinkedIn, check it out to see why over 17 million professionals use it for networking.

We are always looking for new articles and other content.  Contact us via the Superfactory website if you would like to contribute to our knowledge base.

Gemba Academy Launches!

Several of you have known that Factory Strategies Group, the parent of Superfactory and Evolving Excellence, along with Gemba Research and Lean Six Sigma Academy, have been working on a collaborative project called Gemba Academy.  The time has finally arrived for Gemba Academy to officially open its doors for enrollment.

Gemba Academy offers high-end online video training.  To get things started we’re offering a course called Transforming Your Value Streams that explains exactly how to – as the name implies – transform your value streams using lean tools and principles such as value stream mapping, takt time, one piece flow, kanban, jidoka (automation with a human touch), and heijunka (production leveling).

In the coming weeks and months we’ll be offering interactive online training courses on a wide range of business excellence topics such as lean manufacturing, project management, six sigma and other related disciplines. Specifically, we’re putting the final touches on a 5S course that is scheduled to launch in April. You can view the first module of this 5S course here.

There are several unique aspects to our value proposition, made even more valuable in these challenging times.

• A subscription model that has no per-person or per-seat fees... so you can effectively train as many people as you'd like.  Compare this to having people travel to outside workshops or bringing a consultant into your organization.
• The video modules are filmed in high definition (HD) quality, therefore individuals can train at their computer or the modules can be projected into large training auditoriums with no real loss in quality.  On your schedule.
• A global network of high speed servers ensures performance.  We've tested the system in the U.S., Finland, Hungary, Japan, Kenya, Singapore, Brazil, and even Hawaii.  Yes, you can now learn on the beach!
• The video training modules are complemented by quizzes, knowledge checks, and other support materials.
• We chose the subscription model so we could continually evolve, improve, and augment the material at no additional cost to the subscriber.  Continuous improvement.  Compare that to those stagnant DVD's showing electric typewriters, plaid jackets, and frightful hair styles!

Please visit Gemba Academy and let us know what you think. And be sure to watch, use, and share our free videos with your entire company.

New at Superfactory - February 2009

Each month new articles, book reviews, and other content are added to the Superfactory website. The new content is featured in the monthly e-newsletter which goes out to 50,000 subscribers worldwide, and we will also post a monthly heads-up on this blog.

New content in February includes:

The featured article is from Bob Emiliani and is titled Frank Woollard: The Forgotten Pioneer of Flow Production.  The following is a brief excerpt, and you can read the entire article here.

The historical record of the origins of Lean management centers almost exclusively on Ford Motor Company in the 1910s and 1920s and Toyota Motor Corporation in the 1950s through the 1970s. There is no mention of the British automaker Morris Motors Ltd., the pioneering production work of Frank G. Woollard in the mid-1920s, or their possible influence on Toyota Motor Corporation in its formative years. Woollard’s groundbreaking work has been forgotten, overlooked, or ignored. That now has to change.

The featured book this month is Principles of Mass and Flow Production by Frank Woollard and Bob Emiliani.  The following is a brief summary, click here for more information.

Principles of Mass and Flow Production is a 55th Anniversary Special Reprint Edition of Frank G. Woollard's long-forgotten book published in 1954, and includes Woollard's amazing 1925 paper "Some Notes on British Methods of Continuous Production." Both are presented as unabridged digitized images of the original works, and include commentary and analysis by noted Lean management practitioner, author,and educator, Bob Emiliani, Ph.D.

We continually update the other major sections of the website, including:

• PowerPoint Presentations: Over 50 downloadable PowerPoint presentations on lean manufacturing, quality, enterprise, and safety concepts.
• Factory Toolbox: Almost 300 downloadable forms, procedure templates, assessments, and tools to help you not reinvent the wheel.
• Events Calendar: a listing of lean excellence seminars, workshops, training, and conferences worldwide
• Topic Information: Summaries and resources on over 40 enterprise excellence topics.
• Virtual Factory Tours: Web and streaming video tours of over 100 factories.

For all you LinkedIn junkies, we have created a LinkedIn group for Superfactory.  Join the group to  network with other Superfactory enthusiasts and to show our logo on your profile.  If you haven't explored LinkedIn, check it out to see why over 17 million professionals use it for networking.

We are always looking for new articles and other content.  Contact us via the Superfactory website if you would like to contribute to our knowledge base.

News in the .AM - Mobile Version

Last week we announced several new web pages with dynamic news, blogs, and inform ation on a variety of  topics.  It looks like over 500 people have already set one of the pages as th eir home page, which is exactly our intent.  Now we can announce the first enhancement: a mobile version.  Each mobile version is designed to work with both the iPhone and Blackberry mobile devices, with auto-positioning and auto-scaling, including the iPhone accelerometers to switch to landscape mode.  As with the web versions, the first set of information is general world news, the second is news related to the specific topic, and the third is the latest posts from the top blogs on the topic.  Here's the summary roundup:

Web Version	Mobile Version
lean.am	lean.am/m	Lean enterprise news, information, and blogs
manufacturing.am	manufacturing.am/m	General manufacturing news, information, and blogs
engineering.am	engineering.am/m	Engineering news, information, and blogs
healthcare.am	healthcare.am/m	Health care news, information, and blogs
quality.am	quality.am/m	Quality news, information, and blogs
safety.am	safety.am/m	Safety news, information, and blogs
supplychain.am	supplychain.am/m	Supply chain news, information, and blogs

Enjoy! More enhancements to come!

News in the .AM

I'm an admitted news junkie, one who trolls multiple sources to get every angle on a story and who must feel knowledgeable about the world before the real day can begin.  News creates context for the reality of the day and the inputs for decisions that need to be made.  My typical routine is to first wander around the likes of CNN, Fox, and Drudge Report, then do some canned searches on a variety of keyword terms related to my interests, and then finally take a look at what some of my favorite bloggers have written.

No longer.  Factory Strategies Group, the entity behind Superfactory and Evolving Excellence, is pleased to announce several new websites in the FSG|KnowledgeMedia portfolio. 

Each of these sites is a single page with a domain name ending in ".am" alluding to the "morning news" style, and each is created entirely from dynamic data sourced only seconds beforehand.  The left column lists the top stories in the world, nationally, different regions, even in politics, entertainment, and sports.  The center column drills down deeper into a specific topic area such as "lean" and then into subtopics such as "lean health care."  The third column shows the latest posts from the best blogs in that topic.

The top pane of each column rotates through with a brief one-line synopsis of each news or blog item.  By rolling your mouse over one of the items further down in the column the top pane will immediately show that synopsis.  And obviously clicking on any of the items takes you directly to the full story.

As of today we have the following:

• lean.am - lean manufacturing and lean enterprise news
• manufacturing.am - general manufacturing news
• engineering.am - engineering news
• healthcare.am - health care news
• quality.am - quality news
• safety.am - safety news
• supplychain.am - supply chain news

We may add more in the future, and we will definitely be using your input to improve the quality and amount of information displayed.  This is our first pass, and we will be continually improving.  The intent is to have a single page aggregate of all the news you need to see first thing in the morning.  A new, news, home page.

New at Superfactory - January 2009

Each month new articles, book reviews, and other content are added to the Superfactory website. The new content is featured in the monthly e-newsletter which goes out to 50,000 subscribers worldwide, and we will also post a monthly heads-up on this blog.

New content in January includes:

The featured article is from Richard Schonberger and is titled The Skinny on Lean Management.  The following is a brief excerpt, and you can read the entire article here.

Lean management doesn’t resonate in marketing and sales. Nor does it among boards, senior executives and investors. Reasons relate to where lean tends to do most of its work - in operations - and its usual presentation as an attack on waste. Obscured are its much greater potential in the distribution pipelines and its strong customer focus.

The featured book this month is Managing to Learn by John Shook.  The following is a brief summary, click here for more information.

Managing to Learn by Toyota veteran John Shook, reveals the thinking underlying the vital A3 management process at the heart of lean management and lean leadership. Constructed as a dialogue between a manager and his boss, the book explains how A3 thinking helps managers and executives identify, frame, and then act on problems and challenges.

We continually update the other major sections of the website, including:

• PowerPoint Presentations: Over 50 downloadable PowerPoint presentations on lean manufacturing, quality, enterprise, and safety concepts.
• Factory Toolbox: Almost 300 downloadable forms, procedure templates, assessments, and tools to help you not reinvent the wheel.
• Events Calendar: a listing of lean excellence seminars, workshops, training, and conferences worldwide
• Topic Information: Summaries and resources on over 40 enterprise excellence topics.
• Virtual Factory Tours: Web and streaming video tours of over 100 factories.

For all you LinkedIn junkies, we have created a LinkedIn group for Superfactory.  Join the group to  network with other Superfactory enthusiasts and to show our logo on your profile.  If you haven't explored LinkedIn, check it out to see why over 17 million professionals use it for networking.

We are always looking for new articles and other content.  Contact us via the Superfactory website if you would like to contribute to our knowledge base.

Superfactory LinkedIn Group Hits 1,000

Just a quick note that the Superfactory group on LinkedIn just passed the 1,000 member mark.  For those of you that don't know, LinkedIn is the largest social network geared toward professionals, with over 30 million members.  I've found it to be a great way to find colleagues with similar interests, potential inside contacts at key and new customers, and even reconnect with old friends and colleagues.

The Superfactory group includes manufacturing and operations people from around the world.  Our private discussion group has recently included topics such as:

• When is it a good idea to switch from salaried to piece part pay systems
• How to use tax credit programs for manufacturing training
• Supply chain simulations
• A large number of manufacturing-related job opportunities

Joining both LinkedIn and the Superfactory group on LinkedIn doesn't cost anything.  Plus you get to display the cool Superfactory logo on your LinkedIn profile!  Learn more here.