When embarking on an improvement journey, organisations too often give into temptation and jump directly to process improvement, either by designing a new, optimised, Lean process, or attempting to immediately create a digitised, automated version of their existing manual process. While this approach of skipping ahead to your desired future state may seem like […]
Well, ok we may be a bit slow starting but I promise you that we have caught up fast. Over the past three years with the impact of COVID19 we have seen a significant shift in the way we all learn, we have become more comfortable with the use of technology in how we develop […]
I came in for a bit of teasing by a work colleague recently over my uneasiness with the term True North. We were working with a leadership community in a large automotive business, and he used the term True North, which brought about an obvious and over exaggerated wince from me which raised a few […]
Too often organisations think that successfully rolling out process management (‘PM’) means simply providing their team members with a process mapping tool, some basic training, and expecting it to just get done. This approach will invariably result in either nothing getting done, or processes being mapped but never followed or updated. While PM might not […]
In our recent webinar on the Future of Lean we explored the need for organisations to embrace digital solutions to enable them to deploy continuous improvement more efficiently. You can watch the webinar here. It is clear that embracing technology will enable organisations to reduce costs, improve productivity and be more flexible. Our work with blue-chip organisations on developing improvement strategies and roadmaps incorporates the adoption of the right technologies to suit the demands of our […]
In this month’s SHINGO Forum we welcomed Seani Devlin, the brilliant and engaging Operational Excellence Lead at Abbvie, Ballytivnan. Seani shared with the group both the site and his personal insights on their Shingo journey. We invited Seani along to the Shingo Forum to talk about his employee engagement; tiered meetings and visual management. Having […]
The highly successful book for Total Productive Maintenance written by Peter Willmott, John Quirke and Andy Brunskill is now available to purchase at Waterstones. Titled Total Productive Maintenance, a foundation of Operational Excellence. The book provides the following 5 essential outputs: Provide a practical guide of how to deliver sustainable benefits using the TPM enabling system Show […]
For me, this is one of the most critical principles within the Shingo Model for leaders to grasp at a core, personal level. The power contained within this principle is, I believe, the source of real cultural change within organizations. Leaders, particularly in the technical and compliance-based environments where I spend a lot of my time, often […]
I’ve been asked to share my experience of lockdown and some “top tips” on virtual training. Three months ago I knew nothing about Zoom, and hadn’t really bothered getting to grips with Microsoft Teams. But then everything changed……! I wouldn’t call myself a complete technophobe, but let’s just say I’m often late to the party […]
Improving the Image and Perception of Maintenance by clearly stating what Maintenance ‘Best Practice’ can bring to the Operational Excellence agenda
What makes an Organisation Great is its ability to manage and motivate its people and leaders, which is where Developing Leadership Skills come into play. There are millions of quotes, thousands of books and hundreds of professors all available to give advice to organisations, or teach us specific techniques. The problem with all this, is […]
Its Effective leadership that makes an organisation Great. It’s the ability to manage and motivate its people at every level of the business. There are millions of quotes, thousands of books and hundreds of professors, all available to give us advice or teach us a specific technique. This approach ends up almost like a cockeril […]
Over the years, Lean has evolved from primarily a tools-based approach to a focus on an end to end systems view and developing people at all levels of an organization. If done correctly, managers enable people on the front lines to be confident enough to change and improve their processes. Focusing on the middle management […]
I have recently returned from three weeks of sun and scenery in the USA, as part of my travels I took a couple of internal flights, on Delta Airlines to transport me in and out of Salt Lake City, my starting point, then travelling up through Idaho into Yellowstone National Park. So for those in […]
If you have just been to, or watched the Glastonbury Festival – this is a real feat of ‘Lean operations management’ that we may not usually consider. For example: Last year there was 3 Days of production planning and operations. This year there is 4 as Thursday hosts the ‘surprise act’. 10 stages – or […]
For us and our clients who participate on our Lean Competency System (LCS) accredited ‘learning by doing’ programmes – the value comes from the depth of benefits gained from the learning experience, and sustainable capability that is developed within the teams and individuals on the programme. It’s not about the LCS Certification and Badge – […]
It’s that time of year again and I really love the 6 Nations competition. However, my other passion is Lean Thinking and I often blend the 2 subjects – albeit involuntarily! Whilst watching the epic battle – Wales V England – my thoughts were invaded by the ‘Total Productive Maintenance’ of the players – all […]
Consider the enterprise excellence model to be a body – as a model it creates exceptional customer value, as a body it creates healthy happy life. The body is made up of systems that enable life to happen. Digestion, movement, growth, thought, breathing etc. All these bodily systems have to happen in an intergrated way […]
My predictions for 2017 Given the curveballs that 2016 threw at us, I can’t help feeling a bit foolish in trying to predict what will happen in Sustainability in 2017. Brexit, Donald Trump’s election and a number of forthcoming elections across Europe have created unparalleled uncertainty for the 12 months ahead. Having said that, the […]
At the velodrome – applying Goldratt’s Theory of Constraints (TOC) to the Team Pursuit. The Theory of Constraints (TOC) is a suite of management concepts developed by Dr. Eliyahu Goldratt – introduced in his book ‘The Goal’ in 1984. In the book, the Plant Manager and Operations Management Team had to decide on what and […]
According to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the UK produces around 1.5 million cars and commercial vehicles and 3 million engines, accounting for 9-11% of the UK’s total exports. The sector generates more than £55 billion in annual turnover, employs around 700,000 people and delivers around £12 billion in net value-added to the […]
Anyone watching the exciting Quarter Final match in the European Cup tournament between Wales and Belgium on Friday will have witnessed a performance by a team who want to play together and play for each other. They have both ‘will’ and ‘skill’ – a clear aim, team structure, roles and a plan of attack for […]
I am not really a football fan. Don’t ask me about the off-side rule …….! But Wales have qualified for the Euros – 58 years since their last international tournament, so being Welsh – I am supporting the team. #TogetherStronger So – the TV was on in the background before the Wales vs Slovakia match. […]
Variety is the spice of life – even for a lean devotee like myself. One of the things I value about my role at S A Partners is that every day is different! Different clients, different locations, different cultures, different challenges, different improvement projects – but there are similarities…………. 10 days in May proves this. […]
To follow on from the end of the 6 Nations rugby competition, congratulations to England by the way, I have used the 8 wastes we all know so well, and applied to the good game of rugby.
We wanted to get some real data about listening. We also wanted to get beyond old statements about ‘active-listening’, and we wanted to know what impact listening had on how people felt?
Whilst it is highly, emotionally charged – particularly being Welsh – as a Lean advocate, I am also interested in the process of the game and how it is played! (I really do need to get out more!)
How the Lean Scorecard Maturity Assessment can help. A new year, new challenges? Do you know where you need to improve to stay ahead of the competition?