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Communicate to Build World-Class Culture
What is the real objective of Lean Six Sigma? When I ask this question, I usually get responses such as increased quality, improved speed, reduced cost, reduced errors and many other tactical...
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Allied Reliability Group Acquires ABB Reliability Consulting Business
Allied Reliability Group recently announced the acquisition of ABB's reliability consulting business in North America, originally known as HSB RT. The reliability consulting business consists of 20...
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Eliminate Waste with Lean Business Model
The United States has created levels of wealth well beyond any other civilization in history, yet much further potential is sitting right under our noses. This potential lies in lean thinking; that...
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5 Tips for Greater Workplace Efficiency
We all know the old saying that time is money. It’s true, especially in the world of manufacturing. The more time you waste, the more it costs to make your products and the less profit your business...
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Don't Let a Lean Vision Become Stagnant
I have been a developing change agent at my company for years now. I have saved my company a lot of money and have been promoted twice. I have had the opportunity to be trained by multiple lean...
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Designing Your Own Lean System
Lean systems are great and can make a company prosper. They improve quality, eliminate wasteful activity and increase value to the customer. The problem is that many managers often want to "carbon...
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Lean Implementation Solutions
After achieving success as part of a company's lean transformation, it is not uncommon for a senior manager to decide to join another organization with the goal of making dramatic operational...
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Keep the Customer in Mind When Applying Lean Principles
I recently had cause to visit a state government office to conduct some business. Prior to my visit, I decided to do some legwork to see what I was in for and to ensure that I was prepared for the...
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Standing Up for Lean Principles
I recently came across a blog about an executive who switched from his traditional "sit-down desk" to a "stand-up desk." He remarked that he loved the new desk and would never switch back. This...
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Notable Solutions Earns 2013 Kinetic Process Innovation Award
Notable Solutions Inc. (NSi) recently received a 2013 Kinetic Process Innovation Award in the data capture category for its work with Toyota Industries North America (TINA). The 17th annual awards...
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Choose Continuous Improvement over Lean Manufacturing
Some organizations misuse lean manufacturing to overwork their people and reduce the overall headcount. Let me assure you, I am not arguing to counter the fact that reducing the headcount will save...
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The Benefits of Lean Six Sigma
In a competitive, global marketplace, customers are more attuned to quality craftsmanship than ever before. They are also more likely to value corporate stewardship, especially as it relates to...
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Jabil Wins Lean Best Practice Award
Jabil Shanghai was recently named the winner of the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) Lean Best Practice Award in recognition of its efforts to drive innovation and Lean Six Sigma capabilities...
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Techniques to Improve Manufacturing Productivity
From two-slice toasters to Boeing jets, tools and dies are omnipresent staples of manufacturing. And where there are tools and dies, there are idle employees and lost production. Three decades ago, Dr....
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The Basics of Lean Manufacturing
Lean is a term used to describe a process of analysis and creative problem-solving. It shifts an organization's focus to creating value for the consumer by shortening production cycles, eliminating...
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Contrasting Lean with Maintenance Best Practices
Many organizations view improving their maintenance and reliability best practices as being distinct and separate from implementing lean initiatives. However, in reality a number of the processes...
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How 3-D Printing is Revolutionizing Lean Manufacturing
It's no coincidence that 3-D printing is making a splash just as the conversation is turning toward lean. Lean manufacturing and 3-D printing go together naturally. While 3-D printing isn't a new...
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Lean Manufacturing Shortcuts to Avoid
Lean manufacturing incorporates efficiency and simplicity to reduce waste from labor and materials losses while increasing profits. Lean production also requires quality production, or your business...
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How Lean Manufacturing is Influencing Other Industries
Around the world, the aim is the same — to produce a product as cost effectively as possible, to deliver it to the customer as quickly as possible and to do it with as few impediments as possible....
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6 Ways to Get Lean in 2015
Maybe you've loosened the belt a notch or two over the years. Inch by inch the borders around the waist have gotten a little wider. Bad habits have formed. An unhealthy diet creating large amounts of...
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Achieving a Lean Transformation
A company that is moving from an old way of doing things to applying lean principles is said to be going through a lean transformation. A lean transformation is more than just eliminating waste. It...
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Using Material Handling Systems to Improve Productivity
The material handling industry has undergone considerable change since the days when humans first realized they could move materials more easily by rolling them over logs. Complex manufacturing control...
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3 Material Handling Trends for 2015
For those in the material handling industry, staying ahead of the game means not only having efficient operators (and forklifts), but also upgrading to new material handling tools and resources to...
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Applying Lean Six Sigma Methodology
As the name implies, a lean Six Sigma methodology combines the principles of lean manufacturing (lean) with those of Six Sigma. But why would anyone want to do this? What are the advantages and...
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CNH Industrial Plant Earns World-Class Manufacturing Designation
The CNH Industrial N.V. plant in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, has been awarded silver status for implementing world-class manufacturing (WCM), one of the highest standards for the integrated management of...
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7 Lean Manufacturing Principles That Improve Training
Corporate trainers and lean manufacturing experts often work in the same places. At some sites, they share thoughts and ideas, each advancing the other’s cause and making progress together on shared...
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Value stream mapping: Example of doctor's office
This video utilizes a verbal description of the process steps during a visit to the doctor's office to demonstrate value stream mapping and lean manufacturing techniques. This video is a great...
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Continuous improvement approach reduces errors in records
Routine floor audits and data-gathering protocols uncovered some surprises at MEDRAD: Up to 20 percent of all in-process device history record (DHR) packets contained an error. This rate was...
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16 organizations to receive site visits for 2010 Baldrige Award
The Panel of Judges for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest recognition for organizational performance excellence, has selected 16 organizations for the final review...
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Quick Response Manufacturing as an alternative to lean
Professor Suri tells about Quick Response Manufacturing at BoschScharnieren in Doetinchem, the Netherlands. QRM is a companywide strategy for lead-time reduction throughout the enterprise. Using QRM,...
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Experts discuss activity mapping and product/process maps
Andy Carlino and Jamie Flinchbaugh of the Lean Learning Center discuss activity mapping and product/process maps and their use in business process improvement.
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Value stream mapping in the office
Lean expert Cynthia Marsh-Croll of Croll Productive Synergy teaches how to use value stream mapping in an office environment to uncover waste and cut costs.
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An open and honest culture at Thedacare, a lean story
Dr. John Toussaint, author of the book "On the Mend", discusses lean in the healthcare industry.
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An introduction to standard work in manufacturing
This video provides knowledge and tools to apply standard work in a manufacturing setting. Standard work is essential to implementation of lean on many levels. Tools provided and practiced include:...
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Mark Graban comments on Toyota, other lean topics
Host Mark Graban talks about a recent visit to Toyota as well as various other lean manufacturing topics during his weekly video blog.
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TPM and operator asset ownership: This is my equipment!
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) combines the traditionally American practice of preventive maintenance with total quality control and total employee involvement to create a culture where operators...
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Why you need to create a standard process for spare parts
What do you see in this picture? Besides a lack of any real 5-S, what thoughts come to your kaizen mind about the motors? Perhaps you may think about what are the motors used for? Do we really need...
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N. Carolina rug manufacturer weaves continuous innovation
Capel Rugs Inc., a company built on innovation, understands the need for a quality, consistent product. The company enlisted the help of North Carolina State University’s Industrial Extension Service...
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Developing a lean culture – an elements checklist
What is organizational culture? Culture is a set of rules and standards shared by members of an organization, which – when acted upon by the members – produce behavior that falls within a range that...
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Baldrige program name change emphasizes performance excellence
After 23 years as the "Baldrige National Quality Program," the nation's public-private partnership dedicated to performance excellence has decided to highlight that mission with a new name – the...
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Intel applies lean methods outside of the plant
Intel's Site Materials group in New Mexico applied lean manufacturing principles to Albuquerque's Road-Runner Food Bank, dramatically improving the time it takes to pack food boxes.
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Xerox's Porter talks lean at the RELIABLE PLANT 2010 conference
Xerox's Aqua Porter, vice president of Lean Six Sigma strategy at Xerox, reflects on her RELIABLE PLANT 2010 Lean Manufacturing keynote address and reveals the extent of social media in business.
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Beer Kaizen: A toast to continuous improvement
You've seen Toast Kaizen and continuous improvement videos, but this is newest and best training video ... or at least ... it'll make the lean/industrial engineering/kaizen junkies laugh a little.
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The value of Lean Six Sigma, and how to prove it
This report provides information to help you convince your managers and co-workers about the value of Lean Six Sigma.
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3 Lean Manufacturing Techniques You Need to Know
To make a manufacturing process more efficient, a company must understand what lean is. To “go lean” means your workplace applies lean manufacturing philosophy and practices. Lean is an industrial...
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Best Practices for Material Handling
Manufacturing and distribution companies must concentrate on keeping costs under control, since they operate in an industry with very slim margins. As a result, they often spend a great deal of time on...
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Using Lean Principles to Make Your Plant Cleaner and More Efficient
The application of lean principles is spreading to nearly every type of business and industry. There is literally no place, function or operation that could not benefit from lean enterprise. Research...
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Benefits of Automation in Lean Manufacturing
Both manufacturing automation and lean manufacturing have the same goals: to satisfy customers at the lowest possible cost. To achieve these goals, both disciplines address removing low-value or...
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How to Reduce Manufacturing Waste
Nowadays, everyone is environmentally conscious. Across the country, recycling programs have become quite popular. Manufacturing facilities often have the greatest recycling opportunities. Statistics...
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Boost Continuous Improvement Efforts with the IIoT
History can teach us a great deal about improving plant operations. During the Industrial Revolution, processes were created to evaluate core performance indicators such as quality, worker safety,...
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