Today’s post is titled Test awareness and perception – Awareness Test
on Dragan Bosnjak’s Encob Blog. Please visit his site (use Google to translate to English). Please feel free to leave comments below.
82% say Adopting Significant Culture Change is their #1 Challenge
Yesterday’s wiki post:
Through AME and others I have seen it deployed in: office proudcts, metal springs, concrete parking structures, golf balls, electronics, automotive repair shop, veterans hospital, laser cutting equipment, and others.
Now I’m working as an OHSA manager in a manufacturing company and implement lean thinking to improve safety of the workers
Before we go any further I would like for you to watch a 68 second video that tests your awareness and perception:
YouTube Link for those who can’t see it
Please watch the video before going further.
Did you see the bear the first time around? The original study was done by The University of Illinois and they found that when people are told to count the number of passes the white team makes about 50% of the audience will miss the person in the animal suit entirely. If they were just told to watch the video then nearly 100% of the audience sees the animal.
Let’s shift gears and look at our work environment. We get the “just a second” tasks where we’ll get a one time or reoccurring task we need to do that only takes a short amount of time. You can see how having too much to do will cause somethings to go unnoticed. So what can we do about the situation now that we are aware? I am a very big advocate for Lean and the methods used. Standard work, error proofing, and visual workplace all help to the awareness errors that might occur.
Standard work alleviates the stress of wondering what to do or how to get everything accomplished in an alloted time. With standard work we can implement tools like checklists that make sure we accomplish all tasks that need to be done. If a surgeon doesn’t have a standard way of counting all the tools and supplies after a long tiering surgery there is a higher risk of something being left inside the patient.
Error proofing is a great tool because it minmizes or eliminates possible accidents and errors. Human beings can only process so much information at a time so if we eliminate the cause of errors we can go a long way to maximizing potential. A great example of this is a diesel gas pump will not fit into a car that only takes unleaded fuel.
A visual workplace is also a great way to reduce the amount of inputs we get from the outside world. Similar to error proofing, visual controls allow us to simplify tasks and highlight areas of possible error. Traffic signals make driving at intersections safe. There are clear visuals to show us what to do so we don’t have to be thinking about all the traffic form all the angles.
Lean is partly about simplicity but is also about people. These tools are designed to give people the best chance of success in any task. How aware are you in your workplace? Did you see the bear?
Wiki Wednesday is where we have 1 topic and several thoughts on the topic from Lean practitioners.
Today’s topic is courtesy of Tim McMahon:
“What Industry(s) have you implemented Lean successfully”
Here are some thoughts to get you started:
I’ve done Lean successfully at computer manufacturing plants, computer re-manufacturing plants, veterinary clinics, job shops, call centers, and a wire harness company.
Please add your thoughts in in the comments section. For more wikiing please contribute to http://leanway.wikidot.com/
Guest post by Jamie Flicnhbaugh, co-founder of the Lean Learning Center. You can read more by Jamie at JamieFlinchbaugh.com
I hate any checklist that says what you SHOULD do as a lean organization. But if I did start such a checklist, I would probably put Waste Walk on the top of that list. It’s simple. It’s foundational. It combines learning and results. Yet very few actually practice it.
What is a waste walk?
A waste walk is nothing more than a dedicated team with a set time and a specific focus area to identify and eliminate the 7 types of waste.
Why do it?
First, it’s simple. All you are doing is using the lens of the 7 types of waste. It doesn’t take any special kind of planning or prep, just a little focus. It doesn’t require a ton of training; just enough to align on understanding the 7 wastes.
Second, by doing it you are also learning. You are developing people’s lens to be able to spot waste. The further you develop this lens within the organization, the better people spot waste on an everyday basis. But by doing the waste walk you are developing this lens together. You are aligning in your thinking which turns into aligned decision making and action.
Third, you start driving improvements in small, simple steps. You aren’t trying to transform an entire process in one giant swoop. You are eliminating one identified waste at a time. Less pressure, less investment, less time – small steps.
How do you execute a waste walk?
First, you do need a little education. Everyone on the team needs to be aligned on what the 7 wastes are. I would use the Single Point Lessons that we developed at the Lean Learning Center, but any method will do. You won’t be completely aligned until you apply the lens together, but you need a start before doing that. We also use the mnemonic TIMWOOD to remember them: Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Overproduction, Overprocessing, and Defects.
Second, you need to pick a dedicated time and area of focus. Pick a process or an area to walk. It doesn’t have to be your worst process, just anything that has an opportunity to improve.
Third, as you walk the area, find as many examples of waste that you can’t. Don’t filter them on what you can fix and what you cannot. Use the 7 wastes to describe and identify them. It’s not just waste, but the specific example of waste.
Fourth, pick one or two things that you can eliminate and do it. Do it immediately.
Too many organizations don’t commit to their lean journey because it’s a big and complex journey. It doesn’t have to be. A simple thing like a waste walk can get you started.
Let’s be honest with ourselves for a second. How often do we really follow up with our goals we set out for ourselves? Let alone goals we make 1x a year when we’ve had a few adult beverages?
Resolutions DO NOT equal results. So what does?
Set your goals correctly:
When you first start off set as many goals as you want but make sure you have at least 80% of your goals accomplished within the week and those goals should be easy things to do. This way you are setting a pattern for success and it reinforces good habits.
As time goes on then you can set more stretch goals depending how you are progressing.
Be consistent:
Consistency and perseverance will take you far. If you are trying goal setting for the first time be consistent and persistent with it for at least 7 months. Every week review and/or set goals. As you Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) your goals make sure you course correct as needed.
Get Help:
If you don’t know about something then ask. Ask a mentor, a professional, someone else who’s been in the situation, basically anyone who knows more about the situation than you.
Take your resolutions and put them into goals and when 2011 rolls around don’t even set resolutions. Happy New Year!
What are your goals? Did you set any resolutions?
Yesterday’s wiki post:
A clear focus on understanding and delivering customer value
The courage to face the really tough and ugly problems head-on
-Trust – If you truly believe in participation and cutting waste, we have to build trust. Trust allows for de-layered, streamlined, and more creative organizations.