DailyKaizen

 Two years ago when I first started teaching and leading Lean events most teams that I worked with struggled with the concept of using our minds first and not our money.  Most managers had long lists of ideas for improvement all waiting for either specialist support, more staff or funding in some future year’s budget.  It was always hard work to convince managers and staff that there was an opportunity for improvement that did not involve new technology or additional staffing.   For example, when I first started working with the leadership team from the Model Line area there was a strong belief that until we made significant investments in IT changes there was little room for improvement.  

As the organization has continued to become more mature in it’s Lean thinking I have heard far fewer requests for large investments.  I see more and more teams working with the equipment, facilities and staffing that they have and getting more out of it.   Its been a long time since I have heard one of the leaders from the Model Line area complain about the limitations of the IT system.   Just recently we were able to make changes to the work environment for a few thousand dollars in contrast to an outdated plan that called for nearly a million dollars in change over costs.   In that spirit here is my quote of the week:

 “Obviously, the highest type of efficiency is that which can utilize existing material to the best advantage.”  –Nehru

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