Is Seth Godin going Lean or even Six Sigma?

In a recent Seth Godin Blog he discussed “The modern talking pad”

Seth went on to say:

“I think this is a big idea, but your mileage may vary. I've been having great success with a hybrid of the yellow legal pad and a printed presentation from Keynote (or Powerpoint). I use it during small meetings where more interactivity is useful, and where the group is too small for a laptop to be the best way to present slides (I think running a presentation says, "I talk, you listen...")”

You can read his entire blog but when I read it, I thought he was creating a A3 report.. He went on to say:

“Now, when you make your presentation, sit next to the person you're meeting with and go through the booklet page by page, writing directly on each page. As you work your way through the ideas in the booklet, the two of you can talk about what's in front of you and mark it up.

It's not a brochure, it's the outcome of a working session.”

I really think that I have a case for Lean Marketing, I now think I have both John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing and Seth Godin backed into a corner. Let me explain an A3 report and you tell me if this is what Seth was trying to get across.

A3 reports are documents used to report solutions to problems established within any area of the organization. This differs from other types of report in the way that all information is disclosed on an A3 sheet. They start by collecting people's ideas for possible countermeasures to the problems.  The template is great for clarifying your thinking. The date typically contains: Objectives, Methodology, Results, Post result analysis and Learning points. The benefits of a A3 report are:

• Defines a standard for all to use.
• Provides a clear and concise method of reporting information.
• Method of operation is visible and accessible to all.
• Can promote communication, and team working.
• Leads to reduction of waste.
• Continuous improvement activity.
• Creates efficient working environment.

 

Your A3 report will be used anytime you wish to clearly tell a story and especially when you wish to simplify or clarify a complicated issue. Ok, if your out there Seth, is The Modern Talking Pad really a A3 report?

A3 Report Photo Courtesy of Systems2win.

Related Blog Post:

Lean Six Sigma Marketing and Duct Tape Marketing

Get Clients Now Member Bulletin - August 2009

 New in the Answer Center

Here are this month's new additions to the Answer Center. (You'll need your password to log in.)

• To Attract Attention, You Have to Show Off - Article by C.J. Hayden
  Recently, a client of mine complained, "I'm really good at what I do. I shouldn't have to market myself." In fact, he is quite good at his profession, but the problem is that not enough prospective clients know about him. Like many professionals, he is reluctant to talk about his accomplishments.
• How do I market myself when I'm not an extrovert? - Q&A by C.J. Hayden
  It does seem that the vast majority of marketing advice is aimed at extroverts. "Go to networking mixers and meet new people," the authorities say. "Make cold calls." "Speak in front of groups." "Call people up and chat with them about what's new."
• What's Your Business Model? - Article by C.J. Hayden
  If you have enough clients to keep you busy, you must be making a good living, right? Well, not necessarily. Some of the busiest professionals around aren't earning enough to pay their bills.
• What's Stopping You From Getting Clients? - Audio by C.J. Hayden
  Marty Marsh interviews C.J. Hayden on what's stopping you from getting clients and what to do about it. What are the barriers that prevent talented entrepreneurs from building a thriving business? You can overcome these challenges and attract more clients with less effort...

Look at more items and consider becoming a member.

Technorati Tags: Get Clients NOW,GCN,Professional,Marketing

Building a Lean Healthcare Value Stream

A Lean Healthcare value stream is just as likely as a manufacturer to employ lean concepts such as kanbans, heijunka, jidoka, kaizen, and the couple dozen new words for process improvement that happen to be Japanese words because Henry Ford didn't think of them first. Many or most Lean teachings come from the Toyota Production System - which is why it is common for Lean practitioners to assume that the thing being processed is a physical inventory item (like a car). But it doesn't have to be. Literally 99% of Lean concepts apply to ANY industry.

Top Differences between Lean Manufacturing and Lean Healthcare tools & teachings

1. If the process you are optimizing does not deal with inventory, then wherever you see the word "inventory" - substitute either the word "patient", or "the thing being processed"
2. In addition to inventory, buffer and safety resources are more likely to also include:
1. Overtime
2. Cross-training and departmental borrowing
3. Temporaries
4. Outsourcing
5. Pre-trained workers available as needed (seasonal, retirees...)
6. Pre-negotiated availability of extra rooms/beds
7. Contingency plans
8. Automation



3. Value stream mapping symbols and concepts are the same, except for a few unique shapes, such as an ambulance instead of a truck, or a gurney instead of a push cart. Lean Healthcare providers are more likely to use Stick Figure drawings for A3 problem solving.

It is important not to invent your own vocabulary. Just because you sometimes need to substitute the words "patient" or "the thing being processed" when you see the word "inventory" doesn't mean that it is a good idea to start inventing your own (non-Japanese) words for everything else you learn about Lean. You will make it a LOT easier on your people if you teach them the same Lean definitions that are used in every Lean book that has ever been printed - instead of trying to "translate" for them by inventing your own vocabulary.

Used with permission from Systems2win provider of Lean Software Tools for lean process improvement

Value Stream Mapping made easy

Value stream mapping is a tool that helps you to see and understand the flow of material and information as a product or service makes its way through the value stream. Value stream mapping is typically used in Lean, it differs from the process mapping of Six Sigma.

A value stream map will take into account not only the activity of the product, but the management and information systems that support the basic process. You will gain insight into the decision making flow in addition to the process flow. The basic idea is to first map
your process, then above it map the information flow that enables the process to occur.

Why use Software for Value Stream Mapping? I think the use of software that is written specifically for Value Stream Mapping is important. It forces you to make a decision to drill down into the subject as you are doing it versus later in the process. This particular tool is interesting because of the ability to Excel's powerful scenarios to analyze multiple sets of numbers without needing to redraw an almost identical map over and over again. Take a look at some of the other features.

1. Visually see your entire process flow using the language of Lean to learn to see and eliminate wastes
2. Answer the question How can we make only what we need when we need it
   
3. Form a blueprint for Lean implementation to rally your team to eliminate wastes
4. Instant on-line training for Lean concepts and techniques
   
5. Easily customized written in Excel with all of its familiar formulas and charts
6. Professional deliverables easily stored, emailed, and shared
7. Drill down to swim lane flowcharts and other related documents
8. Import Old comparison data with the click of a button
   
9. Inexpensive to easily share & collaborate
   
   
   

Related Posts:

Simple, Easy to use Lean Six Sigma Software tools

Do you know much value you provide? If not, how can you be more effective?

5 Step Process to Lean Marketing

Simple, Easy to use Lean Six Sigma Software tools

When talking to most Lean Six Sigma Consultants they will tell you the 2 lean tools that you start with are 5S and Standard Work. Looking for a simple way to describe the Standard Work process, I ran across this software company and their set of tools. I found them quite interesting and have started "Testing" them out. I wonder has anyone else tried them?

Here is a description and a picture of their template. Tools for standardized work are the most important tools in your Lean toolkit - because they avoid backsliding into old habits

The Standard Work Sheet Excel template is 5 tools in 1:

1. Value Add Analysis (auto-calculates pie chart)
2. Work Balancing (auto-draws work load balancing bar chart in relation to Takt Time)
3. Standard Work Instructions & Analysis
4. Quick Changeover tool for setup reduction.
5. Standard Work Combination Sheet visual time chart.

What makes these templates unique is that they are built on Excel spreadsheet platform.

You have options to:

• Auto-draw a Standard Work Combination Sheet with a single click of a button.
• Create a separate time chart for each operator, or display all operators in a single chart.
• Use either stopwatch or video Time Observation to observe and time your standard work procedures
• Split your Value Add Pie Chart into your own user-defined types of waste
• Plot as many as 4 chart lines - for Takt Time, Target Cycle Time, Cycle Time, and even a 4th user-defined chart line (perhaps for out of cycle work?)
  
  Draw the chart with or without labels
• Include up to 200 lines of work elements on a single chart
  (and spread even larger processes over multiple charts - perhaps with summary data rolling up to each higher level)
• Define your own header data field labels
• Link to or from another worksheet for calculations such as Working Time Available, product mix, or master scheduling...
• Paste a picture of your Spaghetti Diagram on the same page with your Standard Work Combination Table!
• Use this as a Quick Changeover tool for Lean SMED setup reduction

I think it is a pretty unique product. You can download a free trial but I think it will ake a commitment to use these templates so if it is free, you may just never commit.

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