
Similar Posts

Reinventing the train: Ideas coming down the track
In the latest transport developments: Although it is true that, as compared with other modes of transport, train technology might seem to be progressing rather slowly. New train technologies are less visible and spread less quickly than improvements to cars or planes. However, there is still plenty of innovation going on, and ideas are steadily making…

Hunger Makes a Good Cook
I was in Denver recently and started chatting with people at the bar (as I am apt to do, from time to time). Regardless of what it might sound like, I meet some rather interesting folks (who are fellow road-warriors like me) and I strike-up some even more interesting conversations. On this particular occasion, I…

Realizing the Value in Business Processes
I had a very busy May with speaking engagements at the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) NJ Due Diligence Conference followed by the ACG-NY Manufacturing & Logistics Conference and wrapping it up by delivering a paper on Operational Excellence at the Institute for Industrial Engineers (IIE) Annual Conference in Vancouver. The underlying theme of all…

Ex-U.S. General Urges Frank Talk on Cyber Weapons
Former No. 2 uniformed officer in the U.S. military, James Cartwright, has voiced concerns regarding an increase in cyber attacks by foreign hackers. Cartwright insists the United States should be more transparent with regard to its development of offensive cyber weapons. While current and former U.S. officials tend to keep information regarding specific cyber weapons…

Customer Surveys Are No Substitute for Actually Talking to Customers

Summary. Surveys are a pain to complete and, as a result, most people don’t invest much thought in filling them in, which means the information they give is low-quality and unlikely to provide strategic insight. Talking to customers and asking open-ended questions yields better results and in most cases your managers will not need to conduct…
Total Productive Maintenance: 8 Steps to Better Equipment Reliability, More Capacity & Sustained Improvement
You’ve launched your continuous improvement (CI) initiative. Product lines have replaced process villages. There’s more floor space. Supervisors and executives are closer to the gemba after experiencing 5S, visual factory and Managing for Daily Improvement. Standard work has made abnormalities more visible, and Six Sigma methodology has corrected problems that have plagued the operation for…