Repetitive Madness

Sometimes seemingly simple problems take years to remedy

My last column about superficial improvement may have implied that the condition is limited to organizations with deep enough pockets to buy pricey automation. There are also plenty of opportunities for superficial improvement in small shops. Here’s an example of a manual assembly waste that took years to eliminate.

The product was housed in a die-cast cylindrical enclosure with a threaded cover. Design requirements stipulated eleven threads, which translated to many turns, a repetitive-motion problem at several points on the factory floor.

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Persisting Mistakes

Yes, Mr. Hamilton, we surely live in times of "repetitive madness": as things go by - or "tears", as The Rolling Stones sang, Deming's PDCA cycle is far from being even tried to make it virtuous. Actually, its uses appear more and more evil. Plan, Do, Check, Act, MIW - Make It Worse, is what we all experience everyday, everywhere. I'm sorry to object your statement: problems are ALWAYS simple, as far as one really and honestly is committed to get rid of them, and that doesn't take years, it takes "goodwill". Am I wrong when quoting the saying "where there is a will, there is a way"? Thank you.