Entropy in the Manufacturing WorldComplexity lies between low entropy and high entropy
Mon, 04/10/2017 - 12:02
In this article, I will be looking at entropy in the manufacturing world. Entropy is generally defined as a measure of disorder. This general definition can sometimes be inadequate.
Let’s look at the example of a desk in an office. One could say… The Incomplete SolutionSomewhere between wrong and useful
Wed, 02/22/2017 - 12:03
The world of systems is very wide and deep, and this column can’t be perfect and all-encompassing. My goal here is to emphasize that solutions based on incomplete models lead to incomplete solutions. I’m not calling them incorrect solutions, just…
Wed, 01/25/2017 - 12:03
As our new year unfolds, I wanted to write an article to remind myself of three pieces of advice. They are from Epictetus (55–135 AD), Marcus Aurelius (121–180 AD), and George Pólya (1887–1985). Epictetus and Aurelius are two famous Stoic… The Forth Bridge PrincipleA living design process
Thu, 12/15/2016 - 16:19
The Forth Bridge is a famous railroad bridge in Scotland and is more than 125 years old. It needs painting to fend off rust. Albert Cherns, the late famous social scientist who founded the Department of Social Sciences at Loughborough University,… Shitsu vs. ShitsuIn-the-customer’s-shoes quality
Thu, 11/03/2016 - 13:22
I had a conversation recently with a quality professional from another organization. The topic somehow drifted to the strict quality standards in Japan. The person talked about how his product is rejected by his Japanese counterparts for “defects”… Kaizen—Can It Go Wrong?Change for the better must be better for everyone
Wed, 09/28/2016 - 14:19
Kaizen is often translated as “continuous improvement” and identified as one of the core themes in lean. Today I’m pondering the question: Can kaizen ever be bad for an organization?
In order to go deeper on this question, first we have to define… Information at the GembaData input doesn’t output knowledge
Mon, 08/29/2016 - 16:17
Uncertainty is all around us. A lean leader’s main purpose is to develop people so they can tackle uncertainty. There are two ways to tackle uncertainty: One is genchi genbutsu (go and see, or seeing for yourself), and the other is to employ the… An Underused Lesson From Ohno and DemingWhy quality over quantity is the shortest route to market share
Wed, 08/10/2016 - 16:13
Today I’d like to take a look at a lesson from Taiichi Ohno regarding the pursuit of quality. His comment, “The pursuit of quantity cultivates waste, while the pursuit of quality yields value,” struck a chord with me. Among other things, he's… On Monuments and Productivity ParadoxesWhen a system is trying to talk to us, we should heed its words
Tue, 07/19/2016 - 15:20
There is a concept in lean known as a “monument.” It refers to a large machine, piece of equipment, or something similar that can’t be changed right away, and so you have to plan your processes around it. This generally impedes the flow and… PDCA and the Roads to RomeCan a lean purist and a Six Sigma purist reach the same answer to a problem?
Tue, 06/14/2016 - 15:32
In this article I want to look at the concept of equifinality in relation to the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle. In systems theory, equifinality is defined as reaching the same end, no matter what the starting point was. This is applicable only in…
