Archive for Lean Six Sigma
Implementing Lean
Posted by: | CommentsLonnie Wilson, the owner and principal of Quality Consultants is an expert in Lean Manufacturing techniques and applications. He not only instructs management professionals in the applications of these lean techniques; he is an on-the-floor-implementation professional. His new book, How To Implement Lean Manufacturing
He is well versed in problem solving skills. He is an expert in statistical problem solving as well as logical techniques such as Kepner-Tregoe methodology. He is a Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt and he not only utilizes the Six Sigma tools but he is an active Six Sigma trainer. He is very comfortable in the classroom and even more so on the factory floor. He is equally adept at working with top management as well as the line worker. He is an aggressive problem solver and with his 39 years in industry, Mr. Wilson has developed the ability to reduce complex problems to simple workable solutions.
In addition to his work in Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing, Mr. Wilson has developed and taught classes in a wide variety of topics including many statistical tools such as DOE, SPC MSA, QFD and human relations skills such as Advanced Facilitation, Hoshin-Kanri Policy Deployment and Team Based Problem Solving, to name a few.
This is actually part 2 of 2 of the podcast I had with Lonnie. I found his description of Standard Work, Audits, Quality and Leaderships of such value that I wanted to publish this episode first. So, don’t be surprised that I jump right into the conversation on Standard Work after the introduction.
Related Posts: I found it very interesting how some of Lonnie’s thoughts so closely reminded me of my podcast with Michael Balle.
Developing a Kaizen Conscious with Shingo Prize winner Michael Balle
How much Planning is enough – Use Lean and Standardize
It takes guts, to start with lean training in a turnaround!
Theory of Constraints equals Focus and Leverage
Posted by: | CommentsMy guest this week (yes, we talked to long) and next week is “Dr. Lisa” Lang. She is considered the foremost expert in the world in applying Theory of Constraints to Marketing and currently the President of the Science of Business. She recently served as the Global Marketing Director for Dr Goldratt who is the father of Theory of Constraints and author of The Goal. Dr Lisa has a PhD in Engineering and is a TOCICO certified expert in Theory of Constraints. She is currently serving on the TOCICO Board of Directors. 
This week podcast centered on applying the Theory of Constraints internally within an organization and creating a Control Poit within you system. If you focus on what’s important and leverage your resources where they can have the largest impact, the results are quick and substantial. Theory of Constraints is the focusing mechanism and then Lean and Six Sigma tools are used to leverage.
Dr. Lisa is the author of 3 books: Maximizing Profitability, Achieving a Viable Vision, Increasing Cash Velocity, and Mafia Offers is due out in May 2010. Science of Business specializes in increasing profits of highly custom businesses and applying Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma to sales and marketing, having developed the Mafia Offer Boot Camp, Velocity Scheduling System, and Project Velocity System.
Before becoming a consultant, Dr Lisa was in operations, strategic planning, purchasing, R&D, and quality while working for Clorox, Anheuser-Busch and Coors Brewing. She is known for having developed the Anheuser-Busch plastic beer bottle. In addition to consulting, Dr Lisa is a highly sought after Vistage/TEC speaker on “Maximizing Profitability”. Dr Lisa also provides professional keynote speeches and workshops for organizations like: TLMI, ASC, NTMA, MCAA, NAPM and private events for corporations like: TESSCO, Bostik, GE, Pfizer and Sandvik Coromant.
Related Posts:
Great Resource on the Theory of Constraints: Ebook on Integrating Theory of Constraints with Lean Six Sigma
Best in Market using Six Sigma in Marketing
Posted by: | CommentsEric Reidenbach author of several books on Six Sigma Marketing, the most recent being Six Sigma Marketing: From Cutting Costs to Growing Market Share, has allowed me to offer my readers a complimentary copy of his newly published book, Best in Market. 
I think the book incorporates the overall essence of Six Sigma in marketing today. It takes the DMAIC structure and applies it in a simple easy to read structure that will be beneficial to a Black Belt that may not be all that familiar with marketing and/or to a marketing team that has limited exposure to Six Sigma. It is a readable book that it is not filled with Six Sigma terminology and methodology that typically takes away from the message. So many Six Sigma sales and marketing books seem to labor on the point of making sure that they are what I would call a “methods” book and spend way to much time on Six Sigma versus a learning tool for people to take a practical message away. The points that are made on value and quality through out the book and on how to acquire them through proper techniques provided me some additional insights into my own marketing methods.
An overview of the book:
Chapter 1 examines the state of U.S. manufacturing – the myths, the realities and most important, the challenges. Much has been written about the challenges from new tax laws to enterprise zones to cost cutting. These are what I call enabling factors that will provide organizations with an environment to excel. Enabling factors alone are insufficient to sustain a leadership position. Value creation and delivery are the sustaining factors – those factors that will enable U.S. manufacturing to achieve this dominance and sustain it.
Chapter 2 examines the old business model and how it must change to accommodate a new set of exigencies that populate a global market place.
Chapter 3 takes an in depth look at the element that calls for a new set of tools that will be required to excel in a global environment. At the heart of these tools is value – an idea that is not new but one that has received new attention because of our ability to measure it and manage it.
Chapter 4 provides the foundation for the new value strategy. Targeting markets will be crucial to any effective strategy in the global environment. Buyers in different countries and even different regions of different countries will define value in different ways. Identifying targeted product/markets and being able to assess their utility to the organization is a critical first step – one that will eliminate much waste and insure greater productivity.
The Voice of the Market (VOM) and how to capture it is the subject of Chapter 5. For each targeted product/market the organization will have to create a value model that identifies and prioritizes the importance of both quality and price and then identifies and prioritizes the importance of the CTQs (critical – to – quality factors) that make up quality. The VOM becomes the information platform that informs all subsequent aspects of SSM.
Understanding your organization?s competitive value proposition, how the market evaluates your value relative to that of your key competitors is essential. Failing to do so relegates all subsequent activities to guesses and your strategic planning becomes strategic guessing – an all too often occurring activity in many manufacturing organizations. This is the subject of Chapter 6.
Since market share is the focus of this new value strategy, a tool for managing customer loyalty is provided in Chapter 7. Trying to outsell customer defections or running faster to simply stay in place as suggested by the Queen of Hearts in Alice in the Looking Glass is not an option. Customer retention is a crucial component of market share management.
Chapter 8 describes a value tool for identifying where your competition is vulnerable and how to attack that vulnerability. Customer acquisition is another component of market share and in most maturing industries, taking customers from competitors is a capability that must be mastered. Simply waiting for your competition to make a mistake is too passive and relies on serendipity rather than strategy.
Improving the three factors that impact market share gains – people, product and processes is the focus of Chapter 9. Value is delivered through the organization?s capacity to manage these three value adding elements.
Finally, Chapter 10 offers a model of monitoring changes made to the people, product and process improvements undertaken. To simply assume that the changes are doing what they were intended to do is delusional. They must be monitored to assess their efficiency and effectiveness.
As myself, this is a subject that is near and dear to Eric’s heart and would love to see the idea migrate through the manufacturing and quality world. I encourage you to download the book and take advantage of this offer. Download the book: Best in Market.
If you would like to learn more about Eric or his company visit: 6SigmaMarketing.com
