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• Cease Mass Inspection for Quality

  Deming believed in improving the process, and doing so using process measures (which often may involve sampling) to guide improvement efforts. He did not believe in using inspection to select out the bad products, which is what inspection largely was before Deming.

  More on Deming’s thought on Inspection...

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• Not Lean Retailing

  Nothing is wrong with major decisions being made by the leaders but the article leaves the impression many non-major decisions are cetralized too. That is a problem for those who believe in management improvement ideas including lean thinking.

  ...

  Again moving away from good lean management ideas such as: longevity of management, focus on value of employees rather than cost of employees…

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• Theory in Practice

  Knowledge is built upon theory… Rational prediction requires theory and builds knowledge through systematic revision and extention of theory based on comparison of prediction with observation.

  W. Edwards Deming, page 102, The New Economics

   

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• Is Made in the USA Back In Vogue? (2006)

  This example provides more evidence of the benefits of "lean manufacturing," though it seems they are getting only a few benefits (reduction of waste, faster resupply of "hot items") and they may well not know about <a href="http://curiouscat.com/management/leanthinking.cfm">lean thinking</a>.  By studying and applying lean ideas they should be able to reduce the 45 day turn-around time.  Perhaps they should read the Fashion Incubator blog...

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• Innovation at Toyota

  While targets and goals can distract from improvement some guidance is useful. If the desire to is have incremental improvement one strategy may be reasonable but if the desire is to aim for huge improvement another strategy is likely required...

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• Innovation at Toyota in Developing the Prius

  By the end of 1993 the development team had determined that higher oil prices and a growing middle class around the world would require the new car to be both roomy and fuel-efficient. Other than that, they were given no guidance. “I was trying to come up with the future direction of the company,” says Watanabe, who headed corporate planning at the time. “I didn’t have a very specific idea about the vehicle.”

  Investing in innovation is risky. If successful, the benefits can build a competitive advantage that is difficult for others to eliminate. However, others will try and if you fail to execute as well in the future those benefits can disappear quickly. Toyota shows few signs of letting others catch up though.

   

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• Global Manufacturing Data by Country from 2001 to 2004

  This data shows the United States manufacturing economy is continuing to grow and is solidly the largest manufacturing economy: which contradicts what many believe. It is true manufacturing jobs are decreasing in the United States and worldwide – China is losing far more manufacturing jobs than the USA.

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• Quality Customer Focus

  Kano model of Customer Satisfaction: Kano saw three types of customer satisfaction: required (basic quality also threshold requirements), more is better (performance quality) and delighter (excitement quality).

  Customers expectations change over time. Often what was once enough to delight a customer (remote control for a TV) becomes expected...

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• Quality Customer Focus

  Customers expectations change over time. Often what was once enough to delight a customer (remote control for a TV) becomes expected. Once a feature is expected the organization gets no credit for providing it they only risk a negative reaction if they fail to provide it.

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• John Simpson

  This is the best I can do to create my Simpson self. Until I have a guest appearance on the show, I guess this will have to do.

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• Visible Data

  Take the time to find the important measures and then don’t keep data hidden in some drawer or computer file out of people’s view and therefore out of mind. Post the important data for everyone to see. Review the data as changes are made and see that the changes had the desired result. Update the measures when appropriate...

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• Visible Data

  Take the time to find the important measures and then don’t keep data hidden in some drawer or computer file out of people’s view and therefore out of mind. Post the important data for everyone to see. Review the data as changes are made and see that the changes had the desired result. 

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• Performance Appraisal Problems

  There are no easy answers, but what it should be about is managing the system to produce the best results. My best advice is to read chapter 9 of The Leader’s Handbook and read the rest of the Leader’s Handbook and other great management improvement books. And manage using the ideas of Deming, Ackoff, Scholtes, McGregor, Ohno… 

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• Toyota Special Report: Thinking Production System

  This short article is peppered with many great quotes as section headers:

  • In TPS, the T also stands for Thinking
  • To cut lead-time, cut out all the bits that don't add value.
  • The line must stop if there is a problem.
  • Ask yourself Why? five times.
  • Develop people who can come up with unique ideas.

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• Organization, Systems and Culture

  Management improvement is mainly about using great ideas that have been around for years and decades.

  Useful, innovative new management ideas are great. But far too much effort is placed in trying to package "systems" (or copyrighted terms) as some new breakthrough in management when most often they offer little of value.

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