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Jun

Is it an insult to say that it’s documented?

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Lindsay Jackson Nichols discussed the business benefits of ISO Certification and how it can be used in conjunction with continuous improvement in the Business901 podcast, Can there be a marriage between ISO and Lean? Lindsay is the CEO of MOCG, a management consulting firm specializing in implementing process improvement and ISO based management systems. This is a transcription of the podcast with added content. An excerpt from the transcription:

Joe: That’s one of the big resistances to Lean is the perception that you are standardizing all the work and making robots out of everyone. But standard work is kind of what you’re saying that ISO is all about. It’s making work standard. I mean, being explicit in what it is. And that’s not a bad thing because if there is a deviation from it, you would raise the flag, or in the Lean terms, someone would pull an Andon cord.

Lindsay: Exactly. You find me one new employee joining an organization that will ever complain that there is something in documented form that tells them how they should be performing something. They cry out for it. But how many times do you hear people say "Oh yeah, it’s baptism by fire here." Nobody likes to be in that situation. I mean I’ve been through it myself; it’s disconcerting. People want to be productive; they want to get up and running fast. What you tend to hear from the more seasoned people is "Oh, but it’s so unique, what we do. There’s no way you could possibly standardize it." Of course that’s complete nonsense. There are certain things, obviously, every order is different. The flavor of what a customer wants versus the next one, absolutely.

Is it an insult to say that it’s documented

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Can there be a marriage between ISO and Lean?

Posted by: business901 | Comments (0)

On the Business901 podcast, Lindsay Jackson Nichols discussed the business benefits of ISO Certification and how it can be used in conjunction with continuous improvement. Lindsay is the CEO of MOCG, a management consulting firm specializing in implementing process improvement and ISO based management systems.

When you first think about, you may think that Quality Management and a continuous improvement methodology like Lean are one in the same. You may also think that they are willing partners. Many disagree with that thought. My thoughts are that I find the ISO standards as a way to involve people from all departments to ask them how you do things. As a result, procedures and documentation are created to evaluate the current method of doing things (the first step in standard work) against the requirements of a standard (ISO). As a result, you develop performance gaps for continuous improvement. Others believe that this would hinder the development and flexibility of standard work documents and prefer that they are divorced from each other.

I probed this question with Lindsay and on a Lean Blog Post on Standard Work. The answer I believe to be correct is that ISO 9001 should not be the continuous improvement strategy just that it should be one metric by which continuous improvement is measured. However, I still believe using ISO as a standard to start the process for developing standard work is not a bad place to start.

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About LJ Nichols: Lindsay’s career has been entirely devoted to management consulting, working with Grant Thornton LLP ? the fifth largest accounting and management consulting firm in the nation, assisting them develop a ‘center of excellence’ for their quality, environment and regulatory practice, and P?E International plc/PE Handley Walker the largest management consulting firm in Europe, where she was integral in establishing their ISO presence in the US.

Lean, Quality, Six Sigma Consultants and Organizations – 28 Day Marketing Program

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I am putting a different twist on these programs. All of the webinars will be distributed at the designated time to provide a structured learning concept but they will be yours to keep. I won’t be taking the time off though. In addition to the webinar training, I will be offering the participants the opportunity to make appointments so that they can sign up for 30 minutes of 1 on1 training with me via the web. That will be 2-hours of direct coaching on implementing your training.

Marketing your Black Belt is a 28-day program starting May 6th. Marketing your Black Belt is based specifically on addressing these issues: Customer Acquisition, Marketing, Customer Retention and Communication & Collaboration. Specifically designed for Quality consultants.

Get Clients NOW – 28 Day Program: Program starting on the Monday, April 18th: 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM (GMT-0500).Program Structure and Agenda: During the first three sessions you will receive all the tools and training needed to design your individual 28-day marketing action plan. Specifically Designed for the Professional Consultant.

Value Stream Marketing: is a 28-day program starting Thursday, May 12th, from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM (ET). We want our participants to learn how to utilize a Sales and Marketing Value Stream implement through the use of a Marketing Kanban. Specifically Designed for Organizations.

Limited Amounts of Attendees.

How many times has a good idea failed because of a poor plan or execution? For start-ups and established organizations alike, Business901 provides effective but easy to use methodologies. They are flexible enough to allow you to apply your own ideas, while giving you guidance before, during and after. We will provide practical, information-rich, immediately applicable direction that can have immediate impact on the success of your organization.

P.S. 90 Day Program – ask for details about our Achieving Expert Status Program