Archive for Value Stream Mapping
Lean Starter Toolkit released by Systems2win
Posted by: | CommentsSystems2win a supplier of Excel Templates for Lean Kaizen Continuous improvement tools has introduced the Lean Starter Toolkit that includes a selection of downloadable templates, videos and instructions. This is a free downloadable trial package that covers 5S, A3, Kaizen, Project Management, Flowcharts, Six Sigma, Value Stream Mapping, Standard Work and Lean Training. This offering is part of the larger series of templates and visuals offered by Systems2win and our relevant to any type of organization pursuing a continuous improvement effort.
The overall goal of the Lean Starter Toolkit is to educate how lean tools and concepts can be adapted and used in the user’s environment. Users will self-validate their knowledge, raise awareness on which and how the tools are utilized, and be introduced to Lean and other continuous improvement tools. There are eleven different categories that your Lean journey takes from an Excel Starting page to customization. These categories are:
1. Get Started
2. 5S
3. A3
4. Kaizen
5. Project
6. Flowcharts
7. 6Sigma
8. Value Stream Mapping
9. Standard Work
10. Lean Training
11. Customize
Dean Ziegler, founder of Systems2win says, “If you are new to Excel or the Tools of Lean, Systems2win offers one of the largest collections of on-line training resources free during your trial period. This is the strength behind our product offerings and there is even built in support features each and every time you open a document. So don’t hesitate, use the training if nothing else to start or expand your Lean Journey.”
“We want you to know that many of our Systems2win templates are just plain simple. However these template create add tremendous value in our product offering but they were just so simple that we hesitated giving them away as a trial. You may have created a small portion of these already and know the amount of time it takes to do this. The advantage of having a single flexible model will create clarity for your staff and better execution. Utilizing these templates will ensure that you spend your time on the application versus creating or updating a document. Well, we are giving a few away and review the list about, it is only 20% of our total package. If you would like, you can test drive the whole package for 30 days,” added Ziegler.
This is an excerpt of a news release for Systems2win. It is promotional in nature but the Trial offer is pretty cool. If you just choose to use it for 30 days, it will enable you to get a feel for Lean Tools and how to use them. By the way, I use this product everyday!
Using Excel for Value Stream Mapping Discussion
Posted by: | CommentsSystems2win a supplier of Excel Templates for Lean Kaizen Continuous improvement tools has introduced the Value Stream Mapping section of the Lean Starter Toolkit that includes a selection of downloadable templates, videos and 
instructions. This is a free downloadable trial package that covers Value Stream Mapping, and is part of a collection of over twenty templates in the Lean Starter Kit. The Systems2win Word and Excel templates and free online training are relevant to any type of organization pursuing a continuous improvement effort.
I had a chance to catch up with Dean Ziegler, founder of Systems2win and had this discussion about his new Lean Starter kit and more specifically the Value Stream Mapping Templates . Disclaimer: There is a business relationship that exist between Business901 and Systems2win at the time of this writing.
Joe Dager: You use Excel as a drawing tool. Why?
Dean Ziegler: Once someone completes the 13-minute video to learn how to use Excel as a drawing tool – they will wonder why they ever bought Visio. Drawing is the easy part. Excel has all of the drawing capabilities of Visio, but Visio can’t do math. And once your managers get over being enamored with the pretty pictures, they are going to start asking the tough questions that are the entire reason for making a value stream map in the first place. ‘How much will we save? Why are we focusing on this instead of that?’ And that’s when people realize that their entry-level drawing tool doesn’t really answer the questions that a value stream map is intended to answer.
Joe: What if I am new to Excel or even Lean, can I still benefit from your templates?
Dean: If you are new to Excel or the Tools of Lean, Systems2win offers one of the largest collections of on-line training resources free during your trial period. Free online training is one of the strengths behind our product offerings. There are built in support features each and every time you open a document. So we encourage newcomers to use our free training if nothing else to start or expand your Lean Journey.
Joe: If they are just Word and Excel templates, why don’t I just create them?
Dean: We want people to know that many of our Systems2win templates are just plain simple. In the past, we only gave away our most complex templates as trials, but now we’re giving some of the simple ones too. Our best prospect is someone that has already spent several late nights attempting to create a few of their own home-made templates, and can now truly appreciate how much time these save – and how much more professional the end results.
There has been a few discussions that I have participated in on the use of templates, so I thought I would go straight to the horse’s mouth per say. We have an expanded version of this discussion that I will release soon but thought that this was a good viewpoint on the use of templates.
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Are you thinking about Lean this year?
Posted by: | CommentsHere is a question I asked Jim Lewis, author of the Story of a Lean Journey
Joe: Now you’ve talked a lot about the benefits someone can get from Lean by doing it, but how tough is it to achieve? I mean, is it doable? Is it doable in three months? Six months? I could be out of business in six months. Is it something that really can be done in the short term, or is it something that takes a long time?
Jim: Yes to both of those. And let me explain that. Lean is a journey. You’re transforming your business from wherever it is today to a new way of doing business.
It is a journey. Another reason for using an outside person is because usually internal resources don’t have a full comprehension, unless they are Lean experts themselves, they don’t have a full comprehension of the commitment that’s necessary in order to make this journey, and they really don’t know how this journey is going to unfold.
There’s an 80/20 rule that applies to anything and everything, and it applies to Lean as well. The transformation process is not complete until it becomes self?sustainable, where you forget what the old was. You can’t even remember what the old was.
I mention that in my book, once the transformation reaches that point where you can no longer remember what the old way was, then you are well on your way to a successful journey. And that takes probably three to five years before the process becomes the new norm ? the Lean now is the new norm.
Businesses have been doing business the way they have for years, since the Industrial Revolution of the 1850s. So we’ve been ingrained in us this ‘batch ‘ mentality of doing business for so long that it takes a long time to change the culture. And that’s what you’re doing, you’re changing the culture in the organization, and so that takes three to five years.
But the 80?20rule applies to that. You will get immediate results from a Lean Initiative, from day one. As soon as you begin to implement, you get positive results. I usually work with a company, either full?time or part-time depending on the organization for six to eight months.
From day one, I’m weaning myself away from the organization because I don’t want them totally dependent on me. I want them to be able to begin to take ownership and responsibility for the transformation themselves. I’ll usually find a key individual in the organization who I can work with closely, who’s going to take over the mantle as I leave.
That person will take the mantle of responsibility for ensuring that the transformation process continues to move forward until the entire culture is changed.
It’s not just changing the culture of the workers in the organization. The management, the leadership of the organization has to change their culture as well. They’re no longer task managers. They’re going to work in a collaborative way. I’m not talking about self?managed work teams. I’m talking about working with people in a collaborative way, and problem solving, and soliciting input and ideas, and suggestions and recommendations.
Empowering is another one of the E’s. It’s empowering the staff to be able to make change happen in their area of control. Managers are going to be relinquishing some control in that transformation process, where they go to a team?based activity versus a traditional, task?managed operation.
It does take a long time, but the results are immediate. If you can get through that cultural shift change and have a sustainable operation, then Lean becomes the new norm, and you forget where you were.
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