The Often Overlooked Topic of the Challenge in Toyota Kata

The first step of the Improvement Kata — “Understand the Direction or Challenge” — is often overlooked, but is highly important for the three steps that follow. In this video Tyler Fife shares experiences from BiAmp Systems in Portland, Oregon to provide an excellent description of what Challenge is, how it fits in and what Read More …

Are You Trying To Improve Customer Influence?

Listening to the customer is giving the customer status and importance and sends the message that their opinion is worthwhile. If you take the time for customers to see problems for themselves and think through solutions, they will more than likely work with you in implementing and fixing the problems should they occur. It is Read More …

How do you start in the Membership Economy

You just don’t give this to the VP over here that’s been 20 years. How do I create this within my organization? I know there’s going to be a cultural shift, but how do you start? -jd Excerpt from next week’s Business901 Podcast: Robbie Baxter: I think you’re right. You don’t just give it to Read More …

Applying the 7 KATA to Knowledge Work

Shingo Prize winning author, Conrad Soltero. Conrad won the Shingo Prize as the principal author of The 7 Kata: Toyota Kata, TWI, and Lean Training. It was published in 2012 by Productivity Press. He works at the Texas Manufacturing and Assistance Center or TMAC as we’ll call it and is a Shingo prize examiner. For Read More …

How Important is Understanding the Gap?

I have to admit I am guilty as anyone falling into the trap of the latest and greatest way to hypothesize, iterate and develop great products. I enjoy playing with many of the tools laid forth but find myself failing to see the forest because of all the trees. In the latest iterations of many Read More …

How certain is your Forecasting?

Can you explain for someone about uncertainty and applying uncertainty to a forecast? – jd Eli Scrangenheim:  Forecasting tries to give me some information. Let us say partial information about the huge question about what will happen tomorrow. How much will I sell tomorrow? How much work will I be able to finish tomorrow or Read More …