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 …

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 …

Does Kata help in Spreading Knowledge in an Organization?

I skipped a podcast session this week because of the holidays. However, I will be back next week with 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. An excerpt from Read More …

Jobs To Be Done Matrix

I have been pretty vocal in the past about using Value Stream Mapping, Value Stream Mapping should be left on the Shop Floor, and along with a couple other blog posts, Shaping your Customers Vision and Kill the Sales and Marketing Funnel. I think these types of tools lead us down a precarious path when Read More …

Using Job Methods to Sell Your Ideas

Most of us familiar with Training Within Industry know that the majority of the training in TWI has been in the area of Job Instruction. When we think about Sales, we immediately think about Job Relations. I think TWI offers a greater opportunity. We spend most of our time training sales and support people to Read More …

TWI Skills Into Daily Routines, Part 2

Mark Warren, of Tesla2 Inc. has decades years of experience working with Tier 1 and 2 suppliers to improve their manufacturing productivity and quality. He travels the world to learn and teach about Lean and most specifically TWI.  He likes to concentrate on problem solving methodologies as applied to lean manufacturing, failure analysis, reliability improvements, Read More …