Draw your Value Stream Map in Excel

People buy all these different products to do simple drawings for Value Stream Mapping using basic symbols. When they are done, they pull out the Microsoft Excel sheet and do the calculations. Sometimes they are even forced to create their own formulas. I became familiar with Systems2win and their Value Stream Mapping tool does both, Read More …

The Ultimate Marketing System – The Forgotten Pillar

Readers of my blog have read my explanations of the Lean Marketing House and how your Marketing Channels determine your number of pillars and the size of each. You can suffice with just one pillar if it is big enough and strong enough to hold up the roof but the other day I realized that Read More …

Theory of Constraints + Lean + Six Sigma = Ultimate Improvement Cycle

I was getting ready to write a blog and was visiting several books I had just completed for some background information. I was distracted and saw that I had a couple of LinkedIn invitations and decided to review them instead. One of the invitations was from Bob Sproull. I stopped a second and looked over Read More …

Rapid Problem Solving Method with Lean Six Sigma Healthcare

On the Business901 podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nancy Riebling, Director of Operational Performance Solutions and a Master Black Belt for the North Shore- LIJ Health System. Change acceleration process is a philosophy & tool set designed to help overcome cultural barriers to change by creating a shared need, shaping a vision, & Read More …

Improve WIP, Cut Your Customers In Half!

A Theory of Constraints tactic is to cut your Work in process in half, and you will increase throughput. Many people resist this thought, but it is typically easily done in most TOC projects that have been tried. I listen to the TOC consultants and many are adamant about this fact. They will tell you Read More …

Jantsch is Experiencing Lean

Last week I wrote a blog post stating that I thought that Seth Godin was experiencing a lean transformation. I alluded to the fact that I thought John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing, was headed down the same path. After reading John’s blog post in the American Express Open Forum. I’m convinced! He said Read More …