Archive for August, 2009

A while back, I posed about Lean Manufacturing Principles. Today I wanted to go a little bit more in depth with how you can prepare a Lean implementation plan.

First of all, let’s take a look at what exactly a lean implementation plan is. A lean implementation plan is how you are going to bring about making your business more lean. This sounds like it should be easy, but there are actually a number of problems with actually implementing lean manufacturing. As Wikipedia says, “The discipline required to implement Lean and the disciplines it seems to require are so often counter-cultural that they have made successful implementation of Lean a major challenge.”

So, if it’s so difficult to implement, how can you create a successful plan?

First, you need to remember that there two aspects that you need to focus on. The first is the actual hardware portion: the machinery, equipment, etc. The second is the human aspect. Just improving one of these aspects will not result in a successful lean implementation – you need both. Once you realize that, you can really start with your implementation plan.

Firstly, you want to focus on everything that is absolutely necessary to run an effective system – this is where all of the big changes are made.

Next, you want to build upon what you did when you made those big changes – this would include implementing the 5S system, for example.

Lastly, you want to work on continuous improvement, where numerous small changes are constantly being made.

Doesn’t sound too difficult, but it’s always more challenging to actually implement the plan than it is to make it. Remember that if you find something in your plan is not working as you would like it to, that your plan is not set in stone – if you find something isn’t working, then revisit that part of the plan. Is it feasible? Is there another way to get to your goals?

What have you been doing for your lean implementation plan?

The general purpose of market research is to provide the organization with relevant, accurate information about it’s consumers and the competitive environment. This benefits a company in many aspects of the business, and can ultimately save the company time, effort and money.

Benefit #1 – You get to know your customer
When first starting a business, or launching a new product, you first need to determine if there is a market for this product or service. This is where market research comes in. By completing surveys, collecting statistics and product testing, you will learn who will use your product, where they are, what they like, and where to advertise that will get their attention. Often if you test the product with your target consumer, you will discover ways that consumers use your product that you hadn’t even considered – which in turn builds your marketing and aids in advertising endeavors.

Benefit #2 – Referrals
In completing your market research, you will have developed a database of names, addresses and phone numbers. Not only are these people that participated in your surveys, these are your customers, and your sales people! After completing a survey if you were to send out a simple “thanks for participating” postcard, you’ll leave an impression with this consumer. Not only will this make them more likely to buy from you, either for the first time or again, but if your product is successful, they will refer friends and family to it. Word of mouth is a wonderful thing, and market research is another way to get your name out there.

Benefit #3 – Enhanced Products
Market research can help you to determine more about your consumer, but it can also tell you more about your product. What would your customers change about your product? Is the packaging keeping the product safe, and yet still appealing to them? Is there something missing from the instructions? Market Research can help lead you to product development, and continue to better your company and products.

Benefit #4 – You can save money!!
Market research can save you from making a poor investment. While market research is an investment in itself, spending the time to learn that no one really wants to use aerosol toothpaste isn’t such a bad idea. When you consider the costs of market research, think of it this way – You COULD pay whatever it costs for market research, OR you could spend the money to produce the aerosol toothpaste, it’s packaging, as well as put money into storage, shipping to stores, sales people to find the stores to distribute, and the advertising and marketing campaigns. Which do you think would be more cost effective? Saving yourself from a failed product launch, or dealing with the aftermath?

Remember to keep your market research on the priority list. Some things that appear to be good ideas, are easily rejected by the consumers, and can end up being very costly. While I personally have nothing against clear cola, the market likes what it likes, and brutally rejects what it doesn’t.

Communication in the workplace is vital, and with the dependence we all have on e-mail, and other means of digital communication, it seems that communication on the whole is getting more and more difficult. Here are 10 tips to help maintain a good level of communication for you and your co-workers in the workplace.

1. Remember that NOTHING replaces face-to-face communication. When possible, talk to the person face-to-face instead of sending a quick e-mail or calling on the phone. You could miss so much of what the other person in the conversation wants to relate if you only get the words but miss the body language and voice inflection. This is especially important when there is sensitive material to be covered in the conversation.
2. Avoid using instant messaging clients to talk to people in the office. Instant messaging can sometimes take a lot more time than speaking with someone over the phone or face to face, and there is a lot more chance for misrepresentation and misunderstanding.
3. Respond to facts, don’t react. Reacting emotionally to something is an automatic first response to a lot of people. By thinking about what is being said and what it means, and then thoughtfully crafting a response will get better results than immediately lashing out.
4. Learn to listen to the other person in the conversation. Many people hear, but they don’t actually listen. Pay attention to what the other person is saying, instead of just thinking about what you are going to say next.
5. Remember that e-mail is just the words a person is saying. This related to point #1. It’s easier to misunderstand what a person is saying if you’re just going by the words, and not getting the meaning behind them.
6. Remember common ground. In difficult conversations where you don’t agree with what the other people involved are saying, focus on what common ground you do have. This will help prevent the conversation turning into an argument, and will be (in the long run) much more effective.
7. Use language that is easy to understand. Obscure, big words may make you feel smart, but it may also alienate the person that you are trying to communicate with. That doesn’t mean that you should dumb down your language completely so that it comes across that you are condescending to the other people involved, but speak on the same level that they are speaking.
8. Don’t use industry slang. This goes along with point #7. If you’re speaking to someone who doesn’t know as much about what is going on in your industry, you want to use terms that they will understand – sticking with layman’s terms is probably the best way to get effective communication going.
9. Don’t be afraid to talk about failure, or about mistakes. But at the same time, don’t blame others for mistakes that you’ve made. This will create an open atmosphere and let others know that mistakes WILL be made, and it’s not going to be the end of the world when they do happen.
10. Remember – quality is always better than quantity. A good meeting where the right things get discussed to convey the right information is a lot more effective than many meetings where nothing substantial is ever covered.