Kainexus Continuous Improvement Podcast

We have noticed a theme to many of the conversations that we’ve been having with clients and at the events we have attended lately. Lots of folks have questions about the concept of Continuous Quality Improvement or CQI for short. We have put together some answers to the questions we are asked most often and even a few that people do not ask, but they really should.

We are not saying that your CEO needs shave his or her head, but depending on your improvement goals (and your CEOs attachment to their locks) it might be a great idea! To explain, back in 2016 KaiNexus set a Big Hairy Audacious Goal, known as a BHAG. A BHAG is a daunting, clear, and compelling goal an organization sets, which should not be financially driven, but it should be something that if the organization achieves it, would really move the needle forward and indicate the organization has accomplished something.

Donald J. Wheeler, PhD is a world-renown expert in continuous improvement, having worked with W. Edwards Deming and later writing the classic book Understanding Variation. Wheeler once wrote and said, Statistical Process Control is, at its heart, about getting the most from your processes. It is about the continual improvement of processes and outcomes. And it is, first and foremost, a way of thinking... with some tools attached.

I was at a neighborhood gathering the other day when I ran into an old friend who I had not seen in years. She asked me what I had been up to, so I told her a bit about my role at KaiNexus and mentioned that we have software that helps companies achieve success with business methodologies like Lean and Six Sigma. She said that she figured they just used spreadsheets and email.

Standard work is a term that practitioners of a continuous improvement methodology such as Lean, Kaizen or Six Sigma have probably heard before. It is simply a detailed written description of the most efficient and effective way known to complete a particular process or task, safely, with the highest quality result.

Webinar presented by Kevin Meyer, hosted by Mark Graban. In this webinar you will learn: The fascinating overlap between Lean and Zen. How to use that overlap to calm everyday chaos. How to become more productive by identifying and optimizing the best part of your day. How to grow as a person - and a leader. About the Host: Kevin Meyer is a co-founder and partner at Gemba Academy. He has over 30 years of manufacturing leadership experience in the automotive lighting, telecom electronics, and medical device industries. He has been responsible for lean transformations at Sylvania, Abbott Laboratories, Newport Corporation, and most recently as President of Specialty Silicone Fabricators. He guest lectures on business, manufacturing, and leadership topics at his alma mater Rensselaer as well as CalPoly. Kevin is on the board of directors of two technology companies and two regional public policy councils, and actively supports early stage entrepreneurship by investing with SLO Seed Ventures and mentoring st

During a Gemba walk, supervisors and leaders go to the place where work is done (the Gemba). They observe (not fix) processes and activities and ask questions that will help lead to future improvements. Why? - is certainly an important question, but it is by no means the only one. We have put together a list of other questions that may be useful, especially if you are new to Gemba walks or if you are taking a look at a process for the first time.

Kevin Meyer from Gemba Academy, author of the book "The Simple Leader" will be giving a webinar for KaiNexus on April 25. Register at http://www.kainexus.com/webinars The title is "Personal Leadership at the Nexus of Lean and Zen." We hope you can join us or check out the recording.

"How KaiNexus Uses Kaizen and our KaiNexus Software to Improve: Podcast Episode Numbers" A blog post by Mark Graban

Keep doing what you are doing and you are going to get what you are getting. Few would argue that the logic rings true, but unfortunately, this idea is often ignored when it comes to strategic business planning. Executives huddle in a room, analyze budgets, set revenue goals, and predict great success without fundamentally changing the conditions that led to the business results they are experiencing today. A year later, or a quarter later, everyone wonders why nothing has changed.

The DMAIC technique is simple, yet powerful. It brings structure to the improvement process and helps teams explore potential solutions, decide a course of action, and implement process controls in short order. Trying any new improvement strategy can be intimidating, so we thought it would be helpful to break down all the details of DMAIC so that you can give it a try with confidence.

In our first KaiNexus "customer spotlight," Mark Graban talks with Ben Whitaker, Director, Business Process Management at Mohawk Fine Papers. We talk about their use of KaiNexus, how they are changing the culture, and more.

KaiNexus has a webinar series called Ask Us Anything, in which our CEO and Co-founder Greg Jacobson and Mark Graban, our Vice-President of Improvement & Innovation Services and founder of LeanBlog.org, join forces to answer questions KaiNexus webinar listeners ask. In this post, we will look at two questions and answers from a recent webinar.

I have been debating with myself over whether to use the word conceptions or misconceptions in this post. I decided to go with conceptions because I do not know whether these frequently held beliefs are accurate or not within your organization. We do know from countless conversations with our customers that they are devastating to a culture of improvement whether they are true or not. Here is how you can combat them, in either case.

Any good continuous improvement platform empowers you to improve in any way you see fit, rather than forcing you to subscribe to one particular methodology. That means people use the software to support a ton of different types of improvement work - including improvement-related certification classes.

If you’re using the Six Sigma methodology to create change and sustain continuous improvement in your organization, you’re likely using, or will use, DMAIC (pronounced "de-may-ick"). DMAIC is an acronym that outlines a framework for identifying and challenging sources of waste, poor quality, and inefficient processes and then looking for opportunities for improvement. DMAIC is best used when an existing product or process fails to meet performance expectations or otherwise leaves customers unsatisfied. You can read more about what DMAIC is and about steps involved on our blog, but for those of you who are finding DMAIC challenging you may want to check your organization isn’t making these five big DMAIC mistakes.

Mark Graban and Dr. Greg Jacobson address your questions on: - Getting front line staff to embrace Kaizen and continuous improvement as a win/win - Getting leaders and executives to buy in to continuous improvement - What's your process for planning a kaizen event?

Tracking the impact of a continuous improvement program is one of the most difficult challenges that an incoming consultant may face. As difficult as tracking impact is, it is also one of the most important metrics to measure. Organization leaders want to see a return on their investment of a consultant and being able to capture the results of the improvement program is the easiest way to do so.

Behind every improvement technique and tool, there is a winning spirit. There is no downside to the ideas that processes can always be made better and that positive change is the business of everyone. But today we are going to focus on one common improvement tool, the idea board, and make the case that there is a better way. After all, why would the force of Kaizen not be applied to improvement itself?

Gemba walks can be one of the most enjoyable and powerful learning opportunities for leaders, but only if they are done in a way that promotes learning and avoids creating tension between managers and frontline staff. I have written about Gemba walks before, but I wanted to delve deeper into what NOT to do on Gemba walks. If your Gemba walks aren’t going as well as hoped, or if they are causing tension on the front lines, be sure you are not making any of these mistakes: