The lean transformation of Aluminum Trailer Co. (ATC) was the keynote presentation at the Lean Accounting Summit, August 26th. The ATC story was presented by Steve Brenneman, president, and Duane Yoder, production manager. Steve titled his presentation, “It’s a lean life!” His definition of lean is “using the scientific method […]

Compared to just a few years ago, Oakley Die & Mold is a very different place. The shelves and bins that once stretched nearly the entire length of the 50,000-square-foot shop floor are now sequestered in an area that’s less than half the previous size. There’s new machining equipment on […]

If you are a manufacturing organization striving for excellence – and what manufacturing organization isn’t – “obeya” is a concept you may want to add to your repertoire. Analogies have been drawn between an obeya and the bridge of a ship, or a war room and even a brain, but […]

Can the Six Sigma approach be used even in small businesses? The website for an upcoming training event coming to New York City on Nov. 9 describes it as a “five-day program … designed to help companies identify and eliminate wastes, as well as reduce complexities and costs associated with […]

It’s all about making them more attractive to industry. Students in Missouri University of Science and Technology’s engineering management and systems engineering (EMSE) department have the chance to earn Six Sigma Green Belt and Six Sigma Black Belt certification. The certifications are indicators of expertise in process improvement. Missouri S&T […]

MELVILLE, N.Y., Sept. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — While leading manufacturers embrace lean principles for production processes, this is not always the case across the rest of their organizations. Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, will help demonstrate the value of Lean Document Processes at the American Production […]

QUESTION: I am trying to develop a list of metrics to drive our continuous improvement efforts. What questions should I be asking myself to develop this list? And how many do you think I should focus on? ANSWER: It isn’t clear what leadership role this person is playing so I’ll […]

September 12-16 is the next Green Belt certification course. It is open to the unemployed at a substantial Labor Day discount. fkiQuality teaches Six Sigma, one of the leading methods for improving company operations. One recent course graduate reports from his first project at a cold storage company “warehousing (pallet […]

From algorithmic changes to evolving consumer behavior, the SEO market is synonymous with change. Each year, marketers must revise their strategies as they keep up with the latest developments in best practices. Customer expectations are also changing, as they begin to seek more from brands online, including personalized experiences. Over […]

“Creative” and “lean.” Do those words go together? I have been a lean practitioner for more than 20 years, and I’ve never heard the phrase “creative lean.” But don’t we love those creative solutions? Don’t we get excited when an idea comes from out in left field and it works? […]