He’s big, jolly, and for better or worse he’s the true symbol of the holiday season. Santa Claus has perhaps the most bizarre demand schedule of any industry – 364 days of no deliveries but one astronomical one in December. Despite his cartoonish girth and unusual...
ABSOFREEKINGLUTELY! The Memorial Day holiday is a time of remembrance for all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Although certainly on a different level, have you reflected upon the sacrifices you have made for your business? Are you troubled by these uncertain times?...
SUCCESSES OF THE CLINICAL LABORATORY AT HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM It is perfect irony that the Department of Pathology and Clinical Laboratory Medicine at the Henry Ford Health System is among the most effective Lean practitioners in the world of medical laboratory testing. That’s because LEAN...
COACHES COACHING COACHES (An article written by John Shook, Chairman and CEO, Lean Enterprise Institute, Inc.) Inspirational Performance The Olympics are always great fun. It is inspiring to see human performance taken to such astounding levels. Watching the London games, I found myself observing the coaches almost as...
HOW TO DEAL WITH CRAZY PEOPLE WHO AFFECT CULTURE Bullying bosses / family members Angry co-workers Awkward suppliers Bitchy team members Inconsiderate friends Irrational and disrespectful clients All of the above people are part of the tapestry of life and work. But all of the above usually get in...
IT'S NEVER OUT OF YOUR HANDS It's not hopeless even with PBMs and an ever shifting healthcare landscape. By focusing on what you control great things can still happen within your 4 walls. If you have followed the state of the economy over the last decade,...
LEAN RAPID IMPROVEMENT OR MARKET YOUR WAY TO PROFITABILITY? Many business owners find themselves struggling to grow their enterprise and opt for the much sexier course of marketing their way out of problems. After all, they reason that an increase in revenue will offset industry constraints...
Dr. Chiodo says that “lean” is a process which allows you to “observe, assess, and implement small but discrete changes that can be measured. We designate certain days for observation. We spend a couple of hours observing ourselves and the patient experience, and then we...
Doing A Gemba Walk Is Not About Shaking Hands And Kissing Babies That is to say, a lot of leaders think that heading out to the work area to “show the flag,” and do a meet-and-greet with the team members is “walking the gemba.” While they...
Many business owners find themselves struggling to grow their enterprise and opt for the much sexier course of Marketing their way out of problems . After all, they reason that an increase in revenues will offset industry constraints or changes in consumer preferences. The LEAN...