KaiNexus: Continuous Improvement, Leadership, and More

Learn more and registerIn this engaging episode of the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Podcast, hostMark Graban welcomesGreg Jacobson, Co-Founder and CEO of KaiNexus, to discuss the much-anticipated KaiNexicon, the company's annual user conference. The conversation not only highlights the logistics and plans for the 2025 KaiNexicon but also dives into the essence of continuous improvement and the unique setup that makes this conference such a valuable experience.Key Discussion PointsIntroduction to KaiNexicon 2025: Greg Jacobson shares his enthusiasm for the ninth annual KaiNexicon, emphasizing the conference’s goals and its role as a vital gathering for KaiNexus users.Reflections on 2024 and Forecasting for 2025: Greg talks about how closing out the previous year impacts a small team and shares optimism regarding the financial outlook for 2025.Importance and Impact of KaiNexicon: The dialogue explores the significance of KaiNexicon, especially the cultural cross-pollination among industries that attend.Continuous Improvement and Engagement: Both speakers discuss the structured feedback process used to enhance the conference each year, reflecting KaiNexus' commitment to improvement.Unique Features of KaiNexicon: Key aspects such as the SpeedNexus session, as well as interactive opportunities available to users, are highlighted.Product Sneak Peeks and Innovations: Greg shares his passion for product development and how Kinexicon serves as a platform to preview upcoming advancements.Memorable Quotes:Greg Jacobson: "When you start realizing that you’re not copying and pasting even within industry, you can get a really excellent manifestation of what should lean or continuous improvement look like in your organization."Mark Graban: "It’s not the type of event where you sit there passively for the whole time. There are interactive sessions."Greg Jacobson: "At the fundamental core, all businesses are based on revenue, expenses, and people."Tune in next time for more insightful discussions on enhancing continuous improvement efforts.

To view the webinar recording, for slides, and morePresented by Mark GrabanHosted by Linda VicaroAre you looking for practical ways to eliminate errors and enhance efficiency in your organization? Join us for "Mistake-Proofing in Action: Real-World Examples Across Industries," an insightful webinar showcasing how organizations across healthcare, manufacturing, and service sectors have successfully implemented mistake-proofing techniques. Discover innovative solutions that prevent errors before they occur, improve safety and quality, and save valuable time and resources. Through inspiring case studies and actionable takeaways, you’ll learn how to adapt these proven approaches to your unique challenges. Don’t miss this chance to gain practical tools and insights to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence. Register today and see mistake-proofing in action!

Register for the webinar February 12 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET Presented by Mark Graban Are you looking for practical ways to eliminate errors and enhance efficiency in your organization? Join us for "Mistake-Proofing in Action: Real-World Examples Across Industries," an insightful webinar showcasing how organizations across healthcare, manufacturing, and service sectors have successfully implemented mistake-proofing techniques. Discover innovative solutions that prevent errors before they occur, improve safety and quality, and save valuable time and resources. Through inspiring case studies and actionable takeaways, you’ll learn how to adapt these proven approaches to your unique challenges. Don’t miss this chance to gain practical tools and insights to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence. Register today and see mistake-proofing in action! Mark Graban, a senior advisor to KaiNexus, is an internationally-recognized author, speaker, and consultant. His latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, is available now.  Mark is also the author of the award-winning book Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Engagement and others, including Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More. He serves as a consultant through his company, Constancy, Inc. Additionally, Mark hosts podcasts, including “Lean Blog Interviews” and “My Favorite Mistake.” Education: B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University; M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and M.B.A. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s “Leaders for Global Operations” Program. About the Presenter:Mark Graban

Read the blog post We are often asked if continuous improvement and operational excellence are the same. They are not, but they are closely related. Continuous improvement involves constantly improving your business processes to reduce waste, cut costs, improve quality, and maximize human potential. It focuses on making each existing process perfect. Operational excellence goes further. It involves setting the organization up for growth by understanding what the market wants and creating an uninterrupted value stream that continuously feeds the need.It is essential to understand the difference between these two complementary paradigms that guide business operations management so that you can apply elements of both to streamline operations and achieve your most critical strategic goals.

Read the blog post Taiichi Ohno, the father of the Toyota Production System, once said, “Without Standard Work, there is no Kaizen.” That’s a pretty bold statement, but when you think about the continuous improvement cycle, it makes a lot of sense. How can you move from the current state to the desired state if the current state is a moving target? Standard Work, which documents the current best practice for performing a task or process, and ensures that everyone is applying it, is a prerequisite for improvement. Here are 15 ways that Standard Work benefits organizations that leverage it.

Presented by Brent Loescher on Nov 19, 2024 Get slides and more TKMG Academy An exploration of implementing LSW throughout Sperber Companies, a distributed Landscape Maintenance business made up of organically-grown business and M&A (read multiple cultures). Covering everything from embracing current cultures, developing an organizational culture with a common language, level setting business leader responsibilities, introducing Lean thinking, and implementing daily rhythms, this webinar will discuss the efforts, hurdles, and learnings this 5-year-old business is living every day. Brent has spent more than 20 years working in and on the business, improving operations within high-speed manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, distributed-services environments, and governmental agencies. A Lean practitioner at heart, Brent received his formal Toyota Production System training while working for Toyota Motor Sales in their North American Parts Operations. While with Toyota, he was responsible for operational design of two new warehouses built in Puerto Rico and Mexico City. A certified TPS trainer, he developed strategic warehouse design standards, while also serving as the Toyota Customer Service Diversity and Inclusion Champion Coordinator. He helped develop a Lean program for the landscape maintenance industry, implementing and evolving continuous improvement programs across the country since 2009. This included co-leading a team focused on the operational integration of a $2 billion dollar merger. Brent is currently responsible for Learning & Development and CI for a start-up Landscape Maintenance & Construction company doing work in 14 states. He has a BA in Business Management from Mercyhurst University and is a retired military veteran, having served 21 years in the US Army and US Army Reserve.

Read the blog post I often find myself falling into the common trap of believing that if something is worthwhile, it is necessarily difficult. I think we all expect that valuable things are hard. The truth is, however, that sometimes the most effective and impactful things we can do are really quite simple. When it comes to continuous quality improvement, this is absolutely the case. Here are 9 examples of quality improvement tools, techniques, and technology that are uncomplicated yet extremely valuable.

Mark Graban, from KaiNexus, chats with Brent Loescher about his upcoming webinar: It will be presented live on November 19 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET Register here An exploration of implementing LSW throughout Sperber Companies, a distributed Landscape Maintenance business made up of organically-grown business and M&A (read multiple cultures). Covering everything from embracing current cultures, developing an organizational culture with a common language, level setting business leader responsibilities, introducing Lean thinking, and implementing daily rhythms, this webinar will discuss the efforts, hurdles, and learnings this 5-year-old business is living every day. About Brent: Brent has spent more than 20 years working in and on the business, improving operations within high-speed manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, distributed-services environments, and governmental agencies. A Lean practitioner at heart, Brent received his formal Toyota Production System training while working for Toyota Motor Sales in their North American Parts Operations. While with Toyota, he was responsible for operational design of two new warehouses built in Puerto Rico and Mexico City. A certified TPS trainer, he developed strategic warehouse design standards, while also serving as the Toyota Customer Service Diversity and Inclusion Champion Coordinator. He helped develop a Lean program for the landscape maintenance industry, implementing and evolving continuous improvement programs across the country since 2009. This included co-leading a team focused on the operational integration of a $2 billion dollar merger. Brent is currently responsible for Learning & Development and CI for a start-up Landscape Maintenance & Construction company doing work in 14 states. He has a BA in Business Management from Mercyhurst University and is a retired military veteran, having served 21 years in the US Army and US Army Reserve. Brent is a girl-dad that, along with his wife, Kim, is anxiously awaiting the birth of their second grandchild. In his free time, he finds a way to see the Green Bay Packers wherever they play, enjoys boating, and spending time being creative around the house.

Read the blog post Most of us have memories of playing the game of catch either as children or with our children. I really shouldn’t call it a “game” because there are no winners and losers. There is no defense because everyone is on the same side. One participant tries to deliver the ball to the other in a way that they will be able to grab and return it. The ability to catch and throw a ball is important because it is a foundation for success in many other, more complex sports. The Lean idea of catchball involves moving ideas and information from one person or team to another and, much like catch from childhood, it forms the basis for complicated decision-making and policy development.

Read the blog post The process you use to develop your strategic plan is as important as the plan itself. Many organizations adopt the Hoshin Kanri method (also known as Hoshin Planning or Strategy Deployment), which integrates daily management with the strategic breakthroughs needed to propel the organization forward. Hoshin Kanri helps create specific, actionable plans and allocates the resources necessary to achieve them. An important element of Hoshin Kanri is not just the setting of top-down objectives but also ensuring a two-way dialogue between leadership and employees, known as "catchball." This ongoing feedback loop ensures that strategic objectives are both communicated effectively and adjusted based on input from all levels of the organization. The entire process becomes an iterative cycle that aligns with the Plan-Do-Study-Adjust (PDSA) framework, fostering continuous learning and improvement. Here are the seven steps typically followed in the Hoshin Kanri process: