KaiNexus: Continuous Improvement, Leadership, and More

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 startups at the SLO HotHouse.

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.