KaiNexus: Continuous Improvement, Leadership, and More

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Jul 16, 2024 • 8min

[Preview] Leveraging a Strategy to Execution Framework: A Journey of Transformation

Register here In this video, Mark Graban (webinar host from KaiNexus) talks with Karen Friedenberg about her webinar. Scheduled for: July 23 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm ET Presented by Karen Friedenberg What is a Strategy to Execution Framework? How can this be leveraged to achieve sustainable business results? Learn more about how to execute a journey of Transformation from: 1. Strategy Articulation – How to ensure strategy is communicated in a clear and powerful way. 2. Organizational Alignment – Is the leadership team and the organization aligned to how they contribute to the company goals? 3. Operational Alignment – How to ensure processes and operations are consistent and aligned to strategy. 4. Executing with Excellence – Is there a structure and method in place to ensure strategy and key initiatives are managed? 5. Organizational and Culture Change – How do you build a culture of performance improvement and bring people along for the journey? About the Presenter: Karen Friedenberg is the Founder and Managing Director of Performance Improvement Consulting. Having worked both in Consulting and within industry, Karen brings a unique perspective to strategy execution. Karen sat in the seat of an executive, so having executable plans that deliver results is imperative. She built out and led Strategic Program Management and Operational Excellence departments leading large business and digital transformations. Karen is passionate about listening, connecting the dots and bringing her experience in various industries, lean six sigma, change management, design thinking and other disciplines to solve business problems and facilitate sustainable change.
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Jul 11, 2024 • 6min

Kaizen Event Planning in 7 Simple Steps

Read the blog post Here at KaiNexus, we get the opportunity to chat with organizations across all industries and write about many different continuous improvement tools and techniques they use. Lately, I’ve been thinking about two things that most have in common. First, the tools they use are generally simple but not easy. And second, the key to success lies in the planning phase. Both of these observations apply to Kaizen events. The concept is straightforward. A team sets aside other responsibilities for a few days to focus on solving an important challenge in short order. That’s pretty simple, but getting results requires a significant amount of planning and preparation Fortunately, there is a well-defined path to success. Here are the seven simple steps to follow before you kick off your next event.
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Jun 25, 2024 • 10min

Why Did You Join KaiNexus? Andrea Beidl, Manager of Customer Enablement

Today, host Mark Graban (a Senior Advisor) with KaiNexus is joined by our new Manager of Customer Enablement, Andrea Beidl. We'll learn about her background, why she joined KaiNexus, and what appealed to her during the recruiting and interviewing process. Learn a little about her onboarding process -- and what she thinks are the best things and the worst things about living in Austin — oops, I mean San Antonio. Learn more about KaiNexus: https://kainexus.com/
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Jun 20, 2024 • 1h

Webinar: Ask Us Anything! The KaiNexus Lean Strategy Team - Linda Vicaro, Lynn Howell, Mark Graban

It's time for another lively and informative "Ask Us Anything!" webinar. This time, we're featuring Linda Vicaro and Lynn Howell, the KaiNexus Lean Strategy team, joined by host and moderator Mark Graban. Learn more about our webinars: https://www.kainexus.com/webinars It's time for another lively and informative "Ask Us Anything!" webinar. This time, we're featuring Linda Vicaro and Lynn Howell, the KaiNexus Lean Strategy team, joined by host and moderator Mark Graban. Learn more about our webinars: https://www.kainexus.com/webinars Related Content: Watch all three Habits webinars and more Mark's "Lean Office Gone Wrong" video Questions: Linda and Lynn , could you tell us about your professional background and career? Feel free to add a fun fact if you'd like. How can we effectively communicate the value of continuous improvement to leadership and secure their buy-in? How can we engage leaders to support ongoing daily continuous improvement or small Kaizen initiatives that might not have immediate, impressive ROIs? How do we explain the benefits of continuous quality improvement and data usage to those who believe, "we already collect data" but don't use it to improve processes? What strategies can overcome employee resistance to change in a lean transformation? What are best practices for engaging staff in continuous improvement? How can a small company with limited resources start implementing lean practices? How can a large organization with over 20,000 employees foster a culture of continuous improvement despite slow processes? What tips and processes can help during an in-person session to create a new process for assessing and onboarding technology? How can we integrate lean with existing digital transformation efforts to enhance continuous improvement and innovation? How can we ensure consistent implementation and sustainment of lean practices over time? Where should a sales or service-oriented organization focus first when implementing continuous improvement?
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Jun 19, 2024 • 5min

Ask Us Anything! KaiNexus Lean Strategy Team [Webinar Preview]

Join us for another exciting and insightful "Ask Us Anything!" webinar featuring the KaiNexus Lean Strategy team. This interactive session is scheduled for June 20 from 2:00 - 3:00 ET. Register here Presenters: Linda Vicaro Lynn Howell Host and Moderator: Mark Graban In this live event, our experts will tackle your questions about continuous improvement, lean methodologies, and more. Whether you submit your questions in advance or ask them during the webinar, our team is ready to provide valuable insights and practical advice. 🔹 Submit Your Questions: Get your queries answered by Linda, Lynn, and Mark by submitting them ahead of time or participating live. 🔹 Who Should Attend: This webinar is perfect for anyone involved in or curious about lean strategies and continuous improvement, including industry professionals, managers, and enthusiasts. Don't miss this opportunity to engage directly with the KaiNexus Lean Strategy team. Subscribe to our channel and hit the notification bell to stay updated on our latest content and live events. 📅 Date: June 20 🕑 Time: 2:00 - 3:00 ET Follow Us: Website: KaiNexus LinkedIn: KaiNexus LinkedIn #LeanStrategy #ContinuousImprovement #KaiNexus #Webinar #AskUsAnything
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Jun 18, 2024 • 22min

Why Gemba Walks Matter & How to Make Them Work

Blog post link Gemba walks have become a widely adopted management technique. Leaders gain valuable insights into organizational value flow and often discover improvement opportunities by directly visiting the work environment. This collaborative approach involves employees sharing details about their tasks and the reasons behind them. Why are Gemba Walks Important?
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Jun 11, 2024 • 8min

Why Did You Join KaiNexus? Josh Feldman, VP of Marketing

Today, host Mark Graban (a Senior Advisor) with KaiNexus is joined by our new Vice President of Marketing, Josh Feldman. We'll learn about his background, why he joined KaiNexus, and why he moved from Chicago. Is he is Cubs fan or a White Sox fan? And what does his think about Chicago pizza? The answer may surprise you. Learn more about KaiNexus: https://kainexus.com/
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Jun 4, 2024 • 11min

Quick Guide: Process Thinking in Operations Management

The blog post James Womack and Dan Jones are the founders of the Lean Enterprise Institute and the Lean Enterprise Academy (UK), respectively. Their book, Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation, is considered by some to be the bible of Lean Manufacturing. It was initially published in 1996 based on their in-depth study of Toyota’s fabled Toyota Production System (TPS). Womack and Jones realized that every business output results from a process. Process thinking in operations management requires leaders and workers to view the organization as a set of related processes that work together for a common goal rather than a group of departments supporting a specific function.These ideas are widely used by organizations in every sector to better design, track, and optimize business operations. Companies have not done away with functional departments. Instead, they view the work departments do differently. Departments don't exist on their terms. Each receives inputs from other functions and provides outputs that other departments must consume to complete their work. In short, each function or person contributes to one or more business processes. So, instead of managing departments, process thinking means managing entire operations. A process might move through a series of teams or functions, each with its requirements, but the purpose of each one is to create value for the customer, which is what matters.
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May 30, 2024 • 59min

[Webinar] Enterprise Excellence is Inclusive Excellence - William Harvey

Watch the recording and more info This was presented on May 30, 2024 by Dr. William Harvey Enterprise excellence and inclusive excellence are closely linked, and real-world challenges have shown that both are essential to the success of any organization. To achieve enterprise excellence, organizations must focus on improving their operations and processes while creating an inclusive environment that engages everyone. In this interactive session, the facilitator will highlight commonly established business practices and how they limit our ability to engage everyone every day. More importantly, though, participants will likely gain increased awareness of what we can do differently to maximize enterprise excellence through deliberate inclusion. What is Enterprise Excellence? Enterprise Excellence is a holistic approach that's aimed at achieving world-class performance across all aspects of the organization. What might I learn? A way to engage all in creating Inclusive Excellence. Lessons from the US military and their parallels to the story of Harry Potter. How belt systems and CI teams can destroy inclusive practices. How leadership language invites people to the party. There are three things leaders can do to engage everyone every day: maximizing psychological safety to create environments where folks learn, contribute, and challenge the status quo. Who might benefit? Anyone and everyone leading folks from the shop floor to top floor. Dr. William Harvey is a seasoned Operations Leader with extensive experience in chemical processing, manufacturing, and operations management. At Michelman, he currently oversees multiple sites, leading teams in strategic planning and coaching/practicing continuous improvement. William is set to start his eighth year of teaching at the University of Cincinnati where he teaches marketing, finance, and management. William holds various certifications in change management, quality, leadership, operational excellence, team building, and DiSC, among others.
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May 16, 2024 • 7min

[Preview] Enterprise Excellence is Inclusive Excellence with Dr. William Harvey

Register to attend the webinar or view the recording Presented by Dr. William Harvey on May 30, 2024, 1 pm ET. Enterprise excellence and inclusive excellence are closely linked, and real-world challenges have shown that both are essential to the success of any organization. To achieve enterprise excellence, organizations must focus on improving their operations and processes while creating an inclusive environment that engages everyone. In this interactive session, the facilitator will highlight commonly established business practices and how they limit our ability to engage everyone every day. More importantly, though, participants will likely gain increased awareness of what we can do differently to maximize enterprise excellence through deliberate inclusion.What is Enterprise Excellence?Enterprise Excellence is a holistic approach that's aimed at achieving world-class performance across all aspects of the organization.What might I learn?A way to engage all in creating Inclusive Excellence. Lessons from the US military and their parallels to the story of Harry Potter. How belt systems and CI teams can destroy inclusive practices. How leadership language invites people to the party. There are three things leaders can do to engage everyone every day: maximizing psychological safety to create environments where folks learn, contribute, and challenge the status quo.Who might benefit? Anyone and everyone leading folks from the shop floor to top floor.   About the Presenter:Dr. William Harvey Dr. William Harvey is a seasoned Operations Leader with extensive experience in chemical processing, manufacturing, and operations management. At Michelman, he currently oversees multiple sites, leading teams in strategic planning and coaching/practicing continuous improvement. William is set to start his eighth year of teaching at the University of Cincinnati where he teaches marketing, finance, and management. William holds various certifications in change management, quality, leadership, operational excellence, team building, and DiSC, among others.

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