Change Takes Courage, But Why Should They Care?
C-H-A-N-G-E – Six little letters that can perpetrate so much anxiety. Reactions to a changing environment are always unpredictable. Leaders never exactly know how the communication of a change will resonate or be absorbed by the organization. Being prepared to address the resistance to push back from change is a key success factor necessary to achieve…
Lean Management Journal – “When the Bar Must Be Raised” by Joseph Paris: Dec/Jan 2013
“When the Bar Must Be Raised”, by XONITEK’s Joseph Paris. After a dramatic several years for motor giant Toyota, Joseph Paris suggests that the coveted TPS might be in need of its own Kaizen. Published in Lean Management Journal in the December/January 2014 issue. Download PDF
Getting the Most Value from Your Holiday Season
The Thanksgiving Day feast is barely digested – yet there is still a week or so of leftovers remaining. I remember, as a child growing-up in Endicott, New York, always marveling at the variety of dishes that could be made from the remnants. With so many leftovers from every dish served during the prior day’s feast;…
Maintenance that Adds Value to Operational Excellence: “Implementation of TPM in 20 Steps for non-Japanese Manufacturers”
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) originated in Japan in 1971 as a method for improved machine availability through better utilization of maintenance and production resources. Within years TPM evolved as a management approach and spread all over the world. T stands for Total, P stands for being Productive and M is representing Maintenance / Manufacturing / Management. TPM has…
Managing Lunch Costs to Save for Trip to Rome
The Big Idea: How can executives (or any of us, for that matter) use what we know about inventory management to make better choices about personal consumption — and improve our lives by working toward new goals with the money saved? Brian and his wife, Tonya, plan to pack their lunch from home for a year to…
You Only Get One Opportunity to Make a First Impression
Imagine this scenario: An upstart high-tech firm in Silicon Valley has an idea for an offering which promises to transform the lives of tens of millions of people across the United States. It has adequate funding and an abundance of time for product design and development leading-up to its launch. To be sure, there are a…