The ‘Lean’ methodology originally applied to manufacturing and design processes, as ‘Lean manufacturing’ was championed by the pre-eminent American, Dr Edwards Deming. In the post war boom years, US industry shunned Deming’s work, so Deming transported his methods and concepts to the fledgling Japanese auto manufacturers. Deming’s early Lean methodologies focused mainly around the application…
Legends from medieval times often mentioned the evil dragon – a fearsome creature with destructive power and the tendency to do harm to people that it comes across; that guarded the entrance to a treasure laden palace, a symbol for the ultimate achievement in life. The hero of the legend had to battle his way…
Nowadays, when we examine financial reports for small or medium sized enterprises (SME), we see that interpretations are being made based only on sales revenues and certain expenses. Since many vital decisions affecting the future of a company are determined by considering only these charts, many decisions are based on incorrect information.
What separates an effective organization from an organization that just shifts from one management fad to another? Substance vs. Form. In a high-performance organization, one can never successfully sell the ‘soft stuff’, the latest management concepts, or the latest technology on their own merits. One has to make the connection to the financial bottom line. The…
Complacency – (Satisfied: Self-satisfied, usually in an unreflective way and without being aware of possible dangers) What does a car, a business, or a person have in common? I had never given it much thought until I recently went to start my car after work, which has 100,000 plus miles, and found that as soon as I…
