Lean Six Sigma Academy

Farewell iSixSigma

July 25, 2011 By Ron Pereira 14 Comments

As some may have already heard iSixSigma is most likely closing its doors due to its parent company Schofield Media losing its bank financing.

A few bloggers and companies selling Six Sigma related products have recently posted their thoughts… some even seem a bit giddy and extremely opinionated about the situation which, quite honestly, saddens me.

I know the iSixSigma leadership team quite well and have communicated directly with them.

I have been told that Andrew Schofield (CEO and Founder of Schofield Media) is still negotiating with Wells Fargo in hopes of salvaging the situation… but, to be sure, things seem grim right now.

Several of the aforementioned bloggers have made it seem as though iSixSigma faltered as a result of poor performance. This doesn’t seem to be the case at all.

Is iSixSigma as popular as it was 5 years ago? Perhaps not since there are many more lean and six sigma sites competing for the same readers. But one thing I know for sure is iSixSigma still receives more unique visitors in one day than most lean and six sigma blogs/websites receive in one month!

Additionally, from what I have been told iSixSigma was well in the black from a financial perspective and the team was extremely excited about their future which included mobile and tablet friendly website technology.

Finally, I have been told that the entire iSixSigma website content has been backed up enabling them to be back online quickly if things do work out.

I literally “grew up” with the iSixSigma website over the course of my continuous improvement career and sincerely hope things work out for them.

I’m curious to hear how many LSS Academy readers have benefited from iSixSigma over the years. Feel free to share your thoughts below.

Filed Under: Featured, Six Sigma

Gemba Glossary: Gemba

July 22, 2011 By Ron Pereira Leave a Comment

Here is the latest Gemba Glossary video focused on the word gemba. If you missed any of the preview Gemba Glossary videos be sure to check them out:

Once the video begins to play select 480p for a higher quality video and 720p for HD.

Filed Under: Featured, Lean

Help! No Management Support!

July 19, 2011 By Ron Pereira 6 Comments

Most will agree that having top management support is crucial to succeeding at any form of continuous improvement – lean, six sigma, TOC, etc.

But what happens when management isn’t behind the employees who are attempting to use lean and six sigma to improve processes?

Should the employees just give up? Possibly leave the company?

Or are there things they (the employees) can do to wake their leadership team up?

What do you think?

Filed Under: Featured, Leadership

Gemba Glossary: Kaizen

July 14, 2011 By Ron Pereira Leave a Comment

Here is the latest Gemba Glossary video focused on the word kaizen. If you missed any of the preview Gemba Glossary videos please be sure to check them out:

Gemba Glossary: 5S
Gemba Glossary: 7 Wastes

And to access more than 165 other lean training videos please visit Gemba Academy’s Complete Lean Package.

Once the video begins to play select 480p for a higher quality video and 720p for HD.

Filed Under: Featured, Lean

3 Ways to Break Through Productivity Ruts

July 12, 2011 By Ron Pereira Leave a Comment

We’ve all been there… stuck in rut. Unmotivated. Bored. Possibly even a bit down in the dumps.

And, to be sure, when we’re in this dip it’s easy for our personal productivity to hit rock bottom.

With this said, here are 3 things I have personally used to break through these productivity barriers.

1. Make a List of the 3 Most Important Tasks

I have said this many times before… but if you don’t have a list of actions written down on a piece of paper you’re missing out.

I know there are lots of electronic productivity apps out there… I have tried them. They don’t work for me. Instead, nothing is better than a pencil and paper.

And taking this a step further… it’s easy to make a list of 43 tasks that need done. But huge lists like this can actually cause stress and anxiety. So, I’d encourage you to make a daily list of the 3 most important tasks for the day.

Once you have those 3 tasks done you can make a new list. But start with 3 and focus 100% of your efforts on them.

2. 5S your Workplace

Nothing stresses me out more than a messy work area. So when I find myself in a rut I find it very soothing and helpful to stop what I’m doing and do some good solid 5S. Never heard of 5S? Check this free 5S video out.

Clean all the papers off your desk. Organize files. Vacuum the floor. Dust. Clean your computer monitor and keyboard. In short, spend an hour focused on the 5S of your personal workplace and goodness will come. I guarantee it.

3. Schedule a Vacation

Nothing seems to motivate me more than a pending vacation.

Of course, I realize vacations only come around once or twice a year for most people so this tip needs to be tweaked a bit for it to be of regular help.

So, schedule mini vacations. Perhaps a half day every month. I’ve had managers in the past who allowed me “comp” time since I used to travel a lot… so I’d be able to take off at noon on Friday.

So, if you’re able to manage it, schedule mini vacations as they will send your productivity through the roof!

What do you think?

What do you think of this list? Do you agree with my ideas? What other tips do you have to break through the dips we all find ourselves in from time to time?

Filed Under: Featured, Leadership, Productivity

An Interview with Best Selling Kaizen Author Masaaki Imai

July 8, 2011 By Ron Pereira Leave a Comment

Here is a small portion of the recent interview I did with Masaaki Imai, the founder of the Kaizen Institute and author of the best selling book KAIZEN: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success.

In this video you’ll hear about Mr. Imai’s personal encounters with Kiichiro Toyoda and Taiichi Ohno… including a surprise story about Mr. Ohno rarely (if ever?) told before. Be sure to listen to the end as that is where Mr. Imai let’s the “cat” out of the bag!

This 5 part 40+ minute interview can be purchased on DVD for $97 here. The full interview is also included in the Complete Lean Package which currently consists of 165 lean training videos and continues to expand each month.

We also captured additional video of Mr. Imai conducting a gemba walk and delivering a 45 minute lecture on Kaizen Leadership… all of this video footage will be included in the Complete Lean Package in the near future at no additional cost.

Click “480p” at the bottom of the video for a sharper picture or 720p for HD!

Filed Under: Featured, Lean

Hustle

July 6, 2011 By Ron Pereira 7 Comments

It’s 12:43 AM and I’ve been in the zone working on some Gemba Academy projects.

I can’t explain it… but I love working late into the night from time to time. I do think getting adequate sleep is supremely important so I don’t always work late like this… but things are flowing nicely tonight so I’m going with it.

Anyhow, I got thinking about how we lean thinkers often preach things such as work smarter, not harder… or how lean is about getting the maximum result from the minimum effort. And I definitely agree with this thinking.

But here’s the thing folks. While I pretty much got straight A’s in college (OK, I got 1 B which was a total robbery but I digress) trust me when I say it wasn’t because of my staggering intellect.

Not the Smartest Cat Around

You see I’ve never been the smartest guy around… I’m not an idiot or anything but I have to work at things. I used to re-copy my Calculus notes after class because my initial notes were too sloppy. People used to think I was CrAzY for doing this… but I HAD to if I wanted that A.

Nothing Beats Hustle

I used this same attitude when I worked in industry. I simply worked harder than most people… as such I went from a night shift Process Technician at Nokia to a Global Director of Manufacturing at Flowserve Corporation. And now I’m blessed enough to run my own company. How did this all happen? Hustle. That’s how.

I’m also doing my very best to teach my children the value of hard work and practice and that if they work harder than others their chance of success is much higher than if they simply try to get by with minimal effort.

So, I guess the point I want to stress here is to, of course, work smart. Be productive. Eliminate waste. Be lean! Obviously this is the right thing to do.

But please don’t ever forget that NOTHING beats hustle. Nothing. So no matter what God has called you to do I beg you to do your VERY best at it.

If you sweep floors for a living sweep them better than anyone ever before. And if you’re the CEO of a huge company be the best damn CEO you can be. And if you’re somewhere in between these two professions… well you get the point.

What do you think?

What do you think of this? Is the idea of hard work and hustle too old school? Or should we all seek the glorious 4 hour work week so many claim to envy?

What do you think?

Filed Under: Featured, Leadership