Built In Quality (BIQ)
What Is Standardised Work, Really?
Do we truly understand what Standardised Work means? “That’s way too much effort, that. And for what return?” That’s a leader’s voice on the floor. The ‘kaizen blitz’ (don’t get me going on terminology) was done some weeks back and now things are unravelling. I’ve been asked to give an independent’s view on the culture,…
Organisations Forget Faster Than They Learn, Unless Work Is Standardised
There I was, scrolling through a Mercer article at circa 2000 metres of altitude on a chairlift leading to a stunning view of the pyrenees mountains. I was trying to check a number that had caught my eye on staff turnover in the workplace. I had to check because when I was reading the article…
Standards, our foundation for all things kaizen
There can be no kaizen without standards. Or is it without standards there can be no kaizen? Dammit, someone needs to standardise this saying! Oh wait, yes, it doesn’t take much googling to find out it was Ohno himself said this and I can now categorically say, it is the former and my memory serves…
Wrestling With Commitment: The Kaizen Flag and What It Really Signals
Let the kaizen flag help flag the need for commitment Following my blogs on Monozukuri and Hitozukuri, this piece looks at leadership commitment (yes, I know, I keep going on about this) and how we can help ourselves with a simple visual. I first came across the Kaizen Flag after my time with CarnaudMetalbox, as…
Mono, Hito, Hansei: Why Toyota’s Continuous Improvement Engine Defies The Odds
And why most organisations stop one step too early in their Continuous Improvement journey. In my previous article written oh so long ago, I had a rant about how daily kaizen lives or dies by structure, specifically, the team leader–to–operator ratio. The maths is uncomfortable but unavoidable. I was trying to make the case that…
The Team Leader Ratio – whoopsies, there goes Monozukuri!
An Overlooked Structural Lever in Continuous Improvement: The Team Leader Ratio I’m angry. After more decades than I care to remember supporting factories across automotive, food, pharma, mining, and heavy industry, I’ve come to believe one truth that is both obvious and routinely ignored: CI is structurally impossible without the right team leader–to–operator ratio.…
Lean and Six Sigma: Lessons from Arnie and The Predator
Six Sigma promised measurable perfection, Lean built enduring capability.
This article explores how Motorola’s and GE’s programme of defect reduction achieved results but lacked the system resilience of Toyota’s Production System.
Where Six Sigma sought control, Lean sought understanding, and that difference explains why one faded while the other endures.
Celebrating 101 Years of Jidoka — “No Defects Passed On!”
Celebrate 101 years of Jidoka — Toyota’s timeless principle of automation with a human touch. From Sakichi Toyoda’s first automatic loom to today’s smart factories, Jidoka continues to shape how the world builds quality. Discover 101 reasons — and 101 languages — that prove the message still matters: no defects passed on to the next customer.
The Role of Standardized Work in Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence
Standardized work is essential for achieving operational efficiency, consistency, and high-quality outcomes. By defining the best-known way to perform tasks, it eliminates variation, ensuring uniformity in process execution across teams and shifts. This leads to more predictable quality, fewer defects, and higher customer satisfaction. A Foundation for Lean and Continuous Improvement In Lean manufacturing, standardized…
What Is Standardized Work – And How GENEO GEN-OPS Makes It Easier to Sustain
In today’s fast-moving industrial environments, organisations are constantly challenged to improve productivity, reduce waste, and maintain consistent quality across operations. One of the most effective ways to achieve these goals is through the implementation of Standardized Work, a core principle of Lean and Operational Excellence. Yet, while many companies understand the value of Standardized Work,…
