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Japanese Multidimensional Problem Solving

Christoph Roser October 13, 2013

Don't try just one ... — Don’t try just one …

In the West, the standard approach for problem solving is to take a good look a the problem, after which a solution approach will pop into someone’s head. This approach is then optimized until the problem is solved. However, while this often ends up with one solution, it usually is far from the best solution possible. In Japan, a very different multidimensional problem-solving approach is common. Rather than just use any solution that solves the problem, they aim for the best solution they can find.

The Toyota KPI Dashboard—Quality

Christoph Roser October 10, 2013

In this third post of my series on the Toyota dashboard we will be looking in more detail at quality. The quality of Japanese car makers in general and Toyota in particular is quite a bit better than the rest of the world’s. After safety, quality is the second-most-important issue at Toyota, definitely before productivity and cost. They do put in quite some effort for tracking quality… and then put in even more effort to fix these issues! Let’s have a look:

Lean Where You Least Expect It – Toilet Paper Origami

Christoph Roser October 6, 2013

Standardization, visual management, and process confirmation are some important elements of lean manufacturing. Here we have an example many of you are probably familiar with – toilet paper folding at hotels. This simple example can clearly demonstrate the value of Standardization, visual management, and process confirmation.

How to Misguide Your Visitor – or What Not to Pay Attention to During a Plant Visit!

Christoph Roser September 29, 2013

And here's what I want you to know... — And here’s what I want you to know…

In the previous post I talked about how to have a successful plant tour and how to get the most information out of the visit. Today’s post shares the tricks of the trade on what things the plant does NOT want you to know about.See through the ruse during a plant tour and discover how good the plant really is.

Make Your Plant Tour a Success!

Christoph Roser September 22, 2013

There are thousands of things to see during a plant tour. However, if you really want to know how good the plant is, there are a couple of tricks on what to watch during the tour. This post will give you a few quick but reliable metrics to estimate the performance of the plant.

Visit to Euromold for the Latest in 3D Printing

Christoph Roser September 15, 2013

The next Euromold trade show in Frankfurt will be in a few weeks. While the show generally presents products related to moldmaking and tooling, they also have a large section on 3D printing. This is a good time for me to talk about 3D printing and my last visit to Euromold last year.

Ancient Roman Management Techniques

Christoph Roser September 8, 2013

Drusus Stone in the citadel of Mainz. — Drusus Stone in Mainz.

Ancient Romans already knew how to manage their people. For example, the Drusus Stone monument in Mainz demonstrates the importance of keeping your people both busy and motivated.

What the OEE is Good for … and What it’s Not

Christoph Roser September 5, 2013

Measuring the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is one thing, but before you measure the OEE you should know when and where you actually need the OEE to improve your industry. This post describes what the OEE is good for and what it’s not.

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