I work to keep the blog oriented toward tools and practical concepts but I do enjoy passing along stuff that shows why folks who think like we do have an uphill climb in US industry.  I also like passing along stuff that provides evidence that, at the foundation, it's all about organizational culture.

Here's an article about our buddies at GM that presses both buttons.  Is it the head honchos' fault that this stuff happened?  After all, as the article says, they didn't even know it was going on, right?  Remember this:  corporate culture comes from the top.  As a manager once told me, a fish stinks from the head.

Not sure where they're all coming from but I'll take 'em.  Thanks to all of you regular readers, wherever you are.  I promise to get a bit more regular with my posts than I have  been lately.

Yesterday I was facilitating a 6S (Safety is the extra S) workshop in Cleveland for a small plant that stamps parts that go into autos.  That's a crummy business to be in right now, so I give them credit for doing the training while they're not so busy.

I've always contended that 5S (or 6S) is a great place to start a lean project because it hooks into so many lean concepts. Yesterday's workshop was a great example of that.  We got into error-proofing, inventory control, visual factory, flow, a bit of operator maintenance and of course, good ol' workplace organization. 

The error proofing and inventory control were especially interesting.  I've got to run right now, but tune in tomorrow to get more detail.

Yesterday I picked up a recent copy of Industry Week.  There was an article about using lean consultants that, as you might imagine, was of interest to me.

One consultant was quoted (and I'm paraphasing here), "If you can't get your sensei to focus strongly on measures of results and achievements, then you've picked the wrong sensei."

First, I can't stand that word "sensei".  It's just another effort to provide an elitist aura of mystery around lean tools and concepts, making them appear to be deep art and science that few can understand.  Just say "consultant".  Or "teacher".  Or "faciltitator".  Folks know what those terms mean.  Words like sensei, muda, kaizen blitz, and hoshin planning confuse rather than clarify.

Second, the quote makes it seem as if one of the problems in using consultants is that we don't like to measure results and have to be drug kicking and screaming to the idea.  But it's kind of like saying, "If you have to insist that your dentist or doctor practice basic sanitation methods, you've picked the wrong dentist or doctor."  Now there's a blinding flash of the obvious.

The fact is, we expect to find sanitation practices in place as a fundamental aspect of a visit to the dentist.   The same is true for consultants and measurement of their efforts.  It's just part of what we do.  It's not something that others must "insist of us".

Mind you, it's perfectly legitimate and useful for clients to ask how metrics are chosen and used.  But for one consultant to seem to say that clients will have to insist on basic principles because we're not likely to do it ourselves hurts all of us, both clients and consultants.

I was at my box maker client conducting a quick change workshop yesterday.  We've already conducted a couple of 5S workshops and a previous Quick Change workshop in the same area; the response and energy of the participants (one of whom is about to retire) has been gratifying.

I've often conducted an observation of a changeover during these workshops. By that I mean, some of the participants carry out a changeover while others observe and take notes.  (I like video but in this case, it was difficult to get for a variety of reasons.  In any case, I like the observation method because it gets a number of people engaged.)

The only downside of such observation is that the folks carrying out the changeover invariably "hurry".  I can tell they're "hustling" a bit, trying to move a bit more quickly than normal.  I always ask on of the observers (who is usually someone who, themselves, is familiar with the changeover) if it looks as if the participant is moving faster than usual and the answer is generally, yes.

It turns out that this isn't much of a problem, though.  This "hurrying" usually brings the changeover time in within a few minutes either side of what they've told me in the classroom is a "typical" time for the changeover (assuming something didn't go wrong).  Yesterday, the "hurrying" led to a changeover of 45 minutes, exactly what they had stated a typical changeover might take.  The point is, trying to do a changeover faster doesn't work that well and that's when everything goes perfectly.  It gives me the chance to provide a learning moment: we make the changeovers quicker, not by moving more quickly, but by changing the way we do changeovers.

In yesterday's case, actually changing over the machine took about 15 minutes.  Tweaking the machine to get a good box took another 30 minutes.  In the long run, the team and maintenance is going to index the settings on the machine and have them included on the work order.  In the short run, after being told that they would be actually doing that particular changeover many times in the next few weeks, the team went back out, took some measurements and wrote them down on masking tape attached to the machine.  In other words, they'll be able to set the machine to the precise dimensions the first time through.  I'm guessing the process of setting the machine will take 20 to 25 minutes and (it's hoped) the tweaking will be reduced to 5 minutes or so.

Then the team will need to develop standard settings for all the changeovers done on that machine.  And that's the hard part.

As I mentioned last time, my basic format for 5S is:

1. Overview of 5S and its benefits (30 minutes)
2. Go to the shop floor to pick a focus area (15 minutes)
3. Go over the first three S's in detail (30 minutes)
4. Return to the shop floor and 3S away  (2 hours or so)
5. Return to the classroom for Standardize and Sustain overview (30 minutes)

Overview
I don't spend much time here.  I'd attach the Powerpoints I use to this post but I don't think I can attach files.  I'll try to export them to Slideshare.com and will let you know when I do.  You could make up your own stuff just as easily.  There's not a lot to 5S.  Don't beat it to death in the classroom.

Pick A Focus Area
I usually do this just as a way of getting into the explanation of each of the S's.  We put on our safety glasses and go decide on the precise area that we'll be 5S'ing.  A general area has usually already been picked out. Now, we're going to define the area precisely..."Everything from this post to that post and from this wall to an imaginary line along there, including these two cabinets and that storage shelf."  It's important to be precise about the area and to give some thought as to whether or not you'll have enough (or too much) time for the task.  If in doubt, pick a smaller rather than a larger area, finish it, then go on to another area. 

Here are some things to keep in mind: 

• More junk and clutter equals more time needed.
• Cabinets, shelves, drawers, etc always take more time than you think. 
• Remember, you're not just going to tidy up, you're going to move things around, throw things away, and provide permanent places for storage.  All this will take more time than you think.

You'll also need a short-term red tag spot.  I generally just put a pallet on the floor somewhere.  You also need a long-term red tag area somewhere in the plant but decide that before the workshop.

First 3S in Detail
Return to the classroom to cover this.

You can actually go over all 5S if you prefer but you'll probably just be doing the first three out on the floor.  So I just go over those, then save Standardize and Sustain for later.  Tell them just how you want to go about Sort, Straighten, and Shine.  Go into detail.  Bring Visual Factory examples into the discussion.  The better an idea they have as to just what you want them to do, the better the work will go.

Take a notebook with you and assign someone to keep track of "to do's" and ideas as they come up. 

3S Away
This is the fun part and where you spend most of your time.  Everyone puts on their safety glasses and gloves and gets to work.  I like to have them around me for the first few minutes as I go through Sort and Straighten very deliberately.  I'll pick up the first thing I see and ask, "Do we keep it or throw it away?"  If the answer is "Keep it," I ask, "Where does it go?"  I do this for a few minutes until they get the message that everything gets attention.  Keep notes as to any new hangars, holders, etc. that need to be purchased or fabricated for permanent storage spots.  Label everything during the workshop if you can; make a note to come back and place the label later on if you can't.

Last 2 S's
I return with the participants to the classroom and usually have them develop a quick "end of shift" checklist for keeping things orderly.  We also go over the idea and "to do" list.  Finally, we develop a schedule of team meetings so the team can review the action list and evaluate the effectiveness of their procedures.

That's it!  Less is more. 

My 5S workshops are a half-day long.  There's no secret to that but it seems to fit well with the schedule of most small manufacturing plants.  In addition, I've found that it's about as long as folks can stick actively with 5S before wandering away. (If I need more time I simply schedule more half-days. I've had cases where I had to schedule full-day 5S workshops but they always reinforce for me why I like half-days  better.)

My basic format is:

1. Overview of 5S and its benefits (30 minutes)
2. Go to the shop floor to pick a focus area (15 minutes)
3. Go over the first three S's in detail (30 minutes)
4. Return to the shop floor and 3S away  (2 hours or so)
5. Return to the classroom for Standardize and Sustain overview (30 minutes)

I have materials for all this and, if I think of it, I'll post them at SlideShare.com.

I've got to run but next time I'll go into more detail as to what I do in each of the five sections.

Six parts just for planning and I feel like I hardly covered it!

The point is, of course, that good planning is essential for good execution.  But, eventually, you do have to execute so let's look at that for a few posts.

In my last couple of posts, I mentioned and discussed the value of an agile events calendar.  It  focused on 5S and Quick Change Workshops as two important types of events that should be on the calendar.   Let's start with the why and how of those two initiatives.

5S
I've talked about 5S before in my blog.  I was saying at a client the other day, if an organization told me it could only do one thing toward agility, my recommendation would be either working on the metrics or 5S.  (It's real tough to leave quick change out and I used to have it as one of my top two, but I've found that the work on the metrics does more in terms of creating and sustaining management energy.)

I like 5S because it hooks into much more than simply getting organized, as important as that is.  It impacts safety, quality, productivity, inventory control, consistent work practices.

5S is team oriented.  It gets folks involved and energized.  It's not "expert oriented".  In other words, it doesn't depend on "5S blackbelts" or any such.  You just teach participants what the five S's are and one or two other things and set them loose.

You don't have to 5S the whole operation before you get started on anything else.  In fact, it will probably take you at least a year or two to get everything 5S'd.  On the other hand, yYou should 5S a particular area, line, or machine before you start any other initiatives in the same area.

My basic 5S format is a half-day workshop.  I spend the first hour going over some of the basics, three (or so hours) actually "5S'ing" in a specific area, and another half hour developing some standard procedures and scheduling team meetings.

It's important to have the 5S team meet a few times to review the action list and to review how well the standard procedures are working.  (I'll put up another post with more detail about my format.)

Quick Change
As important as 5S is, Quick Change is the heart of agility.  (At that, I think Quick Change is actually a bit of a misnomer.  It's not really how quickly the tooling gets changed that's important.  It's how quickly the first part from the next run is product.)  Quick change requires a bit more commitment than 5S to show improvement but not a lot more.  (On the other hand, I think 5S is harder to sustain.)  Implementing Quick Change is similar to 5S: a bit of training then go to the shop floor to observe changeovers and make changes.

Again, it's important to have the team meet after a quick change workshop to follow-up on ideas and action items.   

Leadership has to be committed to the benefits of quick change. Improvements can involve changes to tooling and equipment. 

Again,  you don't have to reduce changeover times all over the shop before you get started on anything else.  But it is good to focus quick change on a few machines or work centers and get it firmly in place before moving on.

Shouldn't We Do Value Stream Mapping Before Doing 5S or Quick Change?
Unless you're certain that you're 5S and Changeover practices are very good, no.  Do 5S and Quick Change first.  Again, you don't have to get them both finished throughout the plant before starting Value Stream Maps but focus on getting them started early.  No need to spend a few weeks (or more)  Value Stream Mapping just to get folks to agree that your plant looks like a tornado just hit and changeovers take anywhere from 8 minutes to 8 days.

Well, we're still on the planning phase.  And that's not bad.   Mo' better planning means mo' better implementation.

Last time I provided a list of things you need to put on your calendar.  Let's look at that list again and talk about why you need to attend to each one.

Regular day and time for Steering Committee meetings.
I talked about the role of the Steering Committee (SC) in another post.  The SC needs to meet no less than every other week (or twice a month, whichever) during the startup of an agile implementation.  You can move to monthly meetings after a year or so, when the program has momentum.  Weekly isn't too often.  You should meet for four hours each month.  In other words, if you meet twice a month, meet for two hours at a time.  Weekly, meet for an hour.  Devote one of your meetings to reviewing metrics.  The other meeting can focus on reviewing recent activities and planning for upcoming ones.  That's pretty much the agenda for SC meetings:

First meeting each month: How are we progressing? (Review of metrics)
Second meeting each month: What did we do last month? (Review of recent activities) and What's coming up next month? (Plan for upcoming activities).

An "all employee meeting" to announce the agile initiative.
Somewhere along the line, you need to announce to everyone what's going on.  Some companies already have "all employee" meetings of one sort or another.  This announcement can be made at one of those meetings.  If you don't have regularly scheduled meetings with employees, you need to plan one.

The announcement doesn't have to be complex or involved.  Twenty or thirty minutes should do it.  This isn't the time to train everyone in agile concepts and tools.  It will be enough simply to talk about what's been going on and what will be coming up in the near future. And make a pitch for their participation of course.

Deadlines for full development of the metrics.
During the planning sessions, you decided on what metrics you'd be using for the agile initiative.  Now you have to make charts for all of them.  You probably have some of the data ready to go and it's just a matter of making the chart.  In other cases, there might be some "data mining" to do first.  In still other cases, you might have to actually gather the data.  Put deadlines on all these activities or you'll be twelve months into the initiative with no metrics.

Regular all employee meetings to keep everyone updated on the agile initiative.
If you already have a schedule of  "all employee" meetings, you're set.  If not, make a schedule.  There...that was easy, wasn't it.

Several action workshops for 5S and Quick Change.
5S (or 6S, as some organizations refer to it, the extra S being for Safety) workshops get employees involved and energized.  And they're easy.  In my practice, I've typically done four-hour workshops.  In many cases, though, 5S and Quick Change Workshops can be scheduled to last days.  Make the workshop length match your ability to schedule.  If you need to schedule shorter workshops but more of them, so be it. 

Pick an area, a machine, a production line, etc. and go after it, scheduling both 5S and Quick Change workshops.  You may not get everything done in the workshops but schedule enough of them so that an area is pretty well 5S'd and you get about a 50% reduction in changeover time.  Further improvements will come as teams meet and continue to work on these projects.

Development of a Value Stream Map (maybe two)
Some consultants like to start with Value Stream Maps (VSM) but I prefer the workshops.  That said, the workshops have a fairly narrow focus and it's important to get the broader view that a VSM project gives.

There are some good books around as to how to carry out a VSM project.  Some descriptions I've seen, however, can make the process seem a bit complicated.  One that I read involved a lot of up-front data gathering just to pick a process to map.  I generally get a team talking about important products (high volume, high margin, problem product, new product, etc.) and pick one to start with.  If it turns out that the wrong product was picked, you can always start over.  Pick a product (or product group or family) and go after it.

It is better to pick a product rather than a process flow that multiple products might flow through.  In this case, you'll have too many  different loops and parallel flows.  Just pick one product and you can be confident that what you learn can be applied to other products and processes.

         

Whew!

OK, I know you don't come here for a status report on how many hits my blog gets.  But I'm just so darn tickled!