National Lean Conference 2012 - Learning Points

It has been a couple of months since attending "Embracing Lean - CME National Lean Conference 2012" in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I have been reviewing my notes to see what new concepts I learned, and which concepts I have actually implemented, and what is left on my list. I  found that we have implemented one major item that deserves a blog entry all on its own - we found a use for Trello.

In this entry, I would like to talk about the CAP-DO cycle. I picked up on this very simple process from the first workshop of the conference entitled "Learning from the Masters" presented by Louis Schultz. The concept of CAP-DO is simply a 180 degree rotated PDCA...which makes perfect sense when you have an existing process or product, and wish to improve it. Isn't that what we all have?

We continually perform CAP-DO here at Genoa. With every engineering process we have developed for every value stream that we have mapped, we always start with CHECK. On a regular basis, we review each individual process or standard operating procedure to make sure it: #1 - still makes sense, #2 - it does not have any issues, #3 - it outlines the most efficient method of completing the work, #4 - it does not contain waste, #5 - any number of individuals can complete the work, and #6 - there are no other weaknesses present. Then we ACT. We develop the way to revise the process. Mind you...even our revision process is mapped (and therefore reviewed). Then we PLAN. We revise the work instruction, inform everyone of the change and train everybody on the change. Then we DO. We put the revised process in work and people start using the new process on live projects. While this is happening, we continue to track the process in the same way we have been tracking every process for years.

Then we start over again....

So I guess this conference learning point was a means of properly identifying our existing internal process. Learning from the Masters helped me to realize we already had a process, but it also helped me realize that the CAP-DO cycle is a tried and proven method of continual improvement. Ultimately I learned that we must never skip a step, otherwise we introduce risk....and I don't like risk.

The power of a visit.

Dropped in to visit a few customers last week, and realized that the power of an on-site visit extends beyond any contact in a trade show, email, phone call, fax, or any form of advertising. It also provides valuable information with respect to lean.

By dropping in to visit your customers, and being ready to talk about them, not your own company, you learn about what their needs are, what situations they are facing and what current activities are at the top of their minds, and you learn about their culture. This helps you identify how your service or product may fit a customer's needs. If you have regular visits, you can also start to identify trends and ongoing needs versus situation specific needs.

With respect to Lean, you can take the things you learned above, and start to identify what the true value to the customer may be. And after all, that is what Lean is all about: identify the value according to the customer, then strip everything that is not of value to them. All that other stuff...the stuff they are not willing to pay for... that is waste.