“You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.” – Yogi Berra One of the more challenging practices for people in the design and construction industry new to Lean thinking is related to pull planning. Several aspects of a pull planning work session people readily embrace. […]
Pull Versus Push Planning Read More »
Plus: Plan diagrams illustrating work areas (batches); commitment from and agreement among all the trades represented; input from trade foremen; making the sequence of work visible; pull planning process making work clear. Delta: Remind planners they need to consider material handling logistics while identifying durations for work; use duct tape to fasten planning paper to
Finishes Phase Planning Session Plus-Delta Read More »
Plus: Started on time; Finished of time; Project updates reported using project Lean initiative matrix. Delta: Solicit input from project teams for Leadership support; Include time for discussion about previous project visits on agenda.
Leadership Team Meeting Plus-Delta Read More »
Last Thursday Walmart announced that the company is closing 269 stores worldwide. The company is not shrinking, as Walmart intends to open more than 300 new stores in the next year. Walmart’s explanation is that, “Actively managing our portfolio of assets is essential to maintaining a healthy business,” according to Doug McMillon, president and CEO, Wal-Mart
Walmart Store Closings and Bulk Thinking Read More »
This is not an explicitly Lean book, however it offers lessons for the Lean thinker. Lean thinking requires that individuals act to the benefit of the entire process of value creation. This cannot be achieved without a healthy amount of character development, and the focus of this book is the development of one’s character. One
The Road to Character by David Brooks Read More »
Plus: Training set expectations for working together; Helped team understand benefits of using the Last Planner System; Appreciate the input of subcontractors; Good opportunity to meet and get to know each other. Delta: Improve coffee; Post agenda for training on the wall.
Lean Training Plus-Delta Read More »
I came across a quote that caught my attention while reading an article about creating an artificial intelligence (AI) as fast as the human brain. A researcher on the project stated “One of the most exciting things about this project is that we are working on one of the great remaining achievements for human knowledge —
Lean and Human Achievement Read More »
Plus: Major stakeholders present fully participated; helped team understand needs for next planning session; helped team recognize how much time is required for drawing production. Delta: Need to have ownership completely represented; schedule phase planning for other systems including signage, acoustics, furniture and partitions.
Design Phase Planning Plus-Delta Read More »
Fascinating story about social spiders at http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160122-meet-the-spiders-that-have-formed-armies-50000-strong. The people studying these spiders identified tolerance (for each other), prey size, rough weather, and web geometry as the key drivers of social spider. In other words, when a group has big goals (prey size requiring complex web geometry) and faces significant challenges (rough weather) collaboration becomes essential. Interestingly,
Management Lessons From a Spider Read More »
Plus: Highlighting key pour dates in red on the weekly work plan. Delta: Key team member missing from meeting needs to attend; Include the Percent Plan Complete review in future meetings.
Weekly Production Planning Meeting Plus-Delta Read More »
