Linda Donaho

Flow.......You hear this term a lot from folks in the Lean community, but in working directly with teams I have often found both its definition and application to be misunderstood. What is Flow? The definition I espoused years back is "the continuous, uninterrupted movement of information, material and work from customer inquiry to shipment". Why is Flow important? Because it is the primary fuel for productivity. When information, material and work flow from one step to the next, beginning to end, all members of the team can be productive. But, the minute flow is interrupted anywhere in the process (not just on the shop floor!), work stops and re-work (or waste!) begins. What causes flow to be interrupted? THIS is where the misinterpretation is most prevalent. We tend to micro focus on the individual shop floor process where the interruption is discovered and try to (sub) optimize that process to fix it. While it is sometimes true that flow interruption begins and ends within a shop floor process, more often it originates with a faulty input from an upstream process (poor or lack of needed information, uneven scheduling, lack of material needed, difficult to understand drawings or unclear work instructions or guidance, etc). This means that every team member at every point in the process is responsible for flow (which means they are directly responsible for productivity). Leaders, make sure that your team members (and you 😉) understand the role they play in enabling productivity, regardless of function. Operations leaders (as an Ops guy, I feel I need to speak to you directly as we are a big part of this problem 🙂 ), make sure that you are communicating to your cross functional partners as to exactly how they could help to enable flow and offer any help needed from your end to help them do it (don't silently resent that these things are not happening and just work around it............be honest, we have all done this more than we should!). In every type of enterprise, flow is everyone's responsibility! #teamwork #curiosity #Leadership #flow #productivity

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Question: Over time, will the adoption of six sigma quality improvement processes give a company a competitive advantage, or will it be required only to achieve parity with competitors? See my answer below. Commenters: What else do you feel leads to competitive advantage? See more questions and answers like the one below in my book "Year of Quality: 365 Questions and Answers About Business Performance", available at https://lnkd.in/eQccWjuZ #tqm #qualitymanagementsystem #iso9001 #dmaic #operationalexcellence #leansixsigma #leanmanufacturing

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I have been asked on more than one occasion over the years why, when working with teams, I always refer to Operational Excellence efforts and programs as "Continuous Improvement" rather than "Lean". The answer is simple enough. While I am a huge believer in Lean concepts and principles and have seen them do wonders when applied, I have also often seen teams inflexibly boxed into corners during problem solving efforts because their favorite lean book (insert your go to classic here) suggests doing things a certain way, when the team and the situation both dictate a different path. I have also witnessed dogmatic loyalty to brands of Continuous Improvement Theory (Lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, Agile, etc) drive both friction amongst their purveyors (damn purists!) and gridlock in problem solving efforts by their teams. For that reason, I have always branded these efforts as Continuous Improvement, giving all of these philosophies a seat at the table and allowing for more free exchange of ideas to fit any given problem solving situation.....let the best idea win! Not because it promotes you brand, but because it is freaking practical to the situation! Beware the road of the purist in problem solving! Being so makes you and your team less agile, less open to new ideas, less collaborative and less successful. If that is this case, what problems are you actually solving? Invite all philosophies to the party and give them all equal room under the umbrella. At least that is just one Ops guys' opinion 😉 #continuousimprovement #problemsolving #dontbeapurist #dogmasucks

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🎥 A Blast from the Past! 🎥 I’m excited to share one of the first videos I recorded when I started my Operational Excellence journey. This 5S video from my Lean Six Sigma White Belt Course may not be a polished product, but it marks the beginning of my passion for continuous improvement. 🔍 Learn about the basics of 5S (Sort, Straighten, Shine, Systematize, Sustain) and how these principles can transform your workspace and boost productivity. Thank you for joining me on this journey – here’s to continuous growth and learning! 🌟 #LeanCoach #OperationsManagement #LeanSixSigma #LeanManufacturing #OperationalExcellence

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What is Daily Direction Setting? Daily Direction Setting is a principle deeply rooted in Lean Manufacturing, a methodology focused on minimizing waste and maximizing value. At its core, DDS is about establishing clear, actionable objectives for each day, ensuring that everyone knows what needs to be accomplished and how their work fits into the larger picture. It’s a practice that not only clarifies daily priorities but also fosters a sense of purpose and engagement among team members. The purpose of Daily Direction Setting is multifold. It aims to enhance communication, ensure alignment with strategic goals, improve responsiveness to issues, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. By setting a direction every day, manufacturing operations can maintain focus, adapt quickly to changes, and make consistent progress towards their objectives. Chao!!!

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What is Daily Direction Setting? Daily Direction Setting is a principle deeply rooted in Lean Manufacturing, a methodology focused on minimizing waste and maximizing value. At its core, DDS is about establishing clear, actionable objectives for each day, ensuring that everyone knows what needs to be accomplished and how their work fits into the larger picture. It’s a practice that not only clarifies daily priorities but also fosters a sense of purpose and engagement among team members. The purpose of Daily Direction Setting is multifold. It aims to enhance communication, ensure alignment with strategic goals, improve responsiveness to issues, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. By setting a direction every day, manufacturing operations can maintain focus, adapt quickly to changes, and make consistent progress towards their objectives. Chao!!!

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It took a quarter century, but people finally realize how pioneering my early work was. You can read my "Lean Behaviors" and other pioneering papers here. 👉 https://lnkd.in/eArU2M_Y #lean #leanhealthcare #leanmanufacturing #leanleadership #leanthinking #leantransformation #CEO #management #leadership #business #leanmanagement #respectforpeople #leansixsigma #kaizen #tps #leanconstruction #agile #Toyota #TPS #leaders #classicalmanagement #change #reallean #fakelean #leadershipdevelopment #innovation

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Grateful for the inspiring feedback from manufacturing partners on our productivity enhancement initiatives! As a dedicated Productivity Improvement Coach, I'm committed to driving measurable results through strategic interventions and continuous improvement methodologies. Looking forward to empowering more teams and organizations to achieve their productivity goals. #ProductivityImprovement #ManufacturingExcellence #ContinuousImprovement #suryanandrao #shubhamlearning"

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Want to learn from the best? Many of our customers have taken their own careers to the next level following their #LeanSixSigma training. In August, Amy Hogan shared her story with us. Read about what Amy has learned and how her training with #LeanSixSigma impacted her success! https://lnkd.in/g4W3hjYV

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Dear Lean Practitioner, Is your team struggling from a lack of standards or backsliding? Do you want to implement standardized work? Here are some of the objections I hear that need to be addressed before you can do it successfully. ✅ There is too much customization to the products we make ✅ Our team consists of experienced craftsman not robots ✅ We don’t have time for more paperwork, we need to get our work done ✅ What does accountability look like if expectations are not met? ✅ Everyone does it differently based on skill, how can you address that? ✅ We only make this product once every couple years, what’s the point? What else do you hear and have to address? If your company is a member of the Manufacturers Alliance, ✳️✳️✳️ New Digital Course on Standard Work will address these objections. It's taught by an experienced peer: Matt Kanz This course is included with your company membership for free. Manufacturers Alliance #CI #OE #standardwork

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Blended Learning creates an engaging atmosphere where your team can learn by doing 💪 👩‍🏭 WMEP can customize a curriculum that will work for your team, with both content and project support. Ask today how we can help! #Leantraining | #Lean | #Traindo

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Just finished the learning path “CSCMP Supply Chain Foundations: The Essentials Professional Certificate”! #supplychainmanagement #businessanalysis #operationsmanagement

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We managed to get one of our clients to reduce their lead time from 4-6 weeks to just 1 week… How? By utilizing lean frameworks & narrowing in on employee engagement. This was a framework I shared in the Swarfcast Podcast hosted by Noah Graff where we discussed a range of topics from how to elevate employee engagement, enhancing workflow efficiencies through reducing unseen wastes & shifting the team culture. To listen to the full podcast, click here —> https://lnkd.in/gmRWG-Q5 #LeanManufacturing #ManufacturingTeam #TeamEngagement #EmployeeEngagement #ChangeManagement #LeadTime

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The Nine myths of Lean.

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The Lean Lounge Episode 22: Keep it Lean, Keep it Simple In this episode Jeff answers some of the listener’s inquires as to what is takes to really make and sustain a Lean organization successful. It’s a mindset that flows from the top, bottom, and every stakeholder within the E2E system. This includes suppliers, partners, and the entire ecosystem. It’s not difficult, it’s a simple step by step roadmap that all successful optimized organizations have known for years. Listen in, gather a few “Nugget of Knowledge” on how to keep it Lean, and keep it simple to be the best.  Check it out on Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeart and more or watch it on YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gwxkZ64v #TheLeanLounge #5Whys #Lean #RootCauseAnalysis #Leadership #BPM #SPC #OperationsManagement #YellowBelt #Profit #Performance #Excellence #DataIntegrity #GoeMetrics #Healthcare #Finance #Construction #MESH

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Undoubtedly, this book could be a valuable resource for many of you—especially those who have chosen to work with Six Sigma or are looking to get more out of Minitab. Link in caption!

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In 1999, I joined Rockwell Collins (Collins Aerospace). The new CEO was Clay Jones, and he was a strong advocate for Lean. He was CEO until 2013, when the baton was passed to current CEO of Boeing, Kelly Ortberg. I was worried that the Lean program would fall apart, since it was mostly Clay's initiative. But it held up through a new CEO, which proved that Lean was embedded into the culture of the company. I recently found a speech given by Clay back in 2006, 7 years into his role as CEO. This is what we mean by #Lean #Leadership. After listening to this speech, you will understand why Lean worked really well at Rockwell Collins. I split the speech into 6 parts, and I give my personal experience and insights on what he says in my Lean Six Sigma Bursts podcast. https://lnkd.in/eUJ7WeD7

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Are you a visual person? As I revamped LSS Black Belt training material for Leanademy I had to hand-draw a DOE cube example before incorporating it into the course content. Sometimes you just have to use paper and pen. Do you ever hand draw something first before putting it into a presentation? #leansixsigmatraining #leansixsigmblackbelt #blackbelt

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What type of manufacturing leader are you; the ‘hero’ or the ‘ambassador’? The hero will often find employees resorting to them for help, get questions answered or solve problems. The ambassador delegates & ask questions like “what do YOU think we should do?” when presented with a challenge from subordinates. Heroes are typically always “on the clock”, buried in work & struggle with work-life balance. Ambassadors typically have more time to focus on high-level tasks instead of being stuck in the weeds of the day-to-day. 👉 So which leadership type do you feel is more effective? #Manufacturing #LeanManfacturing #ManufacturingOwner #ManufacturingManager #ManufacturingLeader

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