Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Lean Thought For The Day

How practical is Lean training?

While there is a minimum of Lean awareness training needed at the beginning of a Lean transformation to establish what and why, the vast majority of training should be practical in nature, focusing on what and how. When people are too busy to participate in a training class, consider how you can make the class more attractive by giving the learner new skills to solve specific problems they have in their work. If 80% of the training is not focused on applying ideas to tools to solve their problems, it is not practical enough for a busy person.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

First Steps

The first step in transforming an traditional organization into to a "lean organization" is to educate yourself: visiting lean blogs, reading books on lean, touring lean organizations, attending lean seminars. These will all be helpful, most helpful would be to visit a lean organization and see for yourself the dramatic transformation that is possible by embracing a lean culture.

Lean Thought For The Day

"It is not mandatory to improve. Failure is an option."
~ Dr. W. Edwards Deming

Monday, April 27, 2009

Representative Rod Driver visits VIBCO

True to his word, RI State Representative Rod Driver (D-Dist. 39) visited VIBCO Vibrators this morning! Members of the VIBCO Vibrators Lean Team met Rep. Driver at the Operation Clean Government Public Affairs Forum this weekend and extended an invitation to visit VIBCO headquarters and see, first hand, how going lean has and continues to transform the company.


Rep. Driver and his wife, Carol, got to see first hand how VIBCO employees embody "the relentless pursuit of perfection" and how ready, willing and able they are to share their experiences, passion and knowledge with any and all who want to learn.

Rep. Driver called it "an eye-opening experience."



Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Operation Clean Government

UPDATE:
Several members of LeanRI were on hand to talk lean as people arrived at this event. Many people who were attending the event stopped by our booth to say hello and learn a bit more about Lean.  Thanks to all who attended and helped with our booth.
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We hope to see you this Saturday morning at the Operation Clean Government Public Affairs Forum. We will be attending the event at the Quonset "O" Club at 8:45. (200 Lt. James Brown Road, North Kingstown, RI)

This forum on the economic state of Rhode Island will be moderated by local radio talk show host and personality Dan Yorke. The panel will include, Frank Caprio, RI General Treasurer, Elizabeth Dennigan, Representative, House Finance Committee, Leonard Lardaro, PH.D., Professor of Economics, University of RI, Gary Sasse, Director, RI Department of Administration and John Hazen White, President / CEO Taco, Inc. This should prove to be a provocative discussion by the panel of experts on the economy of Rhode Island. The public is invited to attend.

Find out more by visiting the Operation Clean Government website Here.