Continuous Process Improvement, Data Science, and Statistical Analysis
Many of us have heard these mantras (or some version of them): “People like change, but nobody wants to change” or “People want to do change, but don’t want change done to them” I live in a home with 5 adults, three children, two dogs, six chicken and a cat. Needless to say, there are…
A recent article in Harvard Business Review calls to attention some of the challenges inherent in analyzing Human Resources data. The writer, Peter Cappelli, points out that analysis of HR data is hampered by a variety of factors including legal issues encountered when crossing international borders, lack of abundant data, and a sense that not…
With the start of the new year, I polled my followers on Twitter and asked what they’d like to see me blog about in 2017. Overwhelmingly, the answer was “statistics” (weird, right?). However, before I move into that realm I’d like to write about my experiences today as a customer, and how they could have…
The primary purpose of using data in decision-making is to ensure that the best outcome (driven by data, without interference from personal bias) is achieved. However, this is a very utilitarian perspective that doesn’t take into account the human factors involved in process change. Because of these human factors (biases, fear of change, need to…
One of the driving factors of a Lean process is the concept of “flow”. The improvement of flow will lead to reduced waste throughout your process. One easy way to visualize the gains that are possible with a flow improvement is to observe a simple process that isn’t set up with flow in mind. One…
I just added a new book to my Resources page on my site. Mike Pereira’s new book After Further Review: My Life Including the Infamous, Controversial, and Unforgettable Calls That Changed the NFL has some great nuggets on change management that apply to any change methodology you may be using. It is a must-read if…
Can a tool forced to fit a catchy acronym actually work? I’ve lately found myself conducting a lot of 6M analyses… You know, the Ishikawa/Cause & Effect Diagram/Fishbone Analysis. It is a great tool to look a little deeper into the causes of problems. It can be used to do root cause analysis, or it…
At its heart, Continuous Improvement requires persuasive communication skills. This is because of the inherent resistance to change that all change agents encounter. Make no mistake: people don’t want to change. If they did, tobacco manufacturers would have gone the way of the dodo many decades ago. But people like their bad habits, no matter…
Continuous Improvement is challenging. It seems some days as if there just isn’t enough time, and although there is a never-ending list of improvement opportunities some days you just can’t seem to get anything done. But there is something you can do about it. I call it the “5S Fly-by”. A 5S Fly-by can be…
In any change leadership situation, it can be challenging to get buy-in from the people involved. This is especially true when changing culture. There are many ways to approach this challenge in Continuous Process Improvement. Involving those affected by the change in the decision-making process is incredibly important, as is communication of expectations. Quite possibly…