Yours truly running a TPM training workshop.

One of the many lean continuous improvement tools, methods and philosophical practices is a lesser known technique of incorporation. One definition of lean is the complete elimination of waste. With waste you try to either: Eliminate it, reduce it simplify it or incorporate it. Incorporation means adding value to a non-value activity by incorporating it. It's a hard concept to understand. In this example at a former employer we incorporated two control rooms into one.

One of the many lean continuous improvement tools, methods and philosophical practices is the technique of Autonomation. Autonomation very simply put is designing a process or machine that fixes itself when a problem occurs. Its takes the description from the autonomic nervous system how our body automatically responds to stress or exertion such as breathing or heart rate increase. I was teaching a workshop on lean 101 and briefly covered the technique of Autonomation. About a week or two later I was walking through a production hall and noticed that one of the machine operators that was in my workshop had ingeniously tied two pieces of plastic twine at an acute angles opposite to and downstream of each other on a conveyor system to upright the small cups of ice cream travelling on it that had fallen over or became upside-down. I called the operator's attention to this told her do you know what you have done here. This is Autonomation! The machine is correcting itself ! I congratulated her on a fantastic job and jolly well done. If you can reach one person it was all worthwhile...

One of the many lean continuous improvement tools, methods and philosophical practices is Storyboards. This video is of a former work colleague of mine teaching it to employees of same company that we both worked for at the time. We tag teamed each other  running these training workshops. What is interesting here is that he is demonstrating how he used the 8 elements of the Storyboard method in his home life to improve his son's grades by getting his son to get up out of bed on time to get himself to school on time - Maybe you could use the Storyboard method in your own personal life...

While not exactly showing off my engineering prowess I want to also post videos that can help and inspire others with 'how-to' single-point lessons. This is a screen shot capture video I recorded of a former co-worker of mine showing me how to perform a Process Capability Analysis (Normal) Report using MiniTab 15 SixPack.

I recorded this screen shot video on how to carry out Type 1 Gauge Study using MiniTab 15. While not exactly showing off my engineering prowess I want to also post videos that can help and inspire others with 'how-to' single-point lessons.

I recorded this screen shot video on how to carry out an Individual Value Plot Graphing using MiniTab 16. While not exactly showing off my engineering prowess I want to also post videos that can help and inspire others with 'how-to' single-point lessons.

I recorded this screen shot video on how to carry out a Scatter Plot Diagram MiniTab 15. While not exactly showing off my engineering prowess I want to also post videos that can help and inspire others with 'how-to' single-point lessons.

This video shows the BEFORE video recording of an attic ladder jamb production assembly line installation ergonomics improvement that I made by designing, building and installing a support rail to support the jamb for the operator for hinge and screws installation. Note that the operator is having to balance the jamb on his foreleg thighs to align the jamb backboard to the door hinge for screws installation.

This video shows the AFTER video recording of an attic ladder jamb production assembly line installation ergonomics improvement that I made by designing, building and installing a support rail to support the jamb for the operator for hinge and screws installation. Note that the operator is NOT having to balance the jamb on his foreleg thighs but instead rests the jamb backboard on my support rails design.