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Continue reading →: Shingo Principle – “Respect Every Individual”What we learn from the Shingo Model, is that Ideal Results Require Ideal Behaviours. OK, very good, but what does this mean, exactly, and can we give some examples? Principle based management is not a new concept, but does bear explanation. There are, after all, five Lean principles from the…
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Continue reading →: Postcard from PapamoaWell, it was a long time coming but I know have two bases of operations. Although I still have a base in Auckland, I now have my permanent home in Sunny Papamoa Beach. It’s a happy place, and through the power of ultrafast broadband and some good equipment I can…
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Continue reading →: The Importance of Linking Improvement to StrategyI’m always keen to share my learning with those who seek to continuously improve. I often hear of Lean not working, or failing to live up to expectations of senior management and shop-floor alike. In my opinion this in part due to the obsession of some organisations, and consultants for…
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Continue reading →: Shingo Principle “Create Value for the Customer”Continuing my series on expanding and giving real life examples, I’d like to go back to an earlier blog. So remember, what we learn from the Shingo Model, is that Ideal Results Require Ideal Behaviours. The Shingo principle “create value for the customer” again sounds obvious and is covered at…
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Continue reading →: Voice of the Team – Wailing WallsVoice of the Team – Wailing Walls The Wailing Wall is an ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. The wall was originally erected as a Jewish Temple begun by Herod the Great, which resulted in the encasement of the natural, steep hill known to Jews and Christians.…
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Continue reading →: Postcard from DunedinI’m currently traveling with a national roll out of a CI program and have made a couple of trips to Dunedin. I noticed this chilled out guide dog on my flight. He was as good as gold and was certainly better behaved than my chocolate Labrador! He did not react…
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Continue reading →: 5S at the Mall – Diver City TokyoI don’t think I was using Trip Advisor the last time I came to Japan, however we had a Sunday to kill, before heading off to Nagoya at 3pm. Odaiba is a man made island in Tokyo bay and houses 4 different Malls, with Diver City catching my eye with…
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Continue reading →: Postcard from JapanWell I couldn’t resist sharing this great example of Visual Management! We were on the road, and stopped of at a motorway service area for a break. This is an electronic control board showing which toilet was available or engaged! I’m not sure what problem they were trying to solve…
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Continue reading →: Toyota Kaikan – More or LessSo as we continue our guided tour of Toyota, we made a stop at the Kaikan museum. This was my third visit and it has had a make over since I was last here. There is now much more on their new technology and much less on the Production System.…
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Continue reading →: TSK the power of cleaningThis is my third visit to TSK a circuit board manufacturer in Ena close to the centre of Japan. The president Mr Takanaka firmly believes that getting everyone involved in cleaning the Gemba is key to achieving the mindset to continually improve. We joined his team for a 7am cleaning…
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Continue reading →: Omron “Not charity but a chance”Thursday morning and we made a short drive to the outskirts of Kyoto , to visit Omron. Most of us know Omron for their medical devices but this operation makes 1500 industrial automation and electrical system products. What is unique about this plant is the fact that all of the…
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Continue reading →: Day One – Toyota in SpadesMonday started with an orientation session to understand Japanese culture and customs. This is sage advice as you need to know these essential details to make the most of your trip. We headed to a Toyota city sushi restaurant for an early lunch before heading to the assembly plant and…
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Continue reading →: Postcard from Mt FujiAfter a seven year hiatus I have made my fourth trip to Japan. I arrived a couple of days before the start of my Japan Lean Experience, with a plan to do some sightseeing. On previous trips I had admired Mt Fuji from a distance so made the trip on…
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Continue reading →: Post Card from HastingsI’ve just started some work in the lovely Hawke’s Bay, specially Hastings. This is not one of my regular haunts but am pleased to be working with a highly engaged team and am planning a few trips this year. One of the benefits of my work is to see parts…
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Continue reading →: PDCA and SOP’sA common theme that I see in a lot of organisations is a lack of the good habit to regularly review Standard Operating Procedures. I often find that there is a lack of knowledge in completing routine tasks and those more tricky ones that are infrequently done. Taiichi Ohno, legendary…
About me
Hi. I’m Richard Steel – an independent Lean and operational excellence consultant.
I was fortunate to complete my initial Lean experiences from 1994 – 1997 with Professor Dan Jones, Toyota, Nissan and Shin-jujitsu consulting.
Over the past 30 years I’ve helped businesses and organisations across industries streamline what they do, cur out waste and build a culture of continuous Improvement.
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Diary of a Kaizen Warrior 