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Supply Chains and Supply Networks
Supply chains aren’t actually linear chains, but socio-technical systems that can be expressed as networks. In an October 2004 article in DM World, a data management magazine, Dennis Ladd expressed it well: Today’s competitive, fast-moving business environment has irrevocably changed the supply chain and the management of its functions as we know it. The traditional…
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Getting to Consensus
It’s hard to get a group of people to agree on something. But, I’ve found out, if a) all members of the group understand what consensus really is, and b) if there is a good process in place for establishing consensus before a discussion begin — it is possible to establish consensus quickly, easily, and…
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Systems Thinking and Ships in Shanghai
Quality experts and practitioners alike know that a solution should be designed for a particular context of use. The complete environment of the problem should be considered, and political, economic, social and technical ramifications should be examined before investing in a costly project. This wasn’t the case for the $260 million construction of a cruise…
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Lean Thinking: The Many Flavors of Waste
The seven types of waste are a foundational concept in lean manufacturing, all forms of muda as described by Taichi Ohno of Toyota. Reducing waste systematically can help you achieve flow in your processes. Waste can result from: Overproduction – making too much of something that goes unused, spoils, or collects dust. Inventory – keeping…
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Eight Ways to Deal with Complexity
There is not one person I know who doesn’t have to deal with complexity in their work or personal lives. Either the subject matter they work with is complex or specialized, the politics are stressful, or there’s just too much information to process and the information overload becomes oppressive. Fortunately, dealing with complexity has been…
Quality and Innovation 