Business901

Process Improvement from Dean Dorton Ford

business901 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:25:22 +0000

Glenn Whitfield serves as Director of Dean Dorton Ford’s Process Improvement Services group based out of the Louisville office. Glenn was my guest on the Business901 Podcast and we had the opportunity to discuss DDF’s methodology for improvement within an organization. Their methodology concentrates on a Value stream Analysis to determine their clients individual needs. It was a discussion around practical hands on implementation and the role middle managers play.

Glenn has over twenty years of professional experience, he has managed and assisted organizations through a variety of improvement strategies and tactics, ranging from organization-wide Performance Improvement eff orts to facilitation of Value Stream Mapping or Kaizen events. A Six Sigma Black Belt, he utilizes tools and methodologies from Lean, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, and traditional process improvement techniques to improve operations.

Related Information: Value Stream Mapping

Lean Six Sigma Advocacy at Xerox

business901 — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:15:48 +0000

This week podcast guest was Aqua Porter, a Vice President of the Corporate Lean Six Sigma Strategy at Xerox Corporation. She is an advocate for Lean Six Sigma at Xerox and has led many Black Belt projects including the nomination of Black Belt candidates and the growth of Xerox Team Accelerator. Team Accelerator is a workshop program that utilizes the Belbin Team Role system to help teams draw on the strengths of each team member and work together. I seldom find the enthusiasm that Aqua brings to the Lean Six Sigma world. If you need your Six Sigma team to get pumped up about their next Six Sigma project this might be the podcast for them.

Aqua Porter has been with Xerox since 1984 and has held a variety of positions including Engineering, Marketing, Product Development, Purchasing, and Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management. She is a senior manager with extensive experience in all phases of product development and delivery, and is adept in building strong teams who deliver exceptional business results.

Xerox has made a major commitment to using Lean Six Sigma tools and methodology - both to drive improvements in our own business and to deliver measurable results for customers. Our unique, disciplined approach involves analyzing business processes and identifying ways to eliminate both errors and unnecessary steps. Xerox Global Services looks for ways to deliver improvements quickly and focus on leveraging your existing IT investments. From streamlining paper-choked workflows to automating labor-intensive functions, the results can be remarkable.

Ultimate Improvement Cycle

business901 — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:46:53 +0000

Bob Sproull was my guest on the Business901 podcast. Bob is an experienced manufacturing executive with a distinguished track record of achieving improvement goals in Manufacturing, MRO, Quality, Product Development, and Engineering. His experience base ranges from low-volume custom products (truck bodies) to process industries (tires) to service industries (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul). He is a nationally known speaker and author on problem-solving and statistical techniques, as well as his latest book on implementing an integrated Lean, Six Sigma and the Theory of Constraints.

Our discussion centered around The Ultimate Improvement Cycle: Maximizing Profits through the Integration of Lean, Six Sigma, and the Theory of Constraints show you how to draw the best from Lean and Six Sigma by employing principles drawn from the Theory of Constraints. He says, this approach will ensure that your effort is focused in the right place, at the right time, using the right tools, and the right amount of resources. This multi-pronged approach addresses cost accounting, variation, waste, and performance measurements. But most importantly, it focuses your organization on the right areas to optimize.

I enjoyed many of his thoughts, especially on Value Stream Mapping and his description of focusing on the matter at hand, the constraint.

Does Social Media help you in Search, SEO

business901 — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:17:13 +0000

I had Chad H. Pollitt on the Business901 podcast discussing the effects of Social Media on SEO and what it can do for you. Chad has a unique view on what he terms successful SEO. He is not after achieving #1 or #2 ranking on Google for his customers, he is after achieving the entire 1st page for his customer. Listen to the podcast and find out some SEO tips on how you might be able to start on this path. Also we discussed, Chad’s upcoming workshop on September 24th, 2009. Chad will be holding the Fort Wayne Chamber Business Brown Bag on “Cost Effective Marketing Using Social Media.” If you are thinking of participating in a workshop on social media, this podcast is a good listen on how to evaluate Social Media workshops.

Chad H. Pollitt list of accomplishments include Internet Marketing Masters Certification from the University of San Francisco’s prestigious School of Business and Management, BS in Entrepreneurship from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. He has won multiple awards in sales/marketing and sales management while working and residing in Fort Wayne, IN. Chad is also a Lieutenant in the Indiana Army National Guard and a decorated veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Chad currently works for Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc. as a Web Technology Consultant and Internet Marketing Manager and will be featured in The Wall Street Journal Sept. 16th.

Digital Hill Multimedia, Inc. was founded in 1997 as a web design agency with a focus on providing professional website solutions for businesses while helping them promote their business to the vast global audience on the Internet. Now with a more diverse clientele and with clients nationwide, Digital Hill Multimedia has grown to become a full-service Internet Marketing Agency.

Disclaimer: I do not employ or have any affiliation with Digital Hill Multimedia but thought that their ideas about Social Media and SEO were interesting. By the way, if you do not think you can own an entire page on Google, do a search for “Fort Wayne Marketing Coach.”

TLS - Theory of Constraints, Lean, Six Sigma Integration

business901 — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 02:30:49 +0000

Mark Woeppel is a master of organizational transformation with a lengthy track record of successful turnarounds. He is a recognized expert in the Theory of Constraints, Supply Chain Management, Project Management, and Continuous Improvement. He has earned the founder’s implementer certification from the TOC-ICO.

He is an internationally known author, speaker and lecturer on the topics of Theory of Constraints, Drum Buffer Rope, Cost Accounting, Organizational Measurement, and Critical Chain Project Management. He is the author of The Manufacturer’s Guide to Implementing the Theory of Constraints, published by APICS/St. Lucie Press, in English, Spanish and Japanese and Projects in Less Time, published by BookSurge in English & Japanese.

Mark discussed the integration of Theory of Constraints, Lean and Six Sigma and how they significantly improve bottom line results. Mark is the president of Pinnacle Strategies and is located in Dallas, Texas.

Realted Posts:

News Release

Business901 Blog Page

Lean Value Solutions

business901 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:39:43 +0000

Tom DeForge discusses the disciplined approach and analysis tools taught to him during his 8 year tenure

by the Shingijutsu consulting group, who are considered 2nd tier consultants to the father of The Toyota Production System, Taiichi Ohno . Tom has been implement these Lean Principles for over 20 years and is currently a Principal Partner in Lean Value Solutions International, he has built a successful practice over the past 11 years by leading several organizations to a lean enterprise Implementation strategy. Tom was also instrumental in forging relationships with other providers which assist in bringing his clients the latest in technology in terms of operational shop floor analytics, which assist in accelerating the Lean improvement efforts. One of his most proudest moments, was that LVSI now has one of the original founding members of the Shingijutsu consulting group, Sensai Akira Takenaka, as a LVSI Senior Consultant.

Fast Track Decision Making, A Rapid Problem Solving Method discussed on Business901 Podcast

business901 — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:35:06 +0000

On the Business901 podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nancy Riebling, Director of Operational Performance Solutions and a Master Black Belt for the North Shore- LIJ Health System. Operational Performance Solutions is a division of the Health System’s Corporate University located at the Center for Learning & Innovation. North Shore-LIJ Health System headquartered in Great Neck, NY is the third largest nonsectarian health system in the country

Change acceleration process is a philosophy & tool set designed to help overcome cultural barriers to change by creating a shared need, shaping a vision, & mobilizing commitment. Fast track decision making (North Shore’s version of GE work-out) is a rapid problem solving approach with team involvement and in-meeting decisions. It is a catalyst for change focusing on the process to drive improvement and empowering the people closest to the process to develop & implement appropriate solutions.

Nancy will be presenting Taking Six Sigma and Lean beyond projects in Healthcare at The Global Lean, Six Sigma and Business Improvement Summit. This summit represents the largest gathering of leading experts and senior executives across various industries who are passionate about achieving process and business excellence.

PAS Technologies CEO, Bob Weiner discusses a Lean Transformation

business901 — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 03:53:53 +0000

Robert(Bob) Weiner, Chief Executive Officer of PAS Technologies Inc, visited the Business901 podcast. Bob is renowned as an expert in implementing Lean and Six Sigma on a global scale with incredible speed and remarkable sustained results. PAS was one of the bottom rung players in providing cost-effective repair and overhaul solutions for the aerospace, oilfield and industrial markets. In the first week of taking over, Bob implemented Lean training and started weekly Kaizan events with the key metric of turnaround time. PAS moved to the top of their field by installing a Lean culture and the use of innovative and proprietary high-technology repair processes. His description of this process is nothing short of a testimonial to building a Lean Culture. As Bob said: “If Lean is not at the core of your business, you are missing the boat.”

PAS Technologies was selected as the winner for the Global Six Sigma & Business Improvement Awards in the category of “Best Emerging Business Improvement Deployment.” The award was accepted on behalf of all PAS Technologies’ employees by Robert Weiner, President and CEO at the WCBF 2008 Gala Awards Dinner and Ceremony on Wednesday, October 15th at The Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

Lean Transformation Ideas from a Hitchhiker

business901 — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:23:26 +0000

Jamie Flinchbaugh is co-founder and partner of the Lean Learning Center, bringing successful and varied experiences of lean transformation as both a practitioner and facilitator. Under the leadership of Jamie and the Center’s senior managers, the Lean Learning Center has become one of the most recognized and premier lean providers in the world.

We used The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean and the Lean Learning Center as the jumping off point but soon wandered into the development of a Lean Culture. I am always curious about how one starts. Jamie did a great job explaining.

The Lean Learning Center is committed to developing leaders and learners for lean transformation, and delivering the resources and curriculum to help you learn and gain valuable new skills. The Center provides the most advanced, comprehensive and effective lean curriculum available anywhere, combined with a highly effective and unique learning environment to provide you with an experience that is as close to learning inside Toyota as you can find.

A Lean Expert’s Guide to Blogging and Twitter

business901 — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 03:50:34 +0000

Yesterday, I posted a Podcast that I did with Mark Graban, Senior Fellow at the Lean Enterprise Institute . I enjoyed talking to Mark and at the end of the Podcast; we went off the subject matter and started a discussion on social media. I respect Mark’s work a great deal. He has created a very loyal following, not only on his blog but also on Twitter. He is one of the few people, when you step away from the early adapters such as Chris Brogan, John Jantsch and Seth Godin, that has done that.

I encourage others to follow and watch how he engages his audience. If you would like to follow Mark, he can be found at http://LeanBlog.org or on Twitter: @leanblog.

Mark Graban discusses Lean Health Care

business901 — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 21:55:39 +0000

I had the pleasure of discussing with Mark, the role he is playing at the Lean Enterprise Institute and his book on Lean Health Care. Mark is an engaging speaker and a Lean advocate. Mark also writes the highly acclaimed Lean Blog.

Mark Graban is a Senior Fellow at the Lean Enterprise Institute and author of the Shingo Prize-winning book Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Employee Satisfaction. Previously, Mark worked as a consultant for numerous healthcare organizations across North America and in the United Kingdom. He taught and led teams of hospital personnel across multi-month lean transformation engagements in departments including laboratory, radiology, primary care, and nursing settings. Working with managers and senior leaders, these hospitals developed a track record of sustaining their lean improvements and also instilling a culture of continuous improvement and kaizen. With a background in Industrial Engineering, Mark first learned and practiced lean in various manufacturing industries, learning how lean concepts and management methods could be translated into different settings.

Related Blog Post can be found on the Businss901 blog.

Leading with results versus the tools of Lean Six Sigma

business901 — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:04:11 +0000

Deron K. Ertel is General Manager of Process Excellence for Embarq Corporation. This NYSE-listed company has approximately 18,000 employees and operates in 18 states offering voice, data, high speed internet, wireless, and entertainment services to over 5 million customers.

In our conversation, it was very evident that Deron believed in his message that “Embarq doesn’t lead with the tools - they lead with results.” Deron’s focus is very much customer driven and his description of using Lean, Six Sigma and project management when it is needed was excellent.

Deron will be presenting “Best Practices on Cost Reduction using Lean Six Sigma” at The Global Lean, Six Sigma and Business Improvement Summit. This summit represents the largest gathering of leading experts and senior executives across various industries who are passionate about achieving process and business excellence.It is held October 13-16, 2009 in Orlando, FL.

WCBF Six Sigma Solution Conference Global Six Sigma Awards

Application of Lean Six Sigma to the Supply Chain

business901 — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:32:30 +0000

On the Business901 podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff Slater, the Operational Excellence and Productivity Leader for Sonoco. Sonoco is a $4.1 billion global manufacturer of industrial and consumer products and provider of packaging services, with more than 300 operations in 35 countries, serving customers in some 85 nations. Jeff is an expert in his field and had some very progressive ideas on how to leverage the Supply Chain for competitive advantage. Lean Six Sigma is a tool that he uses to accomplish many of his objectives and he explained the use of them at Sonoco.

Jeff will be presenting a case study on the Application of Lean Six Sigma to the Supply Chain at The Global Lean, Six Sigma and Business Improvement Summit. This summit represents the largest gathering of leading experts and senior executives across various industries who are passionate about achieving process and business excellence.It is held October 13-16, 2009 in Orlando, FL.

WCBF Six Sigma Solution Conference Global Six Sigma Awards

Operational Excellence thru Six Sigma

business901 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:01:03 +0000

I had Robert Stapp of OP•EX Direct Results Inc. on the Business901 podcast. We had a discussion on performance and the use of Six Sigma as a tool to achieve this. He discussed several interesting ideas on how to leverage Six Sigma and other tools in developing operational excellence. There was a slight problem with Robert’s microphone, but only from having a clean audio. The sound level and content is great.

Robert is the Founder and President of OP•EX Direct Results Inc. which was established in 2006 as an S-corporation based out of Huntington, Indiana as a performance improvement and management consulting firm which focuses on creating value and delivering results for clients.

Operating Excellence™ is a highly advanced and sophisticated system of management sciences, which leverages Lean Six Sigma, Engineering Solutions and Leadership to establish world class performance. OP•EX Direct Results Inc. has served both manufacturing and service industries; such as Health Care, Publishing, Food & Beverage, Automotive Manufacturing, Mining Equipment, Commercial Glass, Printing, Milling & Foundry Operations, and Construction Goods leveraging his experience and knowledge to positively transform entire business enterprises.

Hoshin Kanri aka Policy Deployment

business901 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:29:33 +0000

My podcast this week featured Robert Stapp of OP-EX Direct Results Inc. In the 1st session of this 2-part series, Robert discusses Hoshin Kanri aka Policy Deployment. Robert is an executive professional with nineteen years Lean Six Sigma Operation Management experience domestic and internationally. He is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (since 1998) and Certified Lean Master™ (CLM) process improvement expert ( since 2005). Robert is an author and speaker for Lean Six Sigma business transformation and quality engineering solutions. As a certified kaizen instructor he has managed, facilitated and been involved in continual improvement his entire career.

Sophia and the Seven Goddesses. 2 of 2

business901 — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:22:08 +0000

About Wisdom’s vision is to “Bring Wisdom into the World through the Hearts of Women and Girls.” Beverley Danusis, author of Sophia and the Seven Goddesses, participated in a 2-part series on my Business901 podcast. Beverly not only discussed the company’s vision and the book, she personalized it in a very meaningful way that makes this podcast a very special one. Enjoy her message on what made her go forward with this new career and how she has went about imparting the wisdom she has collected.

This is part 2 of 2.

Find out more about Sophia and Beverly at http://aboutwisdom.com.

Sophia and the Seven Goddesses, 1 of 2

business901 — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:18:39 +0000

This is part 1 of 2.

Find out more about Sophia and Beverly at http://aboutwisdom.com.

Finding your Ideal Client

business901 — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:31:45 +0000

Time and time again, I struggle with people identifying their ideal client. This is my attempt to take some of the mystery out of the selection. I think once you have this identified, 50% of your marketing is done.

Download the E-book on the Subject or Read more!

Mirror Marketing

business901 — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:16:40 +0000

I always wondered, even before I started applying Lean Marketing Principles , why the marketing process rarely considered what stages a customer went through to buy their product or service. Customer usually have a fairly regimented way they conduct business and a very structured purchasing pattern. Most will even tell you and the fact of the matter is, that your sales people already probably know it. Document that process, even create a sales funnel or hour glass on this process. If you do this, it will create an entire different way of looking at your marketing. From the customers point of view!

Creating Cash Flow thru your marketing

business901 — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:47:15 +0000

A short discussion on how to use your marketing to create cash flow.