What is Value? TAGS: baseball | bentley | blitz | cheap | chophouse | concessions | consulting | continuous improvement | cow | definition | kia | lean | luxury | operations | process | six sigma | sports consulting | steak | value | what is value As continuous improvement practitioners we are always discussing value-added versus non-value-added activities. We are also tasked with identifying cheaper or cost-cutting alternatives. Employees are considered valuable if they do the …Continue reading →

MLB Instant Replay Still Absorbing A Lot Of Time TAGS: baseball | blitz | consulting | instant replay | lean | lloyd mcclendon | mlb | mlb instant replay | operations | pace of game | pace of play | process | replay | six sigma | slow | sports | time | transfer rule Because of many obviously-blown calls (well, obvious to everyone but the umpire) in baseball but no means by which to really review and retract judgments, Major League Baseball rightfully decided …Continue reading →

2014 Masters: Temporary Elimination of Masters Security Protocols? TAGS: augusta national | blitz | consulting | golf | golf club | lean | masters | masters security | operations | process | protocol | safety | securitas | sports | standard work The typical Masters security process and protocol is standard but rigorous – no cell phones or weapons, no outside food or beverage, prepare to walk through a metal detector, and …Continue reading →

2014 Masters: Eisenhower Tree Removal Will Change The Game TAGS: adam scott | augusta georgia | augusta national golf club | blitz | change | consulting | eisenhower tree | golf | ice storm | ike's tree | lean | lean manufacturing | masters | pax | tournament Imagine a manufacturing process that has operated in mostly the same way every year. The same suppliers, the same machines, the same internal process steps. Extremely consistent inputs and outputs, …Continue reading →

ASQ Quality for Life Video: Lean In Sports TAGS: american | asq | blitz | consulting | costs | customer satisfaction | interview | lean | non value added time | operations | process | quality | quality for life | society | sports | video Last year at the American Society for Quality (ASQ) World Conference on Quality and Improvement I had the opportunity to record an interview about how Lean and quality can have …Continue reading →

The Super Bowl Public Transit Gaffe TAGS: blitz | bruno mars | bus | business operations | consulting | deadspin | disaster | eric grubman | lean | new york | nfl | pdsa | public | subway | super bowl | transit | transportation One of the big issues with New York hosting the Super Bowl was the intense security and limited access to the stadium grounds (no cars allowed, can’t walk to the …Continue reading →

Pittsburgh Pirates and Poor Security Planning and Deployment TAGS: baseball | consulting | debut | edward | gerrit cole | lean | lean blitz | major league | mediocrity | nsa | operations | pirates | pittsburgh | pnc park | process | rob neyer | security | snowden | sports | time studies | understaffed | value stream mapping | wanding Last week the Pirates’ #1 pitching prospect Gerrit Cole made his MLB debut, and for a franchise that has been mired in mediocrity longer than this year’s crop of incoming …Continue reading →

Toronto Star Article about Buffalo Bisons and Toronto Blue Jays TAGS: 51s | AAA | baseball | buffalo bisons | consulting | interview | las vegas | lean | lean blitz | morgan campbell | new york mets | sports | toronto blue jays | toronto star Earlier this year I wrote a post about how the New York Mets were changing their AAA affiliate from the Buffalo Bisons to the Las Vegas 51s and that they …Continue reading →

#EarthDay 2013 and Conservation of Resources TAGS: 2013 | baseball | conservation | consulting | earth day | hot dogs | inventory | lean | lean blitz | operations | sourcing | sports | strategic | transportation | waiting Today is Earth Day 2013, and the Earth Day mission is to promote actions toward environmental protection and conservation. The focus of Earth Day 2013 is The Face of Climate Change. …Continue reading →

The 2013 #Masters: Continuous Flow of Golf Player Groups TAGS: 2013 | augusta national golf club | balance | bubba watson | continuous flow | golf | lean blitz consulting | marker | masters | operations | pin flag | process | pull | rory mcilroy | sports | threesomes | waiting Masters Week is finally here! All of the golf world has descended upon Augusta, Georgia for April 8-14 for the 2013 Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. The Masters, …Continue reading →

Baseball Opening Day 2013! What Are Our Business Processes? TAGS: atv | augusta greenjackets | business | concessions | facility | houston astros | lean blitz consulting | maintenance | major league baseball | mascot | opening day | processes | promotions | texas rangers | tickets Baseball Opening Day has arrived! Tonight the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers will throw out the first pitch of the 2013 MLB season. Banners will be unfurled, famous dignitaries will …Continue reading →

Minnesota Twins Shorten Communication Gaps AND Minimize Beer Keg Transportation TAGS: baseball | beer | columbus blue jackets | concessions | don't stop believing | english | hockey | inventory | journey | karaoke | kegs | language | lean | lean blitz consulting | lines | marc aune | minnesota twins | motion | overpurchasing | singing | spanish | spring training | stockouts | transportation | uni-watch | waiting | waste Here are two quick stories about the Minnesota Twins finding ways to increase efficiency (or productivity, which is probably a better depiction). First, the Twins have enrolled some of their …Continue reading →

Mobile Beer Vendors Cut Customer Wait Times At Sporting Events TAGS: beer | concessions | continuous improvement | customer experience | futbol | lean blitz consulting | leansempai | mobile | operations | process | russell watkins | sempai | six sigma | Soccer | sports | transportation | vendor | waiting | walking | waste Russell Watkins of Sempai Lean Consulting in the UK posted a great photo on Twitter this weekend from a soccer (okay, futbol) game he attended: On the plus side, mobile …Continue reading →

Was Elvis Dumervil a Victim of Bad Process, Bad Technology, or Both? TAGS: agent | broncos | contract | defensive end | demaurice smith | denver | denver post | dumervil | elvis | espn | fax machine | lean blitz consulting | magid | mike klis | national letter of intent | nfl | nflpa | operations | overprocessing | photo | process | scholarship | sports | technology | video | waiting In one of the quirkiest NFL contract-related events, we present to you new accidental free agent defensive end Elvis Dumervil, formerly of the Denver Broncos. Dumervil, under contract with the …Continue reading →

San Francisco Giants Bobbleheads and Benefits of Supply Meeting Demand TAGS: andrew baggarly | bobblehead | concessions | continuous improvement | csn bay area | demand | goodwill | lean | lean blitz consulting | lines | operations | optimization | process | rob neyer | san francisco giants | sbnation | six sigma | sponsor | sports | supply | tim lincecum | waiting | wastes CSN Bay Area columnist Andrew Baggarly reports some pretty good news for fans of bobbleheads, the San Francisco Giants, and both bobbleheads and the San Francisco Giants: the team is …Continue reading →