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 →

Quality Applications at The Masters – ASQ Section Presentation TAGS: american society for quality | applications | asq | augusta national golf club | blitz | consulting | golf | lean | luke donald | masters | quality | safety | six sigma On Tuesday I presented to the ASQ Central Savannah River section (Augusta, Georgia) on quality applications demonstrated during The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. ASQ Savannah River Section Mtg …Continue reading →

Around The Bases: NFL Draft Jerseys Edition TAGS: baseball | blitz | bryce harper | consulting | continuous improvement | cover | football | formula one | jerseys | lean | mark graban | martin maldonado | nfl draft | nfl draft jerseys | nike | operations | optimization | pit stop | process | respect for people | seth godin | sports | tear | video The NFL Draft and Nike came up with a neat concept in 2012 – a way to present each first round draft pick at the Draft in New York with …Continue reading →

New Florida State Logo and Bad Supply Chain Communication TAGS: blitz | change | china | consulting | design | face | flexible | florida state | football | guy moore | lean | licenses | logo | low price | merchandise | nike | obsolete | operations | process | six sigma | spear | sports | spring game | tallahassee | uniform Prior to their football team’s spring game, Florida State University and Nike unveiled a newly-redesigned uniform and set of logos. The changes to the team’s markings has been a source of …Continue reading →

2014 ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement Recap – ASQ WCQI in Dallas TAGS: anatole | asq | blitz | cheerleaders | conference | consulting | dallas | dallas mavericks | daniel zrymiak | division | enterprise | exhibit hall | gemba academy | green belt | handbook | hilton | hilton anatole | improvement | international team excellence awards | itea | jennifer stepniowski | lean | michelle rhee | networking | operations | process | quality | quality council of indiana | six sigma | sports The 2014 ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement is now over. While some of the ASQ Influential Voices have shared their experiences meeting folks and poring through presentations and …Continue reading →

Around The Bases: Tough Mudder Cow Patties Edition TAGS: augusta national golf club | blitz | campylobacter | coli | consulting | continuous improvement | course | craig sager | danger | donald sterling | dr jack ramsay | illness | lean | masters | mowers | nba | operations | poop | process | race | safety | six sigma | sports | tennis ball | tough mudder | trapeze fall The Tough Mudder is obviously a very popular endurance race series among the athletic and adventurous young adult population – obstacle courses through rough and dangerous terrain, the thrill of …Continue reading →

Norman Dale and Listening to Your Team TAGS: basketball | blitz | consulting | final shot | hickory | hoosiers | huskers | jimmy chitwood | jimmy chitwood final shot | lean | movie | norman dale | operations | process | six sigma | sports To continue our deep dive into the Lean principle of “Respect for People” we now take a closer look at a fictional basketball coach in a famous sports movie. In Hoosiers famous …Continue reading →

More Exposed Mistreatment of NFL Cheerleaders TAGS: bills | blitz | buffalo | cheerleaders | consulting | jills | lean | nfl | operations | process | respect for people | six sigma | sports After the first in-depth analysis of the unfair treatment of the Raiderettes, the Oakland Raiders cheerleaders, more and more squads of NFL cheerleaders are coming forward sharing similar stories of …Continue reading →

2014 ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement in Dallas TAGS: american society for quality | asq | blitz | conference | consulting | improvement | influential voices | innovation | lean | operations | process | program | quality | six sigma | sports | tips | wcqi | world conference Next month I will be attending the ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement in Dallas, Texas. I had a great time attending last year in Indianapolis. While most folks …Continue reading →

Donald Sterling & “Respect For People” In Sports TAGS: blitz | brendan gibbons | clippers | consulting | continuous improvement | crime | dave bliss | discrimination | donald sterling | jameis winston | jonathan martin | lean | los angeles | ncaa | operations | pillar | process | racism | respect for people | richie incognito | shabazz napier | six sigma | sports This past week we have seen a pretty notable violation of “respect for people” by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. This incident with the recording of him saying offensive …Continue reading →

What Is Respect For People? TAGS: blitz | buddhism | consulting | dignity | ethics | honesty | honor | integrity | lean | respect | respect for people | six sigma | toyota | toyota production system | toyota way | treatment | truth What we know as Lean and the Toyota Production System is built upon two pillars – one is continuous improvement through process optimization and waste reduction, and the other is …Continue reading →

“Be Lean” vs. “Do Lean” TAGS: arnold schwarzenegger | art byrne | be lean | blitz | consulting | do lean | formula | lean | lean blitz | lean manufacturing | lean turnaround | lean wastes | mr. universe | new ideas | non-value-added | operations | process | respect for people | sports | wastes It’s common for companies to hear about the great benefits Lean and Six Sigma can bring about in their organizations – they hear about the streamlining of processes and gained …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: Bubba Golf and Kaizen Thinking TAGS: augusta national | blitz | bubba golf | bubba watson | champion | clubs | consulting | golf | ideas | kaizen | lean | masters | operations | process | sports Bubba Watson is in the last pairing for the final round of The Masters at Augusta National today. He is a past Masters champion, having won in 2012 in a …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 →