Intro: Welcome to the E6S-Methods podcast with Jacob and Aaron, brought to you by E6S Industries, your source for expert training, consulting, and leadership in business performance and continuous improvement methods, like Lean and Six Sigma. In this episode number 74 we continue our "8 wastes" discussion with an in-depth look at Waiting and Skills. "Go the Extra MILE MR TOYOTA - Part 3. Here we go. http://bit.ly/E6S-074; http://bit.ly/E6S-iTunes

Recall: Go the extra MILE: (Mitigate, Investigate, Litigate, Eliminate) ; MR TOYOTA (Motion, Reserves, Transport, Overproduction, Yield Problems, Over processing, Talents, Awaiting Availability)

I Waiting – Equipment and resource downtime

a. What it “looks” like (in order of severity, from most to least severe)

i. Inventory – parts sitting and waiting

ii. Machines/work centers not operating

iii. People/resources not working or being used (on the value-stream)

b. Examples

c. Common Root Causes (May need 5 Why’s)

i. Not enough work

1. Infrequent specialty process

2. Low customer volume

ii. Unbalanced work flow (and not over-producing)

1. Shutting the machine down and allowing it to wait is better than overproducing.

iii. Maintenance problems

iv. Resource competition

1. Machines waiting for same special operator

2. NVA work prioritized over the Value added work without coverage

a. Lunch breaks, meetings, training, searching, etc.

b. Long setup times - Everything waits: Parts, People, & Machines

d. Potential Remedies

i. Cross training employees & cross-functional machinery (remove the “specialty”)

ii. Concentrate on sales & marketing to fill the capacity (otherwise, cut back on working hours & head-count)

iii. Balance the work-flow

1. Reducing batching closer to one piece flow

2. Cellular design

iv. Allow for planned downtime to do preventative/predictive maintenance at convenient time reduce the occurrence of unplanned downtime that affects the whole value stream.

v. Setup time reduction

II Skills – Poor utilization of employee skills

a. What it “looks” like

i. “Hidden” Skills - Really hard to see – usually learn through the grapevine

1. Frontline maintenance worker who was an effective platoon sergeant in the service. (why not leadership?)

2. QA inspector who’s also a writer. (Why not marketing or technical writer?)

3. Telephone operator who has a million You-tube followers. (why not sales/marketing?)

4. Administrative assistant who’s a licensed therapist. (Why not HR?)

ii. Disengaged workers

1. Don’t make suggestions or share their ideas

2. They do as they’re told. Put in their time and then go home.

3. No ownership of own work product, equipment, materials, etc

iii. Can expand definition to equipment being used in a manner it’s not intended or not using available technology/equipment/resources that could do the job better.

1. Using a screwdriver as a chisel

2. Typing an email in your cell phone while you’re sitting next to your computer.

3. Communicating back and forth through emails rather than picking up the telephone or walking down the hall to have a conversation

b. Common Root Causes (May need 5 Why’s)

i. Poor company culture

1. Top-down command & control

2. Disengaged Managers

3. Non-stop Chaos

4. Ineffective habits/behaviors

ii. Others?

c. Potential Remedies

i. Change the culture.

1. Hire engaging managers.

2. Start a ground-up/grass-roots engagement CI program (i.e. the true meaning of Kaizen)

Outro: Thanks for listening to episode 74 of the E6S-Methods Podcast. Stay tuned for episode number 75, Part 4 in this series on the 8 wastes, where we go into greater detail on Over Processing and Transportation. If you would like to be a guest on the podcast, contact us through our website. Join our mailing list! Subscribe to past and future episodes on iTunes or stream us live on-demand with Stitcher Radio. Find outlines and graphics for all shows and more at www.E6S-Methods.com. “Journey Through Success”

***The 8 Wastes: Go the extra MILE: (Mitigate, Investigate, Litigate, Eliminate)***