Change is hard. And the only thing worse than change is uncertainty. But there is one thing that most would agree on right now and that is that the next two years will be surrounded in uncertainty. So how do we prepare our businesses to survive and thrive in an unknown economic climate? Logic would tell [...]
Too often when I introduce myself to someone new I hear: “Please do not mention the word ‘lean’.” “Why?” “For two years, we worked on it very hard and gave it up because of the lack of results”, is a frequent reply. Sadly it isn’t unheard of for companies to spent a lot of money on [...]
We often have to compromise when making judgements and deal with the consequential risk, good or bad. But where do you draw the line on what is a good enough measure? For example, is 99.9% certainty in your processes good enough? Implicitly, we all know the answer should be no, but secretly you are probably thinking, [...]
Gavin Jones (New Potential) and Des Kennedy (Infinite Design) speaking at the North East Manufacturing and Engineering Show this week. Providing insight and helpful take-aways to support businesses in identifying how to increase value for their customers and be more strategic about how they apply improvement efforts to benefit their business.
Most companies I meet have undertaken some form of Lean Six Sigma activity. However, it is unfortunately common for many companies to make some progress, hit a plateau and then get distracted when things aren’t going as quickly as they were before. This whole phenomenon is a bit like hitting traffic on your way home from work and abandoning [...]
Who could have predicted that the unpretentious toilet roll could have caused a recent BA flight to Barbados with 280 people on board to be delayed by more than 5 hours - resulting in potential claims of up to £290,000. The captain said "in 26 years of flying he had never had such an experience that [...]
Synopsis "Have you ever wondered why some businesses fly and others fail? The answer isn’t better marketing or sales, but in understanding value and delivering more of it to your customers. Learn how identifying, creating and providing increased value in your business will improve your bottom line". Value by Design Presentation Aimed at sharing insight [...]
It’s that time of year to look back and review if all the good intentions created at the end of last year are still standing the test of time. Is the new mind-set of going to the gym, eating healthier, or managing a better work-life balance still holding strong? Hopefully the answer is yes! But can [...]
Presentation Slides Part 2 - Applications This inaugural event was held on February 23 at Newcastle University and examined how lean methods can support customers’ aspirations, as well as exploring the Single Minute Exchange of Dies methodology - a lean production method for reducing waste in a manufacturing process - and how this can improve productivity. [...]
‘Innovation’ features on many agendas today and is used more than ever by business leaders. However, considering the attention grabber that it seems to be, is its meaning or how to achieve it really understood? According to ‘The BusinessDictionary’, innovation is … the process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that [...]