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Do your team really know what they should be doing?

I have had numerous conversations with  numerous businesses over the past month about under performance within their business' processes. They haven't been achieving the results that they had hoped for and don't seem to be too happy about what their staff have been up to. It was pretty much the same conversation repeated for each business I spoke with. When I responded to these businesses I asked them about the clarity their team had about their roles. I was interested to find out what each individual business leader had done to make sure that the requirements of their processes, the business' needs and their own requirements had been passed on effectively. Having clear expectations in terms of activity, performance and deliverables is key to ensuring that your processes are being executed in the most effective manner. Well executed processes usually lead to good results if the process has been designed to be effective and efficient. If you spell out exactly how yo

Free Continuous Improvement Guide

I have recently published a new free guide, with the title: Six Quick Tips to Help Continuous Improvement Deliver Results Faster In the guide I share how to: Use the continuous improvement cycle properly. Get projects moving, if they are slow to start or have stalled. Identify the 'biggest bang for your buck' when reviewing opportunities. Determine the level of change you need to achieve through your improvements. Flip staff grumbles and concerns into positive improvement actions. Increase the overall rate of progress on your projects. All of the tips are highly practical and are no-cost strategies. To get your copy, just click on the button below and access the guide in just a few moments from now. Enjoy reading, Giles About the author Giles Johnston is a Chartered Engineer who specialises in helping businesses to grow and improve through better business processes. Giles is also the author of Business Process Re-Engineering and creator of the ' Ma

Getting Continuous Improvement Moving Faster and More Effectively

I sit in a lot of meetings where people talk about their continuous improvement projects. Sitting and talking doesn’t always equate to getting the changes put into effect and that’s what we need; the results count for everything. So, is there a simple way to help move projects from being stuck, delayed and appearing to wait for a perfect plan (or time)? The short answer is yes, and it revolves around our old friend the ‘80/20’ rule. Can you remember the 80/20 rule? This is the simple principle that states that a small number of inputs leads to a disproportionately large amount of rules. A little bit can go a long way, if you choose the right things to focus on. The opposite of this is also true; a lot of things can take a lot of time / effort / resources and yield very little in terms of overall results. The 80/20 rule (or Pareto principle) - a little bit of the right stuff can produce a lot of results! Phase 1 – quick wins and focus on the 20% that gives the 80% of resul

What is 5S and how does it help to improve the performance of my business?

Many businesses have heard of 5S; it is a simple workplace organisation system that is designed to make workplaces more effective and more efficient, as well as safer. Many businesses also try and fail at implementing 5S . It might be simple, but as you will know, anything that involves changing the behaviours of your staff isn’t always straightforward. If you haven’t heard of 5S before there are five basic steps, all beginning with ‘S’. They are: Sort – clearing out the clutter and re-distributing other people’s belongings. Set in order – optimising the workplace so that everything you need frequently is close at hand. Shine – cleaning the workplace to an appropriate level. Standards – defining what good looks like and how you will keep it that way. Sustain – forming the habits to retain the benefits of an organised and disciplined workplace. So, how does 5S improve the performance of your business? From a safety perspective, fewer accidents means less downtime.

What would happen if you focused on your top Continuous Improvement priority every day?

There are some things that would make a real difference to your business if you could just get them done, aren’t there? For most of us there are a handful of improvement projects that can help us get the results we are looking for in our business. There might be twenty opportunities, but only a few of them will make a significant difference to our current working practices. Our day to day workloads, demands from customers and suppliers, colleagues and managers can really deflect our focus away from these continuous improvement objectives. The day to day stuff is really important, and I am not suggesting that you start to avoid those tasks, but what would the rewards be if you could get your improvement projects fully implemented? There is usually a time saving resulting from improvements. This time saving can be re-invested to work on the next project, but only if you keep the focus on the project in the first place. So, how can you go about doing this? Here are two practical su

The OTIF Improvement System is here

Over the last couple of months I have been working to update and improve my on time delivery system (you may have seen earlier incarnations - including the OTIF Improvement Course). The revised system has been expanded to include more templates, continuous improvement suggestions and ideas to expand the system and help you quickly realise the benefits of simpler and more efficient on time delivery performance. The system now comes with a 30 day email program to coach and guide you through the implementation of the system into your business. All of the original management structure and meeting formats are still in the system. This is the same system I share with my clients as they take the 'blood, sweat and tears' out of their own on time delivery improvement journey. The system is priced at $129.00 (USD), but to celebrate the launch I am offering you the system for only $50.00. To get your copy of The OTIF Improvement System at this reduced price please use the discoun

Do you have time to prepare (in order to become super productive)?

I had a funny conversation a few weeks ago with a team that was complaining about one of their colleagues spending 'ages' preparing their workstation within their factory. I meet a lot of people that spend too long preparing (and effectively procrastinating) so I was intrigued by their comment. It turns out that this individual didn't spend too long but rather his colleagues dived into their work without thinking through what the best way to work was... The slower to start gentleman did in fact prepare his work area. He was also able to produce a far greater amount of work in the same time period because he had invested in a smarter way of working than his counterparts. The time spent preparing his working area was valuable and not overdone. This example reminds us of the importance of the second S in 5S (set in order) and how workstation design is critical if we want to maximise the productivity of our teams. Whether this is a physical work area in a factory, the fili