You may also view our newsletter archive at http://www.moresteam.com/morenews/archive.cfm.
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MoreNews about Lean Six Sigma November 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Increase the Effectiveness of Your LSS Training Study Finds Games Improve Knowledge Levels and Retention  Have you considered bringing a Wii to your next training class or study hall? Maybe you should. It just might be the reinforcement needed to help students apply new knowledge, especially in complex areas such as Design of Experiments. “Trainees who participated in game play retained nine percent more information than trainees who did not,” said Traci Sitzmann, associate professor of management at University of Colorado.The finding came from a recent meta-analysis of 65 studies that examined the effectiveness of games for training adults. Data from almost 6,500 trainees was reviewed. The study also found that trainees who participated in video game play had 11% higher factual knowledge levels and 14% higher skill-based knowledge levels.
In order to be effective, game-based training should:
 Motivation and Rewards in Lean Six Sigma Programs
What Science Knows and Business Does  As year-end approaches, thoughts of annual performance reviews surface. Daniel Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, recorded a unique 10-minute video that provides a few highlights from his book. His remarks suggest how managers and project leaders can creatively motivate and recognize employee performance.Pink points out that work in the 21st century differs significantly from work in earlier times. Much of the routine, rule-based, left-brain work has become either automated or outsourced. The white-collar work that is left is more right-brain oriented and requires greater creative and conceptual skills.
Research has shown that the old reward systems built on carrots and sticks are not only ineffective, but counter productive in the new environment. Business needs to catch up to what science has continued to confirm over the past 40 years. The focus needs to be on intrinsic motivators: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Watch the Drive video and learn from some inspiring examples.
RESOURCES FREE EngineRoom® Tutorials  It just got easier to check out our EngineRoom software. EngineRoom provides Lean Six Sigma practitioners with a full suite of powerful, simple-to-use data analysis tools within Microsoft® Excel®. It is organized conveniently by DMAIC phase and guides you through your project from planning to completion. Check out the new online tutorials available for some of the Define and Analyze tools. Just click on the Tutorials link located on the left side of the EngineRoom home page. Don't Forget to Register for the Last MBB Webcast This Year
Register for the upcoming live Webcast in MoreSteam's free continuing-education series for Master Black Belts, Black Belts, and all interested Lean Six Sigma practitioners. (Recordings of our previous Webcasts in this series are also available from the link provided below.)
Replenishment Process Pull Worksheet
 Replenishment pull systems are a key component of the Lean toolkit and provide a critical tool for the management of inventory. In our last Webcast on Lean pull systems, Dr. Lars Maaseidvaag discussed the basics of the Replenishment pull system and how it interacts with a Core Process pull system. For the presentation, Lars developed a worksheet to provide a general feel for the dynamics of such a system without implementing changes in a current system. Download the Replenishment Pull Worksheet from our archived Webcast page.
 As John Shook takes the helm of the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), it seems fitting to feature one of his best-selling books. Managing to Learn: Using the A3 Management Process to Solve Problems, Gain Agreement, Mentor, and Lead presents A3 as a management process, rather than a simple communication tool or problem-solving technique.The center of the process is the simple, but elegant A3 Report. An A3 puts the problem, analysis, corrective actions, and action plan on a single sheet of large paper. A3 is the international term for an 11-by-17-inch sheet of paper.
The book is presented in a very readable format providing clear instruction on how to write an A3 Report as well as how to use the A3 process. That makes it a good reference for insights into the mechanics as well as the soft side of the process. A sampling of completed A3 templates is included at the end of the book. One of our corporate clients suggests that "every Black Belt should read this book." Sound Byte of Success: L'Oréal
 L’Oréal redesigned its Little Rock cosmetics plant to create mini-businesses, or cells, and implemented lean manufacturing principles. A cell is responsible for its own budget and for the key performance indicators such as quality, safety and productivity. "The cells have led to a higher level of decision making from teams on production lines, to the point where they can vary shift patterns depending upon business needs," stated Jeff Lingo, process improvement manager and TPM coordinator for the plant. He added, "Overall equipment effectiveness has improved from the mid-40s to more than 60 percent ... the plant has improved productivity 6.2 percent from 2008 to 2009." Read more in The Brains Behind the Beauty case study.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
