Shruti Bhat PhD, MBA, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
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Process changes to-do before switching to remote working.

8/24/2020

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Post Covid-19, numerous organizations are letting their employees telecommute. A few companies have chosen to have 50-90% of their people work distantly through phone, PC frameworks, video conferencing and so on. 
process changes to-do before switching to remote working
According to an article published on Forbes.com Coinbase, Google, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, Capital One, Zillow, Slack, Amazon, PayPal, Salesforce and other major companies are leading the ‘work from home’ revolution.

While such a move guarantees operational cost-savings and continued productivity (thru the pandemic); remote working has its own bundle of difficulties both for the employee as well as the company.

For instance, you may need to set up procedures to ensure that there is no disturbance because of children or pets at the employee's home or some woodwork clamor originating from their neighbor's home.

People ordinarily are social creatures. Working continually from home or distant places can have unfavorable impact on the employee’s output, personality and in extreme cases, even on their psychological wellness.

Organizations seeking to change over huge amount of its work through far-off tasks should necessarily assess their employee's capacity to bear distant working before allotting them remote work duties. Comparative test must be accomplished for every new hire. Hence, HR processes, recruitment, employee development, learning processes must be appropriately amended prior to changing traditional working norms to remote operations.

Another challenge to remote working is changed operational framework. For example, computer systems, software, cloud-based working platform, ERP, cyber-security, eLearning platforms and so on.

Drawing process maps for every single business process, division wise and also cross-functional processes will help identify potential challenges to transitions from conventional working to remote operations.

Employing Kaizen to bring -on such transitions will not only augment smooth transition, but also bring-on the change effectively, lower costs and increase employee morale.

Kaizen is a time-tested Japanese business improvement methodology. It got popularity after it was implemented by Japanese auto companies to rise from economic downturn post world-war II.
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737 Max: Debris found in plane's fuel tanks- How can Kaizen help?

2/20/2020

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Boeing's crisis-hit 737 Max jetliner (which was grounded after two fatal crashes) faces a new potential safety issue as debris has been found in the fuel tanks of several new planes which were in storage, awaiting delivery to airlines. (reference: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51499777)
737 Max debris found in plane fuel tank_ how can Kaizen help
As per media reports, the company also has had recent issues with debris in its other products i.e. 787 Dreamliners and KC-46A military refueling tankers, which led to two suspensions of deliveries of KC-46As to the US air force.

Foreign object debris, an industrial term for rags, tools, metal shavings and other materials left behind by workers during the assembly line aircraft production process, can raise the risk of electrical short-circuiting and fires.

This typically results from poor employee training coupled with near non-existent in-process quality control systems!

A culture of Kaizen helps bigtime in such cases. Kaizen-based installation of quality systems are extremely effective for all types of workplaces be it- production, assembly-line or service functions. Moreover, combining Kaizen with mistake-proofing tools such as Poka Yoke, the product’s quality as well as safety are further augmented.

To learn more about how Shruti can help your organization achieve new heights or to book a Workshop, Contact Dr. Shruti Bhat via Form or WhatsApp

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#Boeing  #737max #kaizen #mistakeproofing
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How to Choose a Business Process Improvement or Continuous Improvement project?

1/16/2020

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A business process improvement project within an organization usually starts out with statements like “We have this problem and we think this is the issue that must be sorted out”. In my experience, 9 times out of 10, the cause of the problem is radically different from what one ‘thinks’ is the issue. Hence, the precursor to choosing a process improvement project is to acknowledge that there is a problem whose root cause(s) must be first be identified before going any further with the process improvement idea.

Once you have an idea of the ‘real’ issue(s) or the ‘root cause(s)’ which must be addressed, you must establish what sort of improvement you are seeking. Because a goal provides the  context for determining as well as designing  an action plan. For example, the improvement steps to save $1000 via a process improvement campaign are obviously far different from the steps to save $100,000 or $1M - but that’s also the only way you can draw a project's finishing line and establish whether that project was a success.
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Also, the journey for reaching goals may vary and the execution plan documents the road map for achieving the goal.
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All popular continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, Hoshin Kanri, Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen , Kanban etc. incorporate the same focus on setting goals that are easily understood, across an organization.
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Remember: Regardless of the Continuous Improvement methodology being employed, the goal must be set before selecting a process improvement project, because a project is largely defined by what it is supposed to accomplish.

​You may need multiple process improvement projects to achieve a set of goals or often multiple projects to achieve one single goal. A standard line of action while choosing process improvement goal is based on the study of ‘Variation Journal’.
Continuous improvement tools, 30 continuous improvement tools for investigation and business process improvement, bpm, 18 different continuous improvement methodologies to increase productivity, organizational excellence and decrease cost, business process management and continuous improvement executive guide series book, shruti bhat
Variation Journal as the name implies, is a record of process variation(s) observed throughout the lifetime of a process. Upon scrutinizing this process variation record, any process that elicits a ‘Common Cause’ variation becomes a potential candidate for improvement.

Usual process improvement project pick strategies include- selecting those processes that save maximum money, are easiest or fastest to complete, solve an obnoxious problem, or a process that adversely affects employee working, or where the process improvement is hardest to accomplish (with the idea of 'getting the hard stuff out of the way' will provide serious onward momentum for all subsequent process improvement work).

Tip: Process improvement project success depends on the goal set up, as well as, a sound execution plan before you go about implementing process changes.

In my career as a Global Continuous Improvement Leader spanning a decade, I have found that, using Agile during process change implementation, paves way to guaranteed success with process improvement campaigns.

With Agile management the execution plan becomes a series of sprints instead of one long comprehensive plan.

Tip: Note that Agile works best in environments of frequent changes or development of a new product line, where new features and obstacles are constantly introduced and need to be managed.
To learn more about how Shruti can help your organization achieve new heights or to book a Workshop, Contact Dr. Shruti Bhat via Form or WhatsApp

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​#ContinuousImprovement #QualityImprovement  #BusinessProcessManagement   #BPM
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History of Kaizen

1/9/2020

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Kaizen in an ancient continual improvement methodology. Kaizen is time-tested and gives exponential results. It is also the most economical technique to implement, hence best for start-ups and small size organizations, since these companies usually have a constraint on funds. 

Folklore mentions a story around Kaizen. The story goes-

Once upon a time, a village was struck with severe drought. Everyone had to walk huge distances from their homes to the river to fetch a pail of water. Men and women, young and old, everyone had to walk miles to get just one pail of drinking water. And they had to do this chore everyday  ...

One day, the village head observed a small boy of 4- 5 years carrying a small pot of water. He was walking along with his mom, who was carrying a bigger pot of water for their home. The sight of a young kid having to suffer so much for water disturbed the village head. He got around thinking ... what can be done so we minimize the effort to get water?

He then came up with a plan. In the evening he called a meeting of all villagers and said "all of us are struggling to get water, even the kids and it pains me. So, why not all of us pool ourselves so that each one of us does only a bit, daily, and when the efforts add-up we get our reward" i.e. drinking water!

So then on, each person was placed at strategic distance and transferred pots of water from point-to-point. They rotated people so as to evenly distribute workload. This solved the problem ... small increments done over time added-up to bring big reward i.e. water. That's the history of Kaizen.

Kaizen methodology was applied to industrial setting by Dr. Deming. He first applied Kaizen in Japan's auto company Toyota motors. Since then Kaizen has spread its wings to other industry verticals. Want to know more on industrial Kaizen? Checkout this video ...
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#ContinuousImprovement #Kaizen  #JapaneseKaizen  #HistoryOfKaizen
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How to Improve Operational Efficiency? A Lean Kaizen Case Study

11/27/2019

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how to improve operational efficiency_a Lean Kaizen case study
​Lean Kaizen Case study

Problem: A Canadian Pharmaceutical company had production issues with fifteen products and this consequently increased production back-orders. How to improve operational efficiency?

Due Diligence:  Conducted a value stream map to identify potential cause(s) for the back order situation. Additionally technical processes of production were also evaluated. Both technical processes as well as operational processes had snags and must be improved.

Solution: Lean Kaizen methodology was employed. Pharma being a regulated industry, the regulatory impact of proposed process change must be studied prior to embarking on process improvement journey. Regulatory impacts studied were- statutory compliance, licenses, tax breaks, sales permission etc. A protocol for process improvement for all 15 products in a tiered fashion was designed. Appropriate modifications to production planning and concerned operational processes were undertaken.

Result Dashboard:
  • Process improvements for all 15 products was completed within time-scope-budget.
  • Process improvements of 8 products were done without need for statutory re-approvals.
  • Back order status was reversed; market demands are being met timely.
  • Process improvements for balance 7 products were done without need for beta testing/ bio-equivalence studies.
  • Overall saved around 15% of total budgeted expenses for this project basket.
To learn more about how Shruti can help your organization achieve new heights or to book a Workshop, Contact ​Dr. Shruti Bhat via Form or WhatsApp
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​#ContinuousImprovement   #Innovation  #OperationalEfficiency  #Lean  #Kaizen  #ProductivityImprovement
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Business Process Improvement for Manufacturing & Service Industry by Dr. Shruti Bhat

4/25/2019

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Business Process Improvement for Manufacturing & Service Industry by Dr. Shruti Bhat book preview-

One of the first people to describe business processes was Adam Smith (1776) in his famous example of a pin factory. Since then business processes have evolved and better defined. ​
Business process improvement methodologies for manufacturing and service industry book by Dr Shruti Bhat
A business process defines the various activities involved in achieving a particular goal. Business processes briefly describe the chain of events that are involved in an activity or a group of activities. It is common to use a business process if the activities have an effect on current products or data and bring about production. 

 Types of business processes include- 
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  • Management processes such as Corporate governance, Strategic management, planning and implementation.
  • Operational processes, which constitute the core business and create primary value stream. Typically, they include Procurement & sourcing, Manufacturing, Marketing, Sales and Customer service.
  • Supporting processes, which support the operational processes and include Finance & Accounting, Recruitment & Human Resources Management, Research and Technical support.

Some examples include invoicing, product shipping details, updating information, tracking orders, allocating budgets etc. Business processes used throughout organization, at any level, are outlined in order to improve organization in an effective and efficient way. There can be several inputs in a business process but there is always only one output or specific goal- that is to help business thrive.

Business processes are used practically in any organization and throughout an organization at any level. They are used in a variety of industries such as private, public sector, government, departments, hospitals, charities etc. Business processes are, typically outlined in order to improve an organization in an effective and efficient way.

Various computer software make it possible to create business processes on a computer, however simple business processes are just as effective when written with pen and paper. Some even find it better to jot down the processes on a piece of paper, or on several small ones, in order to kick start their creativity and thinking process. It is up to the professional (and/or organization) to decide whether a software or traditional method will work best for them. Business processes work best when there is input, support and ideas from various people that are involved in the organization (or department).

Key business processes are logically grouped related tasks and activities, independent of the organization’s structure, which utilize the resources of the organization to produce specific results. They possess measurable inputs & outputs, value addition and repeatable activity.

Tip- The effective management of key business process requires- Ownership & planning, performance metrics & control, process qualification, management and improvement methodology.

A business process always begins with a customer’s need and ends with a customer’s need fulfilment.

Customer needs change, technologies change, government policies change, competition changes and what used to be a high level of performance becomes a poor one and it’s time to replace the formerly good process with a new one- only every process cycle should have this capacity of identification, in-built in its charter.

As a practicing Business Transformation expert of many years, I am happy to mention here few case studies, nay success stories. Let me share three examples-

  1. A consumer goods manufacturing company redesigned its product deployment process, by means of which, it now manufactures goods and delivers them to its distribution center such that inventory uptake was reduced by 35%, while stock-out goods situation declined by 70%.
  2. A pharmaceutical company created a new product development process, which reduced time to market by 75%, development costs by 45% and increased productivity by 30%.
  3. An engineering goods manufacturing organization increased its product delivery targets by 350% and reduced its supply chain costs by up to 55%. Something to note in these is the simultaneous achievement of apparently incompatible goals for e.g. reducing inventory while also reducing out –of-stocks.

Traditional organizations view these as conflicting goals and trade off against another. While process managed organizations, recognize that such payoffs, are achieved by improving business processes and continually maintain their business process efficient. So how do we go about bringing on a process change?

Three main categories of business process improvement techniques, have been found to be extremely effective in managing, expanding and /or transforming businesses worldwide including USA, Canada, Latin America and the emerging economies. They are – Breakthrough improvement, Streamlined improvement and Continuous improvement. The 18 methodologies described in this book belong to one or many of these three main categories.

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In this book, you will learn about: 
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  • What is a business process? What are different types of business processes? Why improve a business process?
  • 18 different business process improvement methodologies including Lean, ISO, Kaizen, Six Sigma, Capability maturity model integration (CMMI) etc.
  • Advantages of each business improvement methodology. Precautions needed before implementing a methodology at your workplace.
  • Strategic planning and risk assessments involved prior to implementing a business process improvement methodology.
  • References of their use by startups, small companies who later on became big corporate houses and Fortune 500 companies.
  • Tips to maximize positive results from executing business process improvement methodologies for your organization.

This book presents a practical way to build and improve business processes, and assists professionals whether they are learning the basics of business process improvement, planning their first improvement project, or evangelizing process-oriented thinking throughout their organization.
Business process improvement methodologies for manufacturing and service industry book by Dr Shruti Bhat
​This book is for Agile entrepreneurs and business leaders involved in decision-making, directing their organization’s sustainability, profitability, and expansion. If you want some new ideas for improving your business and need to get your team involved, then this concise self-help, business management book is for you.

This book is also for professionals who are interested in making a career change and wish to embrace business process management (bpm) role.

This book is also for graduate students, budding out of colleges and are in the process of stepping into the industrial world- be it manufacturing or a service industry. This book helps them learn the various methods by which they can improve their company’s business, which in turn would help their career growths.
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This book is for all ‘business book readers’ who wish to apply business improvement methodologies to their work place in most beneficial and practical ways.

​Grab your copy of this book NOW!
 
Available as paperback and digital versions at all popular stores worldwide!

About the author Shruti Bhat PhD, MBA, CLSSBB

Dr. Shruti Bhat is an award-winning Business Excellence Leader, Global Continuous Improvement Mastermind, Best-selling Author and Speaker. She is Continuous Improvement Advisor to several start-ups, mid-size and growing firms in Canada, USA, India, Africa and Emerging markets. She has authored eight business books and is an invited speaker at several national and international conferences, symposia and workshops.

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Related reading:

  1. ​How to Choose a Business Process Improvement or Continuous Improvement project?
  2. Popular Continuous Improvement Workshops & Webinars for Manufacturing Industries
  3. Popular Workshops & Webinars on 'Continuous Improvement' for Service Industries
  4. Business Turnaround and Continuous Improvement Tips & Tricks Part 3 of 6- Agile in Nutshell for Improving Sales & Marketing of Products and Services
  5. Business Turnaround and Continuous Improvement Tips and Tricks- Part 2 of 6: Six Sigma in a Nutshell
  6. How to develop a culture of ‘Continuous Improvement’ in an organization?
  7. 8 Steps to becoming a Customer- centric organization
#DrShrutiBhat  #ContinuousImprovementAcademy  #Manufacturing #Lean #ProcessExcellence  #ContinuousImprovement #Kaizen  #QualityImprovement  #Innoworks  #Innovation  #Quality  #eLearning  #Business  #BusinessProcessManagement  #ServiceIndustry  #ManufacturingManagement  #LeanInnovation  #Pharmaceutical  #LifeScience  #Food  #Beverage  #Biotechnology  #Retail  #Cosmetics  #PersonalProducts  #Chemicals  #Drugs #Engineering #ShiftingParadigms #BPM  #LeanManagement  #KaizenLeaderMasterclass  #LeanSixSigma  #Kanban  #FMEA  #RiskManagement  #Speaker  #KaizenTrainingAcademy​
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Business Turnaround and Continuous Improvement Tips & Tricks Part 4 of 6- Lean Manifesto

2/22/2019

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​Born at Toyota, Lean is a lighter, leaner way to achieve results. A Lean process is ruthless about getting rid of errors, steps, processes and people that don’t add value to a company’s products or services.
business turnaround and continuous improvement tips and tricks part 4 of 6, LEAN Manifesto, dr shruti bhat
Lean is all about focusing on customer needs, reducing defects, creating waste-free processes that result in maximum ROI and Customer value.

Although Lean defined Toyota Production System (TPS) in 1940s, with time, Lean has been extended to other manufacturing verticals such as- electronics, cement, construction, food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, personal products, engineering etc. ​
The best part about Lean is that, Lean brings in a 3:1 rate of returns for any organization regardless of industry sector, that implements Lean correctly.
​Lean Manifesto:

  • Focus on customer: Lean is based on Voice of Customer (VOC). If a step doesn’t add value to a company’s product or service from the customer’s point of view, LEAN strips it out.
  • Eliminating waste: Traditional Lean weeded out 7 types of waste- Over-production, Over-processing, Defects, Delays, Unnecessary movement, Unutilized resources, Unnecessary inventory. With time, Lean philosophy has under gone changes too, that is changes for the better. Present day LEAN methodology eliminates 14 different types of waste.
  • Just-in-time (JIT) attitude. Producing anything in anticipation of customer needs is a waste as per Lean philosophy. Instead you produce only when there are orders in hand as in Kanban's pull approach.
  • LEAN works with ‘pull’ system Vs ‘push’ system.
  • Visual representation: Lean uses Value Stream Maps to visually draw out processes and Visual Management to execute and sustain benefits of LEAN processes.
Which companies can use Lean?

LEAN can be implemented by Manufacturing as well as Service based companies.

LEAN is best for incremental improvements, organizations that focus on their people and culture, companies that want a less mathematical and more flexible approach than Six Sigma. But you can strive for a break-through Six Sigma improvement by eliminating waste Lean-style.

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In the next part of this article series I shall discuss another time-tested business improvement methodology;
TQM
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Related reading:

  1. Business Turnaround and Continuous Improvement Tips and Tricks Part 1 of 6
  2. Business Turnaround and Continuous Improvement Tips and Tricks- Part 2 of 6: Six Sigma in a Nutshell
  3. Business Turnaround and Continuous Improvement Tips & Tricks Part 3 of 6- Agile in Nutshell for Improving Sales & Marketing of Products and Services
  4. Business Turnaround and Continuous Improvement Tips & Tricks Part 5 of 6: TQM in a Nutshell
  5. Business Turnaround and Continuous Improvement Tips & Tricks Part 6 of 6 : Balanced Score Card
  6. ​Continuous Improvement for Human Resources (HR) department via Lean and Kaizen
  7. Lean Manufacturing in Food, Drug, Cosmetics & Chemical Industry

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​#Manufacturing #Lean #ContinuousImprovement #Kaizen  #QualityImprovement   #BusinessProcessManagement  #ServiceIndustry  #ManufacturingManagement   #LeanManagement #KaizenLeaderMasterclass #LeanSixSigma #LeanManifesto #LeanManufacturing
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    Shruti Bhat
    PhD, MBA
    Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

    ​Shruti is a ​Global Leader in Lean Innovation, Lean Manufacturing, Business Transformation and Continuous Improvement; Best-Selling Author and Speaker.

    Shruti is a Go-To Scientific Expert and Management Leader within Pharmaceutical, Health Care, Device Technology, Bio- Technology, Life Sciences, Retail industry  and affiliated verticals.

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