TPS and Agile

By Pascal Dennis (bio)

Over the years, our Lean Pathways team has had the pleasure of working with software developers – a fun, capable and creative group.

For some years now, the software world has been using the Agile methodology to increase throughput while reducing defects and lead time.

In my experience, Agile and the Toyota Production System (TPS) are entirely simpatico.

In fact, it seems clear to me that Agile is a child (or perhaps grandchild) of TPS.

Core TPS principles and methodologies like visual management, team huddles (scrums), rapid experimentation and total involvement are central to Agile.

As you may recall, I am not interested in ‘theology’ – only in what works and lasts. TQM, TOC, BPR and Agile are all true, and all congruent with TPS.

All roads lead to Rome.

The clear and present danger for TPS/Lean, and Agile, is superficiality.
(Superficial systems generally attract opportunists seeking a quick hit.)

A set of connected principles and methods become a Way (do in Japanese) when they connect to your deeper being.

If our work is to last and attract new practitioners (e.g. Millennials) we need depth, which means connecting with TPS/Lean roots, and committing to years of practice.

Thereby, we’ll attract practitioners (deshi in Japanese) who’ll further develop the Way, and attract future deshi.

Best regards,

Pascal




In case you missed our last few blogs... please feel free to have another look…

Lean Means Don’t Be a Dumb-Ass
Scatter - Our Nemesis
The Biggest Weakness is Contemporary Business Culture?
What Makes a Great Sensei?

TPS and Agile

By Pascal Dennis (bio)

The past few years our Lean Pathways team has had the pleasure of working with software developers – a fun, capable and creative group.

For some years now, the software world has been using the Agile methodology to increase throughput while reducing defects and lead time.

In my experience, Agile and the Toyota Production System (TPS) are entirely simpatico.

In fact, it seems clear to me that Agile is a child (or perhaps grandchild) of TPS.

Core TPS principles and methodologies like visual management, team huddles (scrums), rapid experimentation and total involvement are central to Agile.

As you may recall, I am not interested in ‘theology’ – only in what works and lasts. TQM, TOC, BPR and Agile are all true, and all congruent with TPS.

All roads lead to Rome.

The clear and present danger for TPS/Lean, and Agile, is superficiality.
(Superficial systems generally attract opportunists seeking a quick hit.)

A set of connected principles and methods become a Way (do in Japanese) when they connect to your deeper being.

If our work is to last and attract new practitioners (e.g. Millennials) we need depth, which means connecting with TPS/Lean roots, and committing to years of practice.

Thereby, we’ll attract practitioners (deshi in Japanese) who’ll further develop the Way, and attract future deshi.

Best regards,

Pascal


In case you missed our last few blogs... please feel free to have another look…

Beware INITIATIVES
Point, Flow & System Improvement
Andon – Putting Quality at the Forefront
Lean Outside the Factory - Reverse Magic!

TPS and Agile

By Pascal Dennis

The past few years our Lean Pathways team has had the pleasure of working with software developers – a fun, capable and creative group.

For some years now, the software world has been using the Agile methodology to increase throughput while reducing defects and lead time.

In my experience, Agile and the Toyota Production System (TPS) are entirely simpatico.

In fact, it seems clear to me that Agile is a child (or perhaps grandchild) of TPS.

Core TPS principles and methodologies like visual management, team huddles (scrums), rapid experimentation and total involvement are central to Agile.

As you may recall, I am not interested in ‘theology’ – only in what works and lasts. TQM, TOC, BPR and Agile are all true, and all congruent with TPS.

All roads lead to Rome.

The clear and present danger for TPS/Lean, and Agile, is superficiality.
(Superficial systems generally attract opportunists seeking a quick hit.)

A set of connected principles and methods become a Way (do in Japanese) when they connect to your deeper being.

If our work is to last and attract new practitioners (e.g. Millennials) we need depth, which means connecting with TPS/Lean roots, and committing to years of practice.

Thereby, we’ll attract practitioners (deshi in Japanese) who’ll further develop the Way, and attract future deshi.

Best regards,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Reprise: East Meets West in the Toyota Production System

By Pascal Dennis

Spring is a good time to reflect on fundamental questions.

What's so special about TPS?

Okay, it has a very good track record in manufacturing and has spread into health care, construction, finance and other sectors.

But over the centuries, have there been other successful management innovations?

What's the big deal?

I believe TPS is unique because it represents a magnificent blending of cultures.

The American occupation of Japan after WWII brought the best of East and West together.

American muscle, optimism and engineering prowess met Japan's (and hence, China's) social, psychological and spiritual inventiveness.

The result -- TPS -- represents an entirely new way of managing.

When ideas "mate" interesting things happen.

Scientific Management, as espoused by Taylor, Ford, Deming and others, enriched -- and was enriched -- by Eastern systems of thinking and feeling.

What other management system combines the rationality of time and motion studies, with the humanity and humor of continuous incremental improvement?

Every day a little up...

What other system is as comfortable with Zen-like paradox?

Lead as if you have no power?

Stop production so it never has to stop...

And what other system embraces the impossibility of perfection, while insisting we must work toward it every day?

TPS is a splendid marriage of East and West, of rationality and intuition, of Left & Right brain.

We're lucky to have it.

So here's an overdue tip of the hat to all those half-forgotten dreamers, engineers and managers who first intuited TPS in the 1940's and 50's.

Arigato gozaimashita!

Cheers,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Reprise: Lean – Where Are We Now? - Part 1

By Pascal Dennis

The sigmoid curve is one of nature’s most common patterns, governing phenomena as diverse as population growth, and the spread of disease.

It also governs dissemination of ideas.

The Lean Business System was born during the 1946 – 1952 Allied occupation of Japan, a historically unique moment when the best & brightest of two great cultures met and learned from one another.

The Japanese were extraordinarily open and curious students, and they absorbed what Deming, Juran, Drucker and other great senseis had to offer.

Of course, since then Japanese management gurus have returned the favor and taught what Deming called the ‘profound system of knowledge’ around the world.

Lean (a.k.a. Toyota Production System) gained worldwide attention after the publication of The Machine That Changed the World in 1990, and as Toyota’s achievements began to be understood.

Since then, Lean thinking has migrated across manufacturing and developed roots in field as diverse as health care, financial services and education.

Where on the curve are we now?

Are we still in the state of accelerated growth – or has Lean leveled off?

If the latter, how to create a new sigmoid curve? What are the obstacles and possible countermeasures.

I’ll share my thoughts in the weeks to come.

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Andy the Rabbi

By Pascal Dennis

My friend Mel is a real estate entrepreneur, and part-time Talmudic scholar.

We belong to the same gym & regularly kibitz about all & sundry.

Mel has read my books, and has kindly shared his passion: the wonderful old Hassidic tales.

After reading Andy & Me and The Remedy, Mel had a revelation.

"Andy is a rabbi!"

"I beg your pardon?" I replied.

"Andy is a rabbi," Mel continued, "like in the old Jewish stories!"

On reflection, Mel is right. Sensei-deshi stories are as old as humanity: the old Sufi stories, Krishna & Arjuna in the Bhagavad-Gita, Virgil & Dante in the Divine Comedy, several Brothers Grimm stories.

Central to each is a dialogue between a seeker, and an elder. Often, both the seeker and elder are damaged. Both grow because of the relationship.

We're hard-wired for stories, and this is one of the oldest. Maybe that's why I found the Andy & Tom story so easy to tell.

It certainly explains why mentorship is so central to the Toyota Production System.

To 'walk the thousand mile path', you need a guide.

And mentorship feels good for both sensei and deshi, because that's how we're wired.

Thanks, Mel.

Best,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Jury Duty, Part 4

By Pascal Dennis

The past several blogs we've looked at how to improve the Jury Selection process:

1. Jury Panel Selection --> 2. Jury Selection --> 3. Court Case

Our purpose is to increase flow and reduce overall cycle time. In other words, jurors get picked quicker, and court cases get processed quicker.

What can muck up the process? Last blog we inferred an important root cause: poor visual management.

Today we'll look to Little's Law for more insight:

Lead Time = Loading/Capacity

To reduce Lead Time we'd need to either:

• Increase capacity, or
• Reduce loading

How might we increase capacity?

Here are some ideas:

• Run court rooms over two shifts - day & night,
• Reduce delay, defect & over-processing waste by level-loading the Jury Selection process
◦ Enablers: visual management: Target vs. Actual -- Jury panel members, Jury members, cases, courtrooms & other relevant value stream data

How might we reduce case loading on the court system?

• More cases heard by a judge (sans jury), as in some European jurisdictions

One final suggestion, from my friend & colleague, Al Norval, who has been a juror a number of times:

Move to a professional jury system.

Rationale:

• Quicker & better decisions
◦ Many jurors lack the experience & knowledge to understand much testimony
◦ Paid jurors would likely be older, wiser and more motivated to effect justice

• Reduces burden on citizens who are unable to serve because of family or work commitments

Let me conclude as I began in part 1 of this series:

The problems in the system, and not the people, who I found to be courteous & capable.

How to preserve the integrity of our humane & splendid 19th century system -- while satisfying the needs of a 21st century society?

I believe the principles of the Toyota Production System can help.

Best regards

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Andy the Rabbi?

By Pascal Dennis

My friend Mel is a real estate entrepreneur, and part-time Talmudic scholar.

We belong to the same gym & regularly kibitz about all & sundry.

Mel has read my books, and shared samples of his passion: the wonderful old Hassidic tales.

After reading Andy & Me and The Remedy, Mel had a revelation.

"Andy is a rabbi!"

"I beg your pardon?" I replied.

"Andy is a rabbi," Mel continued, "like in the old Jewish stories!"

On reflection, Mel is right.

Sensei-deshi stories are as old as humanity: the old Sufi stories, Krishna & Arjuna in the Bhagavad-Gita, Virgil & Dante in the Divine Comedy, several Brothers Grimm stories.

Central to each is a dialogue between a seeker, and an elder. Often, both the seeker and elder are damaged. Both grow because of the relationship.

We're hard-wired for stories, and this is one of the oldest.

Maybe that's why I found the Andy & Tom story so easy to tell.

It certainly explains why mentorship is so central to the Toyota Production System.

To 'walk the thousand mile path', you need a guide.

And mentorship feels good for both sensei and deshi, because that's how we're wired.

Thanks, Mel.

Best,

Pascal

Jury Duty - Part 1

By Pascal Dennis

I recently spent three days on a jury panel, waiting to see if I'd be picked to serve on a jury.

Americans and Canadians have been lucky enough to inherit the British system of law & order.

I strongly believe It's our civic duty to support it.

The judge was a learned, humane and articulate man, who spoke eloquently of this same duty, and contrasted our system with those of other, less lucky countries.

Nonetheless, despite his eloquence, my commitment & that of my fellow jury panel members, our three days felt largely wasted...

Wasted in the Toyota Production System sense -- we experienced unnecessary delay, errors, over-processing, transportation and motion waste.

In the end very few of us were called as jury members. Many were frustrated by all the waste, and unlikely to want to serve again.

Our experience was not the exception. Across America and Canada, court back-logs are reaching lengths of two & three years.

I believe the problems are in the system, and not the people, who I found to be courteous & capable.

How to preserve the integrity of a humane & splendid 19th century system -- while satisfying the needs of a 21st century society?

Can the principles of the Toyota Production System help?

If so, how?

In upcoming blogs, I'll explore these & other questions.

Best regards,

Pascal

Jidoka

By Pascal Dennis

Building quality into the process, aka Jidoka, is a cornerstone of the Toyota Production System.

And embedded tests are a cornerstone of Jidoka.

To make a good product, or provide a good service, I need:

1. A clear picture of what good is (i.e. a Standard)
2. Quick feedback on how I'm doing right now, and
3. A way of getting back to a good condition

Embedded tests address element 2, and should be

• Simple,
• Low cost, and
• Binary (i.e. OK/Not OK)

What's the best source of embedded tests?

Wait for it...front-line team members.

Who knows the work better?

Who else has absorbed the 'nicks & knacks of the work'?

That's why Total Involvement is the heart of the Lean Business System.

Without it, the system is akin to a beautiful sailboat - without any wind.

Which leads us to Respect for People, another central tenet, and the topic of an upcoming blog.

Best regards,

Pascal

Lean Production Simplified -- 10 Year Anniversary!

By Pascal Dennis

Ten years ago I got a strange desire to write down all I'd learned about the Toyota Production System.

Not exactly sure why.

Partly to explain it to myself, partly because clients were asking for it, and partly because I just wanted to.

Anyhow, the result was Lean Production Simplified -- a Plain Language Guide to the World's Most Powerful Production System.

To my surprise, the book found an audience, won a Shingo Prize for Excellence, and is still going strong.

When I have a question, I still refer to the damned thing.

"That makes sense," I'll say to myself. "Why didn't I think of that?"

A few years back, my colleague Al Norval, and I, decided to make a series of webinars based on the book.

Our Lean Simplified Webinars have also, happily, found an audience and proved to be helpful.

Funny how things work out. (Where did the years go...?)

In any event, we'd like to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Lean Production Simplified with a series of special offers!

Look for them in the weeks & months to come!

Best regards,

Pascal

East Meets West in the Toyota Production System

By Pascal Dennis

Fall is a good time to reflect on fundamental questions.

What's so special about TPS?

Okay, it has a very good track record in manufacturing and has spread into health care, construction, finance and other sectors.

But over the centuries, have there been other successful management innovations?

What's the big deal?

I believe TPS is unique because it represents a magnificent blending of cultures.

The American occupation of Japan after WWII brought the best of East and West together.

American muscle, optimism and engineering prowess met Japan's (and hence, China's) social, psychological and spiritual inventiveness.

The result -- TPS -- represents an entirely new way of managing.

When ideas "mate" interesting things happen.

Scientific Management, as espoused by Taylor, Ford, Deming and others, enriched -- and was enriched -- by Eastern systems of thinking and feeling.

What other management system combines the rationality of time and motion studies, with the humanity and humor of continuous incremental improvement?

Every day a little up...

What other system is as comfortable with Zen-like paradox?

Lead as if you have no power?

Stop production so it never has to stop...

And what other system embraces the impossibility of perfection, while insisting we must work toward it every day?

TPS is a splendid marriage of East and West, of rationality and intuition, of Left & Right brain.

We're lucky to have it.

So here's an overdue tip of the hat to all those half-forgotten dreamers, engineers and managers who first intuited TPS in the 1940's and 50's.

Arigato gozaimashita!

Cheers,

Pascal