We’ve been talking a lot about playing offense lately. It’s no secret it’s time to free ourselves from the defensive mode we’ve all been in for far too long. We’ve talked about transformation, resilience, and adaptability, as we shift our mindsets from a reactionary standpoint to an anticipatory one. But let’s be very clear – […]

Times of Uncertainty Demand It Regardless of the amount of change and uncertainty we’ve been though, there are always some consistencies. And in terms of an organization, those consistencies rest with the attributes and behaviors of leadership. At their foundation, they are about the resilience, persistence, and ability to be agile. Only in these ways […]

Today, we’ll be discussing five reasons why you should digitize equipment maintenance. But first, let’s get into the difference between corrective maintenance and preventive maintenance.  Corrective Maintenance vs Preventive Maintenance Equipment maintenance is essential for any and every organization. Traditionally, corrective maintenance was very common. But, nowadays, organizations have shifted towards preventive maintenance. Let’s distinguish […]

Before we get into detailing why you should digitize abnormality reporting (F-tags), let’s first discuss what abnormality reporting (F-tags) are and why they’re essential for any manufacturing business. What is Abnormality Reporting (F-tags)? Abnormality reporting is also known as F-tags. The F in F-tag stands for Fuguai, a Japanese word that translates to “deviation” or […]

A digital transformation in manufacturing will soon become essential for every organization in the manufacturing industry. In this blog, we explore what digital transformation in manufacturing is and the benefits of it. What is Digital Transformation in Manufacturing? Digital transformation in manufacturing is the process of an organization intentionally leveraging and implementing new digital technologies […]

Basic Respect for People Respect for People has been on our minds here at Sempai. Multiplying uncertainties in the world mean that people – employees – often suffer in tough times as the purse strings are pulled tighter. It doesn’t have to be about money though – the small, daily pain points and indignities often […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) LPI Back to Basics Series, Part 1 Plan-Do-Check-Adjust – so easy to say. An inexperienced young fellow recently said to me, “PDCA is too easy. I need something more…” At his age, I was thick too. The mist gradually cleared for me, as I’m sure it will for him. My Toyota […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) LPI Back to Basics Series, Part 2 “Big Data” is all over the Net, and rightly so. Burgeoning computer horsepower means we’re able to crunch numbers like never before. Manufacturing, Marketing, Human Resources etc. will be able illuminate opaque areas. Billions of data points — molecular, customer and team member behaviour, […]

We all know a couple people who have changed the direction of our lives and careers, even with very brief interactions.  Something they said created an a-ha moment that changed our perspective or provided the catalyst that helped draw the connection between thoughts we’ve been mulling for a long time. For me, one of those […]

It was an incredible honor to not only hear Larry Culp, the CEO of General Electric and CEO of GE Aerospace, when he spoke at the AME 2022 annual conference in Dallas, but to have the opportunity to interview him on stage in a “fireside chat” about his leadership approach, his top recommended leadership books, […]

Recently I recorded my 6th episode of the Gemba Academy Podcast with host Ron Pereira when we were together in person at the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) 2022 conference in Dallas. In this episode, we focus our discussion on how leaders and learners can navigate the inherent struggle that comes with learning, while at […]

As leaders and continuous improvement practitioners, we’re committed to creating a people-centered learning organization. But how? Most importantly, by creating the right culture – one that is connected through systems and human behavior. Culture is the accumulation of learned and accepted patterns of behavior, within a system, that can either be intentionally created through thoughtful […]

One of the important objectives of any form of progressive management, be it old Scientific Management or modern TPS and the Toyota Way or Lean management, is to improve the work such that it reduces the struggles that any employee faces in the execution of their work. Yet, when it comes to leadership, efforts to […]

Lean enterprise is a business philosophy and set of practices that aim to continuously improve the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization by eliminating waste and increasing customer value. It is based on the principles of the Toyota Production System, developed at the Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan in the mid-20th century. Some of the […]

There are several reasons why someone might consider getting a Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification: Improved career prospects: Many organizations, particularly in business, technology, and healthcare, prefer or require their project managers to hold a PMP® certification. Having a PMP® certificate can make you more competitive in the job market and may open up new […]

Go for it! If the main purpose of your standup is to make sure that everyone is keeping themselves properly busy, then the questions “What did you do yesterday?” and “What will you do today?” are without doubt the basis of a great meeting format. But be careful what you wish for. If your goals […]

In this edition: My SEACON talk; Next week; Coming to Berlin; 15-minute FOTO in Danish; Allan Kelly’s Writing OKRs masterclass; Upcoming; Top posts My SEACON talk It was my first in-person conference talk since Covid and I was the first speaker up at SEACON Global 2022 Part 2 (there was a Part 1 earlier this […]

Manufacturers across the nation are looking for faster, more efficient ways to streamline processes and production. While automation seems to be top of mind for most, it’s also an expensive investment that some may not be ready to take on. Luckily, there are other solutions you can implement to improve your manufacturing facility’s efficiency.  Karakuri […]

The automation race has taken a firm hold on the manufacturing industry. Production facilities and warehouses everywhere are looking for ways to implement robots, automated storage and conveyor processes, often regardless of ROI, to minimize the inefficiencies associated with product storage, assembly, personnel challenges, packaging, and more.  But automation — from robots to autonomous vehicles […]

Manufacturers and warehouses everywhere are looking for methods to implement greater efficiencies without adding cost. Automation is at the forefront of all of our minds here, but implementing tech-heavy automation is easier said than done, and calculating ROI can be a moving target.  Flexible material handling solutions can help your facility realize improvements sooner, building […]

Air-conditioner has a power system which is known as a compressor. This compressor puts the refrigerator under a higher temperature. Before putting it under the high temperature, it pumps it under the condenser. It changes from gas to liquid. The compressor is compulsory for the air conditioner system, which provides you higher performance. You should […]

It’s all about the strings, not the puppet show Becoming a great lean manufacturer is a long term game, but, there are ways to harness serious external expertise without paying a fortune; entering ‘useful’ awards. We’ll explore the word ‘useful’ a little later. Once upon a time, a lean training & coaching company (spoiler alert: […]

Defining lean is useful, lean definitions are useless Starting a conversation on Twitter or LinkedIn about the definition of “lean” is a little like taking the top off a beehive. Many in the lean community fiercely defend entrenched positions around the differences between Lean, TPS and OpEx. This isn’t an article in that vein, it’s […]

A recent blog “2 lean skills your Team Leaders should have: Change Points” covered the first of several simple skills that make a real difference to the life and effectiveness of a Team Leader. This second skill covers the much underrated ability to think like a dead Italian economist. More formally, how to peer out onto your manufacturing […]

Here at Sempai we’re lucky in more ways than we have fingers and toes to count. One of those ways is the fact that we get to coach people, and coaching is by far the most interesting aspect of this business. It’s not easy though and can be mentally tiring because it’s the polar opposite […]

In lean manufacturing there’s a lot of talk and focus on Team Leaders mastering tools like 5s, Standardised Work and the 7 Wastes. These “Kaizen skills” are really important but will be of little value if your Team Leaders haven’t got the fundamental “Control Skills”. The 4 key control skills are: 1. ,,Start of Shift […]

,5S ACTIVITY 1.Sort 2.Straighten 3.Shine 4.Standardise 5.Sustain What is 5s? 5s is an interesting and often misunderstood building block of lean. Understanding ranges from the ill-informed:,“it’s a fancy way of saying – clean up and do your housekeeping” to the deeper understanding of:,“it’s how we organise the workplace to support safety, quality cost and delivery” […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) Lean Iceland recently – keynote talk and a number of workshops. Thanks to Viktoria Jensdottir and Lísa Ævarsdóttir for their kind invitation, and splendid conference organization and management. Thanks to the 400+ Icelanders who attended – a superb turnout. Some impressions of Iceland: tenacity, humility, humanity, curiosity and toughness. Icelanders have […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) A while back I had read a fine piece by Jack Welch in an issue of Fortune magazine. He would effortlessly get to the heart of complex issues. I’ve encountered each of the four groups of business-haters that Welch cites. Sadly, they are all too prevalent among our media, academic and […]

Developing and executing business strategy is a large undertaking involving dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people. Consequently, it is very important to make sure the strategy is both sound and executable to avoid the many hidden pitfalls and errors. And when hidden pitfalls and errors are encountered, as is almost always the case, there […]

Here is what you should do: Learn from other Lean professionals’ experiences. Think about what you are getting yourself into. Learn what you are up against: Classical management. If you decide to become a Lean professional, then learn and practice Lean management every day at work (kaizen). And never losing sight of what stands in […]

A humorous blend of business and physical science.

My friend Kjell Tore Guttormsen persuaded ChaptGPT – OpenAI’s AI chatbot – to produce a post about Agendashift. With some caveats, what it came out with was pretty impressive! Agendashift is a framework and set of tools for helping organizations to adopt and adapt practices from the Lean, Agile, and business agility communities. It is […]