full

Heijunka for Thinking Too

This week between Christmas and New Year is commonly wasted by US manufacturers. I get the holiday spirit, and that people need to relax and have personal time. But can your business afford to lose 2-3% productivity every year-end?

Heijunka is a part of the Toyota Production System thinking system; most of us think of it as a tool. But that important concept of level-loading to eliminate less visible wastes is a critical thought process.

Most consider Muda the form of waste to be eliminated, but it is only one family of waste. Mura is the family of wastes that emanate from unevenness, irregularity and lack of uniformity. An even flow of product and information will always be superior to that of start-stop.

What does that have to do with Christmas and New Year?

That same thinking process should be applied to how we observe, reflect, learn and improve. In fact, the phrase continuous improvement reflects just that. Why do so few of us actually continuously improve? Simply we seem to favor the "slam on the accelerator; then slam on the brakes" approach.

While performing the traditional year-end exercise of looking back to see what we could or should do differently this next year, ask yourself if the most important change would be to observe, reflect, learn, and apply every single day?

Heijunka thinking applies to our thinking, not just to production.

Let's make that the lesson learned this last year and implement the improvement immediately. Why would you wait?

About the Podcast

Show artwork for Finish Strong®   by Becky Morgan
Finish Strong® by Becky Morgan
This series addresses issues important to midsize manufactures worldwide. It's all about operations, leadership, strategy and thriving in the 21st Century

About your host

Profile picture for Rebecca Morgan

Rebecca Morgan

Advisor, speaker, and author, Rebecca Morgan has invested over 40 years in learning from and helping manufacturers. After 14 years in the corporate world of manufacturing businesses, she started her own firm, Fulcrum ConsultingWorks, Inc, in 1990. Passionate about helping those working in manufacturing to recognize and reach their potential -- personally and that of the organization!