The effect of economies of scale is well-established and important for businesses. It is the principle behind the “learning curve effect” and the strategic value of gaining market share.
Gauthier Duval
Recent posts by Gauthier Duval
7 min read
How To Perform Root Cause Analysis With the “Five Times Why” Method
In an earlier blog post, we said that defect prevention depended on understanding the root cause(s). Because this is such an important part of the problem-solving process, let’s explore it further.
6 min read
How to Build Quality into Your Process
Quality is a valid concern whether you’re using on-demand labor or not
Having on-demand labor at your fingertips is a great competitive advantage, but many businesses have questions about how bringing in new operators might affect quality.
Topics: Lean Poka Yoke Error-Proofing
3 min read
Don't Call Yourself Lean If You Don't Use On-Demand Labor
The current lean paradigm is about to drastically change, leading to an expansion of just-in-time. While leveling is a part of any lean production system, we need to see it for what it is: a countermeasure to rigidities that ends up being anti-lean. The gist of this article is that we now have a better solution.
Topics: Lean Methodology Lean Heijunka just-in-time
10 min read
Do People Really Hate Their Job? (And Can You Change That?)
There is a lot of talk about how difficult it is for businesses to find and keep workers. Whether you call it “The Great Resignation” or another term, something is clearly happening. The sixty-four-thousand-dollar question is, “What’s driving this?”.
Topics: Workforce Innovation
4 min read
How to Reduce Transactional Complexity with Lean
Have you ever wondered where all the overhead in your business is coming from? Transaction costs might be to blame, but luckily there are things you can do to minimize these. Lean methodology holds the keys to reducing the most readily addressable issues affecting transaction costs in your business.
4 min read
Additional Capacity vs Additional Inventory: Which is a Better Solution?
You’ll sometimes hear inventory referred to as “crystallized capacity,” the idea being that when you have limited capacity, building inventory is a solution that helps you meet customer demand. The typical example is a seasonal business, like a manufacturer of skiing equipment.
Topics: Lean Methodology Operational Excellence
6 min read
Is Piecework a Lean Tool?
While piecework is not as common as it used to be, perhaps you’re wondering if it would work in your business. For Lean practitioners especially, it’s important to consider how this would impact the culture of your workplace. Will workers still function as teams? Will productivity change?
7 min read
Value Stream Mapping: Trap or Treasure?
Value stream mapping seems like a cryptic artificial constraint to the outsider, but it can actually be a powerful tool for your business. If you get past seeing this as a documentation exercise and explore the possibilities it exposes for operational improvements, you’ll see how a value stream map is worth your time.
Topics: Lean Methodology
5 min read
The Six Ideals of the Toyota Production System
Many people know about the two pillars of the Toyota Production System (TPS): just-in-time and jidoka, and they probably know the two principles of TPS – continuous improvement and respect for people.
