Resources for IT Managers
A 5S System is a low-cost system that is easy to put in place and has many benefits to your company or department. If you have thought of implementing a 5S System Spring is the perfect time. Everyone is used to “spring cleaning” so the mindset is already in place. Start by doing Gemba Walk [...]
Management by walking around, sometimes called management by wandering around is the western version of the Japanese Gemba walk. It is Genchi Genbutsu which means “go and see for yourself”. The place you go to is the Gemba, the place where it happens. In this case where the work happens. Read the article The Gemba [...]
Standardize and Sustain are the fourth and fifth steps in a 5S Office System. These last two steps are about keeping your 5S Office System running smoothly. To do this you must set up standards and reinforce the 5S Office System. After the first three articles A 5S Office System – Part 1 Planning, A [...]
You will face many challenges implementing and sustaining a 5S System. One of those is that a 5S System represents change. One way to make the change easy for employees it to use a slow and steady method if implementation. The first thing to remember is there is no cookie cutter solution when it comes [...]
A management technique known as “The Gemba Walk” is about getting managers and leadership out of their offices and into the workplace. An Information Technology department by nature is in a constant state of change. For this reason a Gemba walk is a good way for IT managers and leaders to stay in touch with [...]
There are many benefits to a 5S Office System. Saving time, saving money, increasing efficiency, increasing production and increasing morale are just some examples. In the first two articles A 5S Office System – Part 1 Planning and A 5S Office System – Part 2 Laying The Foundation, we looked at planning for and laying [...]
In the first article A 5S Office System – Part 1 Planning we looked at the planning and first meeting stages of implementing a 5S Office System. Now you will learn how to build on this to lay the foundation for your 5S Office System. First a word about overdoing it. The 5S system was [...]
5S System, lean office, and Kaizen are popular terms used to describe a system used to find and remove all forms of waste in the work environment. These Kaizen principles that are used on shop floors around the world to increase productivity and efficiency can also be applied to the office environment. A 5S Office [...]
The muda of overproduction is caused by producing more than is necessary or required. It is a terrible waste of resources and time. It puts needless wear on office machines, uses up more supplies than are needed and tasks employees to do work that is not needed. Remember muda is waste. It is anything that adds [...]
Muda is a Japanese word that means waste. It has deeper meaning in that it refers to any activity that does not add value. In IT and the office we have many processes for getting work done. Each of these processes are subject to muda. In tough economic times like these we need to look [...]