[AT] Big Truck Pickups

[Stephen Offiler]

I agree that Lean principles are most naturally applied to production type
environments.  But a good "Lean thinker" can apply tools such as the Five
S's and the Seven Wastes to pretty much anything, including non-repetitive
administrative tasks.

SO

On Mon, Dec 2, 2019 at 7:42 AM Mark Johnson <markjohnson100 at centurylink.net>
wrote:

> I should be more fair...the application of Lean did not cause the
> financial difficulties - those are endemic to the company and have been for
> a couple of decades - but the organization has not, in my view, benefited
> significantly from their use. There is still (I left their employ about 15
> months ago) a severe tendency toward administrative bloat and
> decision-making that takes place at entirely too high a level. The local
> site manager here doesn't even have the authority to close the office when
> the weather is impossible (e.g., a 12-15 inch snow, which happened twice
> while I worked there).
>
> Personally, I found the Lean principles to be viable but the company is
> one of those "Lean in Name Only" users. I do question the use of Lean in
> the delivery of IT services because they aren't a production line.  Each
> customer's services are unique in many ways, and it seems really difficult
> to create a standard service catalog.
>
> Mark J
> On 12/1/2019 9:05 AM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
>
> Hold on a second there Mark.  Since I've already stated my position as a
> proponent of Lean/TPS, I should probably play devil's advocate here.  You
> imply the application of TPS has caused financial difficulties.  I suspect
> the reality is the financial difficulties came first, TPS was perhaps one
> of many tools employed to turn the barge around, and we have no way of
> knowing whether the decline might have been even worse had they not tried
> TPS.
>
> SO
>
> On Sun, Dec 1, 2019 at 8:30 AM Mark Johnson <
> markjohnson100 at centurylink.net> wrote:
>
>> A former employer (3-letter IT company with a 100+ year history,
>> otherwise to remain nameless) has been trying to apply TPS to information
>> technology services. Its NYSE stock price should tell you how successful
>> they have been...
>>
>> Mark J
>>
>> Columbia, MO
>> On 11/30/2019 7:27 AM, Stephen Offiler wrote:
>>
>> Absolutely. The Toyota Production System (TPS) is studied around the
>> world and applied in every imaginable industry as "Lean Manufacturing" and
>> in service industries like hospitals as simply "Lean".
>>
>> I have a couple decades of experience with Lean Mfg. and I would count
>> myself as a proponent although I've also seen some of the Achilles' Heels.
>> It is a very collaborative system at its core, and won't work well unless
>> the entire workforce is engaged.  In short what I'm saying is that I cannot
>> imagine a UAW shop embracing Lean.
>>
>> On Sat, Nov 30, 2019 at 7:42 AM James Peck <jamesgpeck at hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Toyota does a really good job at controlling the manufacturing process.
>>> Not so good at the attractive design process.  Toyota refused an offer to
>>> take GM for free in the 2008 GM bankruptcy. That was an extremely wise
>>> decision. Everything necessary to make GM work well would have been
>>> politically unpopular.
>>>
>>> Remember, Toyota can manufacture cars and trucks in the US using
>>> Americans and make money. There may be more.
>>>
>>> Steve Offiler AT List member Mechanical Engineer (soffiler at gmail.com);
>>> So which automotive companies in your estimation are not run by cabbage
>>> heads?
>>>
>>> James AT List Member (jamesgpeck at hotmail.com); They have cabbage heads
>>> running Ford as well. The recent Ranger is far less attractive than the one
>>> that preceded it.
>>>
>>> Steve Offiler AT List member Mechanical Engineer (soffiler at gmail.com);
>>> <snip> I've paid so little attention to the return of the Ranger that I
>>> barely could tell you it exists.  <snip>
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>>>
>>
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