The basis of the Toyota Production System is....

  Nobody can say it better than the master himself Mr. Taiichi Ohno.  Learning to see waste is the first critical step along your personal journey, but sooner or later seeing waste will not be enough.  Once you have learned to see waste the next step is moving towards "elimination."    
  We were excited to see that many of you took advantage of our November Sale for the Lean Six Sigma White Belt and 5S Course.  While continued training is one way of developing your skills another important element that goes hand and hand with continued education is "experience." ​​While it's not always easy to go and do a Kaizen Blitz​ in our home we can identify forms of waste in our everyday life.  
  Let's take for example " The missing kiss."  Every morning before I head out into the world my children, wife and I gather around a board near our front door.  We take a few moments to catch up on things we've been doing and find ways to support each other in accomplishing our goals.  Along with our brief huddle every morning I stumble off right when the huddle breaks and grab my shoes for the day.  About 50% of the time this results in me not getting a big hug from my daughters and a kiss from my beautiful wife.  Why? I've built waste into my morning routine.  Transportation, moving from the door to my bedroom on the other side of the house, Over Processing,  going from one side back to the other and back again and of course unused skills and talents by not taking advantage of my families brilliant mind for solutions.  So how does lean apply to this "everyday" situation?  Well, if you are anything like me you love spending time with your family.
  One day while working on a project at my desk a thought came to my mind.  I pulled out an old design layout I had in my drawer of the home and upon further review realized that jackets, shoes and backpacks could be placed in a closet near the door.  We began by conducting a 5S​ of the closet together.   Upon completion there was more than enough room for our shoes.  While the story might sound silly it gets sillier, don't worry.  Not a moment later my little seven year old STEM cell winner decided to chart the flow of the morning routine.  
  Folks I want you to know that it has been well over a month now and every morning I get a hug and a kiss before we all head out, how?  By eliminating waste.  ​​​​​​​​​So what's the point?  
​ While it might not be a hug and a kiss in the morning for all of us, it could be walking across the hall to pick up a sheet of paper you printed, maybe it's sifting through the closet to find supplies you need or excessive waiting when you really don't have the time.  The point is, waste is everywhere and all around, by first learning to see and then learning to act you will find that not only will your job or career advance as you eliminate waste but you may just find that there was much more time, resources and energy to do the things you love.
  Remember there are always FREE wonderful resources available on The Lean Six Sigma Glossary​ and in our blog Listen to the Gemba​ so please take advantage.  ​​  
​  Let's keep transforming the world through the "complete and total elimination of waste" and continue sharing with one another.  If you happened to come across some waste in your day today, don't forget to share your story in the comments section.  Have a fantastic day everyone and until next time, keep on improving and we will keep on giving you solutions that ignite your power!