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(+)+(+) S.M.I.L.E(sm)
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(+)+(+) Setup Minimization Improves Line Efficiency
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) The Quick Changeover e-letter
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Published monthly by Changeover.com
(+)+(+)
(+)+(+) Written by John R Henry, CPP
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### JANUARY 2004
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I am seeing all the snow and ice in the northern US at the moment and
thinking Brrrr....

Sounds like a good time to come to Puerto Rico to attend InterPhex on
January 29 & 30. Lots of good vendor exhibitions and conferences. I will be
speaking on changeover and there are still seats available. For more info
visit www.interphexpuertorico.com

I am also participating from January 19 to February 6 in an online
conference presented by Industry IDS. For more information and
registration, please visit www.idspackaging.com


SOME THOUGHTS ON...
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW?

This is not a trick question as I hope will become apparent. The human
brain is like a sponge. As we go through life we are exposed to knowledge,
ideas, data, facts, observations and more. The expression that this
information often "goes in one ear and out the other" is far from the
truth. It goes in one ear and stays there. Think about the times you have
been watching "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" "Jeopardy" or another quiz
show on the TV and question is "What is the capital of Kazakhstan. Suddenly
you realize you not only know the answer but that your answer is actually
correct. What has happened is that somewhere along the way you have been
exposed to this fact and, once exposed, it remains in your brain. If
someone came up to you on the street and asked you the same question, you
might have no idea. Yet something in this instance has triggered it to the
forefront of your thinking.

The problem then is not the storage of information in your brain but the
ability to find and recall the information.

I have taught MBA classes in various management subjects for the past 20
years. Luckily, I teach in a night school which means that most of my
students have jobs and experience in the real world. A number have had
advanced degrees in other disciplines such as medicine, engineering,
communications etc. The typical student comes to class expecting the
professor to teach them whatever the syllabus calls for as opposed to
coming to learn. I found that my students, as a group, generally knew about
75-80% of whatever the subject was. The problem was that in many cases they
did not realize that they knew it. My job as a teacher became less a
teaching task and more a task of making them aware of what they knew. I did
this by heavy reliance on case studies, simulations, student presentations
and class discussion, among other techniques.

In your plant, you probably face a similar situation. You will have
centuries, perhaps even millennia, of experience (depending on the number
of employees). More importantly, you will have the knowledge that this
experience encompasses. The problem then is how to get the benefit of this
knowledge.

In some cases, it is as simple as asking. In my workshops I require each
attendee to come up with at least one improvement idea that can be applied
in their plant. Typically, for a group of 15 people, I will get 30-40
ideas, most of them good. Management is sometimes surprised by this. The
problem is not that I am somehow imparting genius, it is simply that nobody
has ever asked them before.

There may be other issues as well. Management may have asked but then not
paid any attention to the answers. This is not to say that all ideas have
to be accepted or implemented. It is to say that they must be listened to
with respect and seriousness. If they are unworkable, for whatever reason,
the employee should be told why. If they are implemented, or, as often
happens, one idea triggers another which is then implemented, credit and
recognition must be given as appropriate. In fact, even when not
implemented, credit and recognition must be given simply for the fact that
they are thinking.

Deming in the 8th of his 14 Points, says "Drive out fear." This is often
much harder to do than it sounds. Where fear exists, it will not be removed
in a day. Fear comes largely from a lack of trust and trust is something
that can only be established by demonstrating a worthiness for it over
time. Fear affects the open exchange of ideas in several ways:

Employees may be afraid that productivity improvements may endanger their,
or their fellow workers, jobs. It is unlikely that anyone will ever make a
suggestion that they perceive will cost them money or job security. It is
important to explain to employees that productivity improvement is the best
guarantee of keeping their jobs. It is only by making a profit that the
company will be able to stay in business as well as expand and provide even
more opportunities for employment.

Employees may fear ridicule if they submit an idea that, for whatever
reason, is unworkable. Nobody likes being laughed at. Nobody likes the
feeling that someone may be making fun of them behind their backs either.
All ideas, good or bad, feasible or not, must be taken seriously and
addressed seriously.

Employees may feel that their idea is too small to make a difference. It is
important to impress that no idea is too small. Most improvement ideas, in
any moderately well run organization will be relatively small since the big
ones will have already been thought of and implemented. (At least we hope
that is the case!)

Employees may feel afraid that if they submit an idea which is then
implemented and fails, they will suffer negative consequences. While this
is natural enough, it cannot be permitted. Imagine if Babe Ruth had been
castigated every time he struck out? While he did strike out more than any
other major league player over the course of his career, he also set a
record for home runs that stood for 50 years or so. Reward failure. To
paraphrase the poet, It is better to have tried and failed than never to
have tried at all.

Management is not exempt from fear either. They may feel that it is their
job to come up with productivity improvements. If employees come up with
the ideas, why is the manager needed? Managers perceive employees as
gaining too much power if their ideas are solicited and accepted. It must
be a partnership and each side must trust the other.
The two keys to finding out what you know (as an organization) are thus:

Ask (perhaps the most overlooked step)

Promote an atmosphere where people are not afraid to propose improvements.

This sounds pretty basic and it is. It is also far too commonly overlooked.

TIP OF THE MONTH...
TIGER STOP

Not long ago I wrote an essay here about where ideas come from. Well,
here's another place. Last night I was watching Outside the Box on CNBC.
This is an interesting program about unusual businesses. One of the
businesses profiled was a company called Tiger Stop.

The founder was a cabinetmaker who had felt that there had to be an easier
way to measure and cut pieces for his various projects. He developed a
digital stop that can be mounted to any machine. It consists of a keypad
control and a stop mounted on an electrically driven slide. To cut a piece
18-5/8" long, the operator simply enters the number on the keypad and the
stop automatically moves to the correct position. The operator places the
piece to be cut against the stop and cuts.

This system will work for any operation that requires linear measurements
but can probably be adapted to other applications as well.

For more info, visit their website at www.tigerstop.com

Best,

John R Henry