Lean For Everyone

Lean for Home: Creating an emergency checklist for when the power goes out.

S**t happens and thinking on the fly is a great skill, but a checklist can remove the factor of chance and decrease your stress level at the same time.

No power = No sump = water damage in basement = waste

We have at least one power outage a year at my house and while I'm scrambling to plug in the refrigerator I might forget about the sump pump in the basement.  

Water damage can range from just drying the carpeting to having insurance adjusters tell me that my comic book collection isn't worth as much as I think.

I created a checklist and short SOP to simplify my emergencies.

A simple list of what to do for power outages makes it easier for me to make decisions.

It also turns an emergency into standard work so  my wife K. will have a reference document if I'm not around.

Some of the items on my list.

1. Check/add fuel to tank (mix if necessary)
2. Open fuel valve on generator
3. Start generator
4. Plug in power strip
5. Run 1st 50 ft cord from power strip to sump pump
6. After running sump, disconnect cord and run to back office
7. Connect to power strip
8. Plug modem, Wi-Fi, phone, computer and monitors into power strip
9. Run 2nd 50 ft cord from power strip to refrigerator 

Running notes from previous outages:

• Mix ratio: 3.0 oz of 2 cycle oil to 1 gallon of gas
• 1 gallon of gas = 7 hours of generator time
• You can't run the sump pump at the same time as anything else
• Run the sump every 7 hours (it takes about 15 minutes to empty the water and will then turn off)
• The refrigerator keeps cold for about 22 hours after the power is cut.
• Modem, Wi-Fi, phones, refrigerator, computer & both monitors can all  run at the same time and not blow the generator fuse
• Disconnect the refrigerator if you're going to use the coffee maker
• The generator produces 10 amps
• The ideal configuration has 2 - 50ft extension cords and 2 power strips

 

The power went out at my brothers and I quickly mobilized.

I was able to put this checklist into action a few days ago when the power went out at my brothers while he was out of town.  The checklist made sure that I didn't forget anything before my 40 minute drive to his place.

It was a complete success.  I had power running to his sump within 10 minutes of arriving at the house and there was zero stress involved.

I still did some thinking on the fly  which is why I arrived with a fan, a cooler of beer and a lean pizza from Little Ceasars.  I knew it was going to be a long night and I wanted to be prepared!

Lean Biotech: Using the "pivot" to redefine your direction.

Being able to change your vision based on experimental results is essential to the success of any small biotech.

 

Using the pivot in biotech.

The lean startup involves "the pivot".  The idea being that you should change your vision or "pivot" it based on new data. 

Every hear of Sildenafil citrate?  This was a drug being tested to reduce hypertension and ischemic heart disease. 

It didn't work.  It did however have an unexpected side effect and the compound later became known as VIAGRA. 

The pivot is about staying grounded while deciding on a new direction.

Scientists continually move into the unknown using trial and error however there has to be a starting point before each experiment can begin.  This is the pivot point.

Experiments should be used to confirm a hypothesis or direction.  If the experimental data does not support the hypothesis...step back...pivot...and reshape your hypothesis using the new data set.

A "leap of logic" can produce an unstable pivot point.

I've seen several times where scientists are pivoting from a bad position.  The data that led them to their current state is either flawed or assumptions were made that caused a "leap of logic" to occur. 

I once saw 3 months of work tossed out because early in the experimental process the researcher made an unfounded assumption. In biotech a waste of time is more costly than the monies spent.

With proper planning and solid experimental data, the use of the pivot can have a huge impact.

Think about how different our lives would be, and Pfizer's revenue stream, if that pivot would have never happened.

VOC - Burnt potato chips: A defect finally becomes a product of its own!

Better Made created "Rainbow Chips" in response to customers enjoying the flavor of burnt potato chips.

Back in the 1950's my parents lived across from the Better Made factory on Gratiot Ave. in Detroit, MI. 

Occasionally they would watch through the front window as the chips came down the conveyor belt and eye the workers removing the burnt chips off the line.

My father recalls them being put into bags marked "Rainbow" and being given away to the kids watching from the outside.

Who knew that these kids would grow up to be the Voice of the Customer and help launch a new item.

 

A burnt chip is considered a defect and was almost eliminated from the process.

Burnt chips were created by inconsistencies in the heating oil, and high sugar content in the potatoes.

By improving the processing of the chips and changing the sugar content of potatoes being grown, these defects became fewer and fewer.

Instead of just giving them away as a defect why not try to market it?

While most companies would just get rid of these defective chips Better Made saw an opportunity to change a process waste into a revenue generating item. 

Demand was greater than the defect rate so they created a process to mass produce them.

The demand for the product outstripped the supply so Better Made worked with farmers to create a spud that would continuously yield a dark potato chip with the right burnt flavor.

Ironically a lightly golden potato chip would probably now be considered a defect for this product.

I spoke to my dad about the chips earlier today.  He said it was like getting french fries from Burger King and accidentally finding an onion ring.  An unexpected but pleasant find.  Maybe BK should take a few pointers from the VOC.  There is even a Facebook page dedicated to french fries/onion rings at BK.

My razor has 5 blades..rework, overprocessing or just plain silly.

I was shaving this morning and wondered why a 5 blade razor even needs to exist. Here are the top 6 questions that came to my mind.

1. Are there five blades because they can't make one that does the job correctly?
2. Do I increase my chances to bleed by 5 times?
3. Isn't there a greater labor and materials cost to have five of them as opposed to one?
4. Is there an infinite number of blades that can be used to make this a better product?
5. Does this mean that the single, double or triple blade systems do a poor job at shaving hair?
6. Was the four blade razor never created because someone said "Hey that's a stupid idea ...but five blades...well...five blades just makes good business sense"

Below are some of the parody sketches that came out about the every increasing number of blades.  I hope you enjoy and also realize how non-lean this product model is.

 

 

I got a new perspective on "change" when the power went out in my house.

A storm knocked the power out for 48 hours in my neighborhood and I had to change how I did things.  This was not as easy as I thought it would be.

Just because I knew the power was out does not mean I didn't turn on the light switch.

During the first 24 hours I was still flipping light switches, putting things in the microwave and I even tried to run the garbage disposal once.

After doing these things for 30 + years it was more instinct or standard work than anything else. 

I even plugged my cell phone in to charge it overnight and wondered the following day when the battery was dying .."I just charged this thing...why is it....ohh...I'm an idiot"

During the 24 - 48 hour mark I was flipping fewer switches and had gotten into the new routine of "electrical musical chairs".

I only had a 10 amp generator so if I made coffee,  I couldn't run the refrigerator but I could keep the internet and the computer operational.

The sump pump need all the amps every 7 hours to keep the basement from flooding so I had to shut down everything just to run that. 

We also made toast over the gas stove and everyone carried a flashlight in case the generator stopped.

I was happy when the power came back on but my brain had to switch back again to the old way of doing things.

A few times I found myself in the basement pantry looking for some food with the flashlight until I realized that I could just flip on the light.

Change is not instantaneous.

Implementing any change to a standard operating system takes time.  I wasn't reluctant to change however it took time for my brain to think about doing things the "new way".

Managers take note:

Transitions are difficult no matter who you are or what your position is in a company.  Don't believe me...go down to your fuse box and kill the power to your house.  You will understand within 48 hours.

"We can't use Lean in biotech, it will stifle our creativity." WRONG!!

By employing lean philosophy scientists can unburden their minds from repetitive tasks so that spontaneous creative thinking and continuous improvement can occur.

A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) exists so you don't have to think about how to do it.

SOP's are not just written to make experiments reproducible. They also allow your mind to work on other tasks simultaneously.

Have you ever driven your car to work but don't actually remember the drive?  That's because it's the same thing every time.  Standard Work!!

 

If you have an SOP you can share the burden of work with others and maybe discover something new.

I'm not saying you shouldn't do any of the work,  but having others assisting can bring new ideas into the mix and spur creative thinking.

These new ideas will allow continuous improvements to be made to the SOP.  In lean it's called "kaizen" = good change.

BTW: You need a quick and efficient system for updating your SOP's.

In many instances the SOP's don't reflect the actual work going on. The most common reason given is that it takes too long to get approvals for new SOP's so people just implemented the changes.

An even worse scenario is where people have great ideas for changing the SOP but don't because it's too difficult.  This is an example of where creativity is lost because of a bad process and not because of repetitive work.

 

It's hard to schedule creative thinking from 9:30 a.m to 10:30 a.m. on your calendar and expect to have an epiphany.  Great ideas just happen but they only happen if your brain has some down time. 

Book Review: Chief Culture Officer - How to Create a Living, Breathing Corporation by Grant McCracken

The Voice of the Customer (VOC) is the Voice of Culture.  Maybe it's time to create the position of Chief Cultural Officer (CCO).   McCracken talks about innovation and change within our culture and what it would take to be the CCO of any company.

 
McCraken makes the CCO sound like the ideal Jeopardy contestant with exceptional social skills.

This position requires someone who is continually learning about the new changes in our society while being aware of cultural history as well.

The CCO would have recognized the power of social media sites like Twitter and Facebook long before the majority of the public did.

He/she needs to be able to lead people into change, get them to buy-in and then make things happen

"The CCO needs to act like an innovation agent inside the corporation." 

  

 "In good groups, bad ideas go away by themselves"

Brainstorming, branding, design and planning are covered in a How-to section that had several real life examples.

Many of these had a "kaizen feel" to them that I could relate to very well.  He tells a story about one companies unique use of candy as deterrent.

I didn't necessarily agree with pelting people with M&M's during brainstorming sessions but I understood why.

This book is a must read for every C-suite executive and entrepreneur

People purchase and think more with their emotions than with data.  Understanding cultural and identifying the needs and wants of your customers is crucial to any companies success. 

If the VOC is given little attention then the company will eventually be surpassed by a competitor.  Do any of you still have a My Space account?

When I grow-up I want to be a Chief Culture Officer.  As much as I love my SIPOC's, PDCA's and SMART Goals...trying to understand how we as a culture move from "The Andy Griffith Show" to "Family Guy" sounds like a lot more fun.

How young biotech companies can take advantage of the lean philosophy

How quickly a biotech company can: do experiments, analyze results and make decisions is directly related to how quickly it will burn through its cash reserves and close its doors.

A small biotech company can burn through $200 million in cash very quickly.

In 2002 I was really impressed with some scientists I met from a startup called Avalon. 

In 2005 Avalon Pharmaceuticals raised over $250 million during their IPO.  This company had the cash and the talent to make big things happen.

In May of 2009 Avalon was sold to Clinical Data Inc for $10 million. 

Things happen quickly in biotech so maybe the process by which they operate should be as agile.

The experimental process has an over abundance of waiting and in the biotech world "Time" is your biggest cost. 

I'm not talking about the hourly cost of the FTE but the cost of coming in 2nd place.  The drug that gets to market first gets the patent and the lions share of the profits.

I've even known researchers who were days away from locating a cancer causing gene when their competition called a press conference to announce that they had isolated it.

Re-work should be considered a sin because its cost is way too high.

Too often the R&D freezer is piled with partially completed experiments.  How much "Time" was wasted on the experiments that were never completed? 

The cost of biotech reagents is huge.  I used to run an experiment every day that was equivalent to the cost of my annual salary.  Being aware of this fact made me take my job more seriously. Your staff should know the cost of all of their reagents so they understand the cost of wasted effort.

Scientists need to do more planning of their experiments.  Planning should be a team oriented approach with a specific goal in mind.

With the proper use of PDCA and the implementation of long term SMART Goals scientists will move consistently in the correct direction.

Having a team approach gives empowerment to its members and keeps everyone informed.  A small biotech company can lose its direction quickly so keeping everyone focused is a top priority.

Lean fits in exceptionally well in the biotechnology industry.  Those companies that embrace it will lead the discovery process, increase their worth and either have successfull IPO's or be prime acquisition targets.

VOC - How green does my lawn have to be if you're driving at 45 mph?

Over processing is a big waste and too often we lose sight of who the customer is and what they really need. 

I grew up on 14 Mile Rd in Warren, MI, (a 5 lane street with a 45 mph speed limit) and our lawn always looked nice when you drove past.

If you parked in the driveway you would notice that it was composed of 50% weeds and 50%....other weeds, but they were "green weeds" and that's all that mattered to my dad.

My father knew who his "customer was"

At church people would tell my mother what a beautiful front yard we had and how green it was.  She would say "it's full of weeds".  The response was always..."well you can't tell."

This was dad's customer, the people driving past the house at such high speeds the difference between green weeds and green grass was imperceptible.

Over processing happens when you don't know the VOC (Voice of the Customer)

My dad could have spent $1000's of dollars in yard upkeep, chemical treatments and landscaping to make the front yard beautiful...but few people would have ever noticed. 

Companies make this same mistake time and time again.  Work without the benefit of the VOC has just as much chance of being a "value added" benefit to the customer as it does being a wasteful expenditure of effort and cost to the company.

The VOC can change and your processing should change with it.

2 years before he put the house up for sale he started paying for lawn treatments.  His customer was going to be people now parked in the driveway looking at the house in detail.  A change in the VOC warranted the extra cost for a beautiful yard.

Even today I use this test when I'm getting ready to purchase an item or fix something in my own house.  I use it in training exercises for companies and when looking at helping other people improve their processes. 

Unfortunately for me I live in a subdivision on a 15 mph street so my grass has to look a little nicer than my dad's.

Process Improvement: Red is not necessarily bad and Green is not always good.

Indicators are great for knowing if you process is running smoothly but what if you are trying to "improve" your process.  What do the indicators mean then?

Red, error, defect, problem, customer complaint.  These all translate as "areas that could use improvement"

I love the Red! Where else does a process actually tell you "I need to improve."  'Please come over and help me."

Think of the red as a squeaky wheel.  Yes there's a problem, yes it needs to be fixed.  The difficulty is deciding which issue to prioritize first.

Green  just means you are within specifications, it doesn't mean that your "specs" are very good.

If I'm out jogging and I set my pace at 1 mph I know I'll be able to keep up with it.  That does not mean I'm going to get anywhere very quickly.

Too often companies set a specification or pace to operate at.  The quality control department notices that everything is in the green so there are no apparent issues.

The: "If it's not broke don't fix it attitude" sets in and no improvements are made.  The Green keeps everything at "status quo".

The greatest gains can come from working on a Green process

Just because something is running correctly does not mean it's the best way to do it.  I've seen the greatest gains from taking a perfectly stable system and improving it so it operates with less effort and at a lower cost.  NOTE * to have a stable system you may need to address some of your Red items first.

 

Understanding what Red and Green mean is about understanding your system in relation to your goals and priorities.  Sometimes working on improving a Green process can be just as important as working on a Red issue depending on what the cost/benefit is to your company.