Getting Hosed by Lean?
Now that I have your attention, let me explain.
A couple of weeks ago I taught a two-day introduction to Lean Six Sigma at one of our hubs. It brought me back to the confusion participants experience when they entertain the topic of process lead time versus process throughput. Many participants struggle to discern the difference. Definitions and illustrations on slides, simple exercises using basic calculations can sometimes be difficult at best.
My favorite approach to bringing these concepts to life is a simple story that everyone has experienced at one time or another. It involves spending time in the yard on any given summer day. One day in particular, I was cutting the grass in my front yard. You guys know the drill - cut those diagonal lines in the grass "just so" in the event "House & Garden" photographers happen to pass by.
Not withstanding, those summer days in Indiana can be brutal. Water breaks can animate "Little's Law" - I would walk to the garden hose attached to the spigot on the house and squeeze the nozzle for some cold water. But we all know a garden hose laying in the sun during a 95 degree day has no cold water in it. In fact, I have to wait until all of the warm water exits the hose before the cold water finally reaches the nozzle and my face. Eureka. That's easy.
With this in mind, I crafted my "Little's Law" story using a garden hose.
Lead Time - the amount of time it takes for the cold water traveling from the spigot until it reaches the nozzle.
Throughput - the amount of water that exits the hose during a set period of time. The throughput is regulated by the diameter of the hose or smallest pinch point on the hose. Click the short video below.
Of course, these definitions are just the start of describing basic process dynamics. But it does build a foundation that I found most useful for participants to understand rather quickly. I then ask my participants how they could shorten the time to get water out of the metaphorical hose. The following topics start the discussion of how lean can ....
Shorten the hose - redesign process to reduce WIP and improve flow.
Increase diameter of the hose - redesign process to have capacity to deliver output at desired rate.
Both 1 and 2.
In summary, lean fundamentals require a basic construct around process dynamics or an easy-to-understand description around the physics of how processes work. The garden hose analogy can always be refreshed while adding more complex progressions to advanced lean topics. They work very well but only in the context of the lean fundamentals. If one doesn't prefer the garden hose analogy, a similar story or example that participants can latch onto always keeps folks connected. And more importantly, make it easy to understand and learn.
If you enjoyed this article, click the like button and share with your network. If you would more information about this topic or related initiatives contact us at succeed@cikata.com. Don’t forget to click on our social links for the latest.