One question that comes up frequently is, "We don't have any time. How can I make this a quick, yet thorough, process?"
When there is no structured problem solving process, everytime a problem occurs the problem solver has to figure out what to do and how to communicate the solution (if they even really solved it). Each problem resolution is a work of art which may or may not be shared / leveraged. Yeuw, what a time suck!
To make the process faster, you need a structured standardized process that includes investigation, interim countermeasures, root cause analysis and permanent countermeasures and the actions that need to take place. This requires management re-enforcement to get folks to use any process, let alone a process where folks have previously had complete freedom. Problem Solving does not conform to a "Field of Dreams" (1989) scenario, where "If you build it, they will come." Its closer to, "If it is required by management then resistance is futile."
Once you get past the whining and moaning, the questions in the process begin to seep into corporate culture. So instead of being told that, "XXXX is broken," you'll hear, "This is what's actually happening and this is what should be happening." By stating the problem clearly, in a standard pattern, folks can get moving faster and it becomes easier (not to mention faster, but then I'd be overusing the word faster) to get others up to speed and focused on the problem at hand.
Is that fast enough for you?
Rufus Update
Rufus the office canine is getting his every six weeks or so beauty treatment. His eyes are almost hidden beneath his curly locks and he smells ever so slightly of swamp water / damp dog. His dreadlocks take a couple of days to dry completely, so he'll spend the rest of today under towels.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
I love Badger Mail
Ok, so we are working on the next release (always) and I have a new favorite feature -- Badger Mail, an email reminding me to do my part.
Badger Mail badgers problem owners and action owners every so often until they close the problem or action. Because people procrastinate differently, the badger mail sends reminders before its due, on the day its due, and then every X days after its due. The system administrator decides how frequently to pester folks about overdue actions. Too many reminders and you'll ignore them, too few and things may languish too long, but what is just right? Depends on the accepted company norms of behavior.
The reminder task runs overnight, so when you skulk into work in the morning, you'll have your badger mails reminding you what you need to do today.
Yup, I think I can hear you saying, "Oh, Goody!" Let the Badgering begin.....
Badger Mail badgers problem owners and action owners every so often until they close the problem or action. Because people procrastinate differently, the badger mail sends reminders before its due, on the day its due, and then every X days after its due. The system administrator decides how frequently to pester folks about overdue actions. Too many reminders and you'll ignore them, too few and things may languish too long, but what is just right? Depends on the accepted company norms of behavior.
The reminder task runs overnight, so when you skulk into work in the morning, you'll have your badger mails reminding you what you need to do today.
Yup, I think I can hear you saying, "Oh, Goody!" Let the Badgering begin.....
Friday, June 5, 2009
Solving small problems yields big benefits
Solving small problems is easier than solving big ones, Duh. Yet solving the 'big' problems tends to get more kudos. But in these tough times businesses have to improve the efficiencies of their systems to stay afloat.
One of my favorite restaurant chains, PF Changs, was the topic of an article in last week's Newsweek 'Try the beef and brocolli'. While I don't know if they use 8D, they have been seeking out issues that don't effect the food and making it more efficient. PHRED lives here. When companies solve many small problems, communication of the problem and solution becomes problematic. You can't just verbally tell folks. You need a consistent format and amethod to retain the learnings. Paper based system die after more than 5 people are involved (or there is flooding)
Blatant sales point --- PHRED provides the format and a database, so everything is worked on used a structured method and can be searched by anyone with access to it.
One of my favorite restaurant chains, PF Changs, was the topic of an article in last week's Newsweek 'Try the beef and brocolli'. While I don't know if they use 8D, they have been seeking out issues that don't effect the food and making it more efficient. PHRED lives here. When companies solve many small problems, communication of the problem and solution becomes problematic. You can't just verbally tell folks. You need a consistent format and amethod to retain the learnings. Paper based system die after more than 5 people are involved (or there is flooding)
Blatant sales point --- PHRED provides the format and a database, so everything is worked on used a structured method and can be searched by anyone with access to it.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Ho Ho Ho
My favorite TV Show Christmas line was / still is, "Ho, Ho, Homicide" (if you remember Homicide from the early 1990's), so this year when folks say "Merry Christmas" I answer back with "Ho, Ho, Ho" to reflect the cutbacks in Christmas shopping that everyone is doing this year. Personally, I always thought anyone who buried themselves in debt for their Christmas blowouts were a little wacko.
So what does this have to do with PHRED or 8D? Nothing. Just felt like sharing.
I'll share with you my favorite screen capture tool. Its called Snag It. For $49.95 you can capture regions and drop in arrows and text to explain what you are doing. http://www.techsmith.com/screen-capture.asp
Anyway, 2008 was a very good year for PHRED. We are all exhausted, but happy with what we accomplished this year.
Rufus Update
Rufus spends much of his business day, sitting in this chair so he can see out the window. He is a Portugese Water Dog and is quite famous in town because of his dreadlocks. Nick calls him a 'Rasta Dog' I prefer to think of him as Whoopi Goldberg with 4 legs.
Monday, December 1, 2008
8D and Food
Next week I will be out training at food company. Although I can't tell you who it is, I will say you can find their products in your grocer's freezer.
The cool thing is 8D works everywhere, even when its tweaked to fit the local culture. I dig learning about the unique problems of client's industries. Last month it involved steel; next week pepperoni. Both are equally interesting to me, the latter just tastes better. Its too cold here for me to lick steel.
Totally Unrelated
We finally got a big dumper. (Dude-speak for 1.5 feet of snow) Next weekend, gravity based sports!!!
The cool thing is 8D works everywhere, even when its tweaked to fit the local culture. I dig learning about the unique problems of client's industries. Last month it involved steel; next week pepperoni. Both are equally interesting to me, the latter just tastes better. Its too cold here for me to lick steel.
Totally Unrelated
We finally got a big dumper. (Dude-speak for 1.5 feet of snow) Next weekend, gravity based sports!!!
Monday, November 17, 2008
No economic slow down here
Business’ have finally discovered that problem solving is a business process; same as accounting and production. For ages folks have treated problem solving as an art form, to be practiced only by a gifted / talented few which, while providing the experts with job security, could only address a small number of problems at any one time.
This is a waste of everyone else in a given company. Now people have their regular job to do, but every job can be improved. Personally, every job I have even done has something that bugs me about it. Usually it is an inefficiency built into a process that seems stupid ((to me at least). Given a problem solving structure to investigate a process, anyone can present their perspective of a problem and improve their job.
The trick is to address it in a structured way, not going off into fantasyland (although Disney’s Fantasyland does have some fun rides). It’s all about focus and methodically investigating the what, where and when of a problem and once you have stated the problem fully, investigating possible / probable causes until a root cause can be addressed which prevents recurrence of the problem.
Notice I didn’t say implement a solution or countermeasure. Most folks are dying to change the system, but that’s a waste of effort unless it addresses the root cause. The problem will come back or morph into another form if you don’t hit the root cause. Slow down and figure out the ‘why its happening’ (root cause) before doing anything!!!
This is not easy. Americans love this ready, shoot, aim approach. Experts are rewarded for ‘saving the day’. This is really just taking a guess as to what will fix the problem at hand. Sometimes guesses work. Most of the time, when the guess doesn’t solve it, they move on to another guess. Well 42 guesses later, the problem usually still exists.
Its hard really defining the problem when someone comes to you breathlessly saying, “We have a problem.” Exhaling then gathering a full problem description will yield a much better solution, than saying (equally breathless), “Try this.”
Rufus Update
Rufus, PHRED Solutions official Office Dog, is digging that winter is back. He’s got a thick coat of dreadlocks and he’s finally cool. He was stylishly cool before, but thermometer-wise he was hot, hot, hot.
He loves when visitors come by. Immediately, he needs to lean against new people and twist his head up at you as if to say, ‘love me, scratch my neck please.’ Schedule an appointment for a Rufus lean today.
This is a waste of everyone else in a given company. Now people have their regular job to do, but every job can be improved. Personally, every job I have even done has something that bugs me about it. Usually it is an inefficiency built into a process that seems stupid ((to me at least). Given a problem solving structure to investigate a process, anyone can present their perspective of a problem and improve their job.
The trick is to address it in a structured way, not going off into fantasyland (although Disney’s Fantasyland does have some fun rides). It’s all about focus and methodically investigating the what, where and when of a problem and once you have stated the problem fully, investigating possible / probable causes until a root cause can be addressed which prevents recurrence of the problem.
Notice I didn’t say implement a solution or countermeasure. Most folks are dying to change the system, but that’s a waste of effort unless it addresses the root cause. The problem will come back or morph into another form if you don’t hit the root cause. Slow down and figure out the ‘why its happening’ (root cause) before doing anything!!!
This is not easy. Americans love this ready, shoot, aim approach. Experts are rewarded for ‘saving the day’. This is really just taking a guess as to what will fix the problem at hand. Sometimes guesses work. Most of the time, when the guess doesn’t solve it, they move on to another guess. Well 42 guesses later, the problem usually still exists.
Its hard really defining the problem when someone comes to you breathlessly saying, “We have a problem.” Exhaling then gathering a full problem description will yield a much better solution, than saying (equally breathless), “Try this.”
Rufus Update
Rufus, PHRED Solutions official Office Dog, is digging that winter is back. He’s got a thick coat of dreadlocks and he’s finally cool. He was stylishly cool before, but thermometer-wise he was hot, hot, hot.
He loves when visitors come by. Immediately, he needs to lean against new people and twist his head up at you as if to say, ‘love me, scratch my neck please.’ Schedule an appointment for a Rufus lean today.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Articles
Nick Rennie, the inhabitant of the next desk over, had an article published on Capturing the Outsourcing Advantage.
It is in BONEZone® - Strategic Sourcing for the Orthopaedic Industry, VOL 7 NUM 3: FALL 2008. It applies to all industries, not just the Orthopaedic Industry, since almost anything can be outsourced including parts for artifical hips.
Problem Solving in outsourcing situations can become even more difficult, so it is important to have a business process that is up to the challenges.
It is in BONEZone® - Strategic Sourcing for the Orthopaedic Industry, VOL 7 NUM 3: FALL 2008. It applies to all industries, not just the Orthopaedic Industry, since almost anything can be outsourced including parts for artifical hips.
Problem Solving in outsourcing situations can become even more difficult, so it is important to have a business process that is up to the challenges.
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