WK 1 – 03 DISCUSSION “People vs. Tools”

[Mike Hincks]

On page 15 of Lean For Dummies, it states, “Lean is just as much about the people as the tools.” Why do people form such a crucial part of effective, lasting improvement?

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Thanks!

[Ryan]

Someone has to control the machines.  ;)
Seriously, consumers/customers are people so it would only make sense that at least part of a company use people to interact with customer/consumer people. Also, in an effort to constantly improve, people are needed to bring the different paradigms and subsequently different ideas.

[estolberg]

If an organization has a rapid cycle of employees coming and going, a large focus is on getting those people up and running first, with a latter emphasis on perfection. By respecting, stimulating, celebrating, and valuing employees, organizations are more likely to maintain a steady workforce, allowing them to move past basics and empowering employees to work on eliminating waste and maximizing customer value, thus furthering the organization's improvement effort.

[David Healey]

In this case, the people are the tools.  The tools that make up Lean begin and end with those involved with it.  The brainstorming, identifying, changing, growing, testing, and implementing are subject to the minds of those involved.  Just as a hammer is useless without the knowledge and ability to use it, so are the tools of Lean.

[bmiller]

People are why we do any of this.  We supply a product and a service for other people, which can only be started by people.   Why are people so crucial to make improvements?  because people are the driving force, the ones that make it happen.  Machines can only do what we tell them to and therefore the prospect of change and improvement must come from us, not the tools we use.  how does it last?  The people need to believe in the change and improvement to give it a lasting effect.  If the people do not believe in that change then once the push for that change is done, everyone goes back to their old habbits and routines. 

[Jared Allen]

If all your focus is placed on the tools and techniques, and you neglect your people, your operation will not succeed.

[adecaria]

In order for Lean to be successfully implemented it requires the people to be on board.  There's never a shortage of "good ideas" and "you know what you should do" 's, but becoming a Lean company requires action.  People implement the ideas and without the commitment of said people Lean is just another "good idea" that never makes it past company meetings.  That's why the incentive for the people has to be a primary focus.  If there's not significant compensation, there's never going to be enough motivation for exceptional results.

On Friday, August 17, 2012 4:39:34 PM UTC-6, Mike Hincks wrote:

[emcginty]

Our tools are designed for the people to use. Without the people, we have no cause. We have to satisfy the people so that we can maintain their business. This is done by first mastering the process used for the product and then followed by mastering the process to support our users.

[ajones]

The people form the structure and foundation of a company. The people have to be invested in the company and believe in the product otherwise the company will fail. When people feel secure and valued they work harder and stay with the company, this leads to better knowledge and in the end better customer service.

[Chanse]

The tools we use are created and used by people.  The only way to improve tools is for the people to work directly with the customer to identify their needs so that the tools can eveolve and make for a better product and overall customer experience.  A "machine" can only do what a person tells it to do.

On Friday, August 17, 2012 4:39:34 PM UTC-6, Mike Hincks wrote:

[Tyler Nelson]

Machines/ Systems are built to produce the same out put every single time.  A machine can never tell you what we could do to improve the process, it will only do as told.  Since our ultimate goal with lean is customer delivery people need to be at the root of the process in order to respond to a customers specialized needs.  Our most important resource is our people, not out product. 

[lgleason]

Lean places great value on the people that make up an organization. When people feel valued and instrumental to a company’s success, they will invest in the organization’s long term goals. Owning one’s position and taking pride in their contributions is a crucial part of effective, lasting improvement.

[csimpson]

Tools help to improve efficiency and exactness, but tools must be applied through an external force or action. Without this force or action, tools are useless. That’s why people are so important; they are the ones using the tools. Tools can be used for their intended purpose or for other purposes; it depends on how we apply them. The results of using tools is directly correlated to the individuals using them, thus people are more important.

[jlongsjo]

Tools - like our KB, Salesforce, and WebEx - definitely make for improvement, but we must have people to make the tools useful. We need people who are dedicated to our Lean journey to use, maintain, and improve these tools. As people maintain and improve tools, they form a sense of ownership and feeling of responsibility to use them to their fullest potential.

On Friday, August 17, 2012 4:39:34 PM UTC-6, Mike Hincks wrote: