Each month new articles, book reviews, and other content are added to the Superfactory website. The new content is featured in the free monthly e-newsletter which goes out to 50,000 subscribers worldwide, and we will also post a monthly heads-up on this blog.
New content in March includes:
The featured article is from Mike Micklewright and is titled Lean Quality Documentation Systems. The following is a brief excerpt, and you can read the entire article here.
How did your quality system get so complex and redundant? Many companies established their quality systems after having purchased a software program with a “canned” quality manual and procedures. Software companies try to subliminally sell you the concept “more is better.” Purchasing companies often don’t realize they also purchase a lot of junk that adds unnecessary complexity and length to their documentation system. Other companies employ a management representative who over-interprets the standard so much that he or she develops a quality system that is too complex. Perhaps this is the result of management representatives being so fearful of missing something that they document everything, including how to fill the kitchen sink.
The Featured Blog Post Dan Markovitz’ recent piece titled It’s All About Respect for People. The following is a brief excerpt, and you can read the entire post here.
I was at the Lean Enterprise Institute’s Transformation Summit in Orlando last week and had my world rocked by Bob Chapman, Chairman and CEO of Barry-Wehmiller.
Barry-Wehmiller is a $1 billion, 120 year-old capital goods company based in St. Louis, making a huge variety of packaging, corrugating, sheeting, and finishing equipment. They’re doing quite well, too, having seen a 21% compound growth in revenues over the past 20 years, and a 23% growth in share value (as they calculate it) over the same period.
These are impressive accomplishments to be sure, but what was truly impressive was Bob’s belief that…
The featured book this month is Integrated Enterprise Excellence by Forrest Breyfogle. The following is a brief summary, click here for more information.
This book introduces a new organizational governance system that integrates analytics with innovation. The IEE system shows business leaders what to measure and report; when and how to report it; how to interpret and use the results to establish goals; how to orchestrate work activities; and how to develop strategies that are consistent with established goals. These strategies ultimately lead to specific projects that enhance organizational focus and success. This book discusses how the application of IEE methods, tools, and techniques can overcome the enterprise management challenges of the twenty-first century and the limitations of traditional business measurement systems.
We continually update the other major sections of the website, including:
- Events Calendar: a listing of lean excellence seminars, workshops, training, and conferences worldwide
- Topic Information: Summaries and resources on over 40 enterprise excellence topics.
- History of Excellence: A growing timeline of notable events that helped shape current-day enterprise excellence
- Online E-Learning Center: Fourteen interactive online presentations on the core concepts of lean manufacturing.
- PowerPoint Presentations: Over 50 downloadable PowerPoint presentations on lean manufacturing, quality, enterprise, and safety concepts.
- Factory Toolbox: Almost 300 downloadable forms, procedure templates, assessments, and tools to help you not reinvent the wheel.
- Tools and Assessments: Downloadable assessment tools.
- Virtual Factory Tours: Web and streaming video tours of over 100 factories.
The Superfactory 20 list of companies with strong lean manufacturing programs was released, and the 
stock performance of each of those companies is being tracked individually and as a group versus the S&P500. Last year these companies outperformed the S&P500 by 20%… this year it isn’t quite as hot. Yet. Check out the list and performance, updated hourly.
For all you LinkedIn junkies, we have created a LinkedIn group for Superfactory. Join the group to
network with other Superfactory enthusiasts and to show our logo on your profile. If you haven’t explored LinkedIn, check it out to see why over 17 million professionals use it for networking.
We are always looking for new articles and other content. Contact us via the Superfactory website if you would like to contribute to our knowledge base.