• By: Rob Ptacek, Todd Sperl, and Jayant Trewn (PhD) The Practical Lean Six Sigma Pocket Guide is designed as a convenient, quick reference, and, most importantly, a step-by-step implementation guide. You can put your finger on any tool within a matter of seconds! Find the right tool for the right initiative by using the: - Navigate the Prepare - Define - Measure - Analyze - Improve - Control right side book tabs. - Complete the A3 Project Report as you learn and apply the various tools on the project by:
    1. Go to the tab in the book that corresponds to the D-M-A-I-C Phase you are working on.
    2. Read about the tools for that phase of your project.
    3. Apply the appropriate tools.
    4. Complete the relevant section of the A3 Project Report.
    5. Repeat 1 - 4 as you navigate through the phases and complete your project.
    - Use the Case Study Example Look-Ahead and Tool Grid Matrix to direct you to specific pages with examples or case studies. - Use the Index for quick access to a specific topic or tool.
  • A flexible template to make accurate current and future state drawings for your value stream maps.

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    The 5S for the Office User’s Guide

    Original price was: $14.95.Current price is: $12.95.
    The 5S for the Office User's Guide provides an organization with the forms, worksheets, and checklists necessary to ensure a 5S project is well-planned from the start - as well as ensuring the program is sustained over time. This how-to guide should be used as it is titled - as a "Guide". The information contained in this workbook should supplement, support, and enhance, etc. current materials that an organization may currently be using. Throughout The 5S for the Office User’s Guide there will be various quotations, performance points, references to PC file storage (the IT case study in the appendix) etc. to further invoke the overall need to do 5S in all types of administrative settings.  As organizations automate more administrative functions (i.e., becoming more paperless) then there must exist that same type of organization and standardization for a physical file system as well as the computer file system.  It is the focus of this User’s Guide to have the 5S principles apply to both the physical desktop (paperwork, desk layout, drawer organization, etc.) and the PC desktop (folders, files, emails, shortcuts, etc.). No workbook or guide can take the place of a person’s enthusiasm and passion to improve.  However, what this guide can do is provide a good, solid foundation on what is required to effectively implement 5S in administrative settings while also spearheading efforts to bring those principles to the PC.
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    Practical Lean Six Sigma for Offices

    Original price was: $15.95.Current price is: $12.95.
    By: Rob Ptacek, Todd Sperl, Jayant Trewn, PhD This book bridges the gap between a highly quantitative analysis of a process that requires extensive training (i.e., Six Sigma certification) and a more simplified approach that can be used and understood by the masses (i.e., Lean thinking).  The goal of this book is to make the methods and tools of Lean and Six Sigma accessible to more people and provide a common sense or “practical” approach to problem solving and continuous improvement.  This book is intended to be used by Sigma Belt Levels, Lean Senseis (i.e., teachers), Continuous Improvement Specialists, front-line managers, and supervisors of departments and work groups, and improvement team members in their efforts to improve all types of administrative processes while reducing waste and variations, and engaging employees.  The Lean Six Sigma tools and concepts are presented relative to the A3 road map to provide a definitive how-to guide to problem solving and continuous improvement (Kaizen) initiatives.
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    Kaizen Demystified Worksheets

    Original price was: $20.00.Current price is: $15.00.
    The Kaizen Demystified Worksheets allow you to customize the tools, concepts, practices, and worksheets demonstrated in the Kaizen Demystified book. These 46 electronic worksheets will allow for an effective and efficient application of engaging people in a Kaizen Event. Delivered as customizable Excel worksheets.
  • By:  Rob Ptacek, Mark Coats, Col. (Retired, US Army), Todd PtacekToday's Lean Leader is designed for use as a quick and convenient reference, or as a training guide to improve your effectiveness in leading, supervising, and coaching employees. It provides valuable insight into the How To's of leadership and supervision. Today's Lean Leader can be used in a variety of ways, some of which are: (1)The guide is valuable for the new or veteran leader - supervisor (2) Remarkably, the guide in the hands of the workforce makes the task of leading and supervising all the easier when everyone is on the same page on these basic principles.
  • By: Jayant Twewn (PhD), Todd Sperl, Rob Ptacek, and Deborah Salimi (PhD)
    We are pleased to present Kaizen Demystified, perfectly timed for today s ever-changing and ever-demanding business environment requiring improved processes. Whether your industry is manufacturing, healthcare, financial, education, armed forces, services, government, or the construction industry, or, you are a manager, supervisor, team leader, or a front-line worker, this book will provide new insights and ideas for managing and facilitating continuous improvement and problem solving projects (i.e., Kaizen Events). Kaizen Demystified provides a simple and practical approach detailing five distinct methods on how Lean (and Six Sigma) tools and concepts can quickly and efficiently be applied and managed to solve business problems and improve processes. The five types of Kaizen Events detailed in this book are the: (1) Standard 5 Day Kaizen Event, also referred to as a Kaizen Blitz or Rapid Improvement Event, (2) Rolling Kaizen Event, (3) Web Based Kaizen Event, (4) Today's Kaizen Event, and (5) Wiki (or Quick) Kaizen Event. Each type will be thoroughly explained to demystify what it may mean for you. Kaizen Event Leadership is thoroughly explored in a separate chapter/section that relates to all types of Kaizen Events. It provides a listing of the common issues facing the leader of a Kaizen Event as well as suggested how-to leadership skills to address those issues. This is one of the most important aspects of leading any type of Kaizen Event.
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    iLEAN – 21st Century Lean

    Original price was: $35.00.Current price is: $22.50.
    By: Vlado Baban, Joe Buys, and Don Tapping
    iLean's content will provide actual case studies, application examples, and working macros that have proven successful in improving information flow in all types of environments. iLean was arranged in a format that should provide you with enough detailed guidance (step-by-step instructions) to apply a similar-type Lean practice to your work process. Starting with Chapter 3, each chapter begins with a section titled Is this you? which was specifically designed to assist you in determining if that chapter has immediate relevancy to your current work challenges. Subsequently, it is suggested that a formal standard improvement methodology, Six Sigma's Design-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (D-M-A-I-C), Edward Deming's Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) or some other similar methodology be used if a formal structure is required and/or more statistical analysis needs is required. However, many of the concepts and tools presented throughout this book can be implemented by an individual worker and, therefore, will not require a formal process (other than good project management skills). Microsoft s Office suite of products of Word, Excel, and Outlook, as well as Open Source applications of vTiger, Google Docs, and Huddle, are referenced throughout this book to provide an overall understanding of how Lean can be used to move information faster and more accurately than ever before. In doing so, you will be able to reduce inter-office dependencies, delays, and errors that may be present in your current business processes.
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    Pursuing Perfect Service

    Original price was: $35.00.Current price is: $28.50.
    By: Rob Ptacek and Jaideep Motwani (Ph.D)
    Note:  Currently out of stock.  Orders placed today will ship within 2 weeks! Pursuing Perfect Service is a comprehensive and detailed set of instructions on how to implement Lean and Six Sigma tools and concepts in a variety of environments. It will provide the solid foundation upon which Lean Sigma tools can be applied in any service organization. Service providers are continually processing daily requests and must know how to identify client needs and expectations, how to best satisfy their needs, and how to do it at the lowest possible cost. This book is a step-by-step implementation guide for continuous improvement while creating a solid foundation upon which to build a service excellence culture. Pursuing Perfect Service also provides insights and examples on how Information Technology can be used to improve data and information flow to enhance the overall client experience, while ensuring organizational profitability.
  • The Lean Office Jeopardy Game (available as a Microsoft PowerPoint file for you to customize) is a highly-engaging game to reinforce Lean concepts presented throughout a training session or workshop. This activity is typically conducted at the end of a training session. Lean Jeopardy allows for the group to be energized with the information that had been presented, while at the same time having fun in a competitive manner. The Lean Office Jeopardy Game has four categories, What is it?, Why use it?, Where use it?, and Picture this? with 5 answers for each category. There is also an additional 100 answers provided in a Microsoft Word file from which you can cut and paste into the PowerPoint file for newer versions as you see fit. The new questions are referenced from The New Lean Office Pocket Guide.

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    Employee Balance Chart

    Original price was: $45.00.Current price is: $35.00.
    Work load balancing is the optimal distribution of work units throughout the value stream to maintain takt time or pitch. Also known as employee/staff balancing or line balancing, work load balancing assures that now one worker is doing too much or too little work. Work load balancing begins with analyzing the current state of how work relative to the value stream is allocated and ends with an even and fair distribution of work, ensuring that customer demand is met with a continuous flow mentality. The Employee Balance eTool will make this process easier by allowing you to enter the various process activities and cycle times, as well as automatically displaying them in bar graph form. This eTool is a fully customizable Microsoft Excel file. Everything is here and ready for you to get started!
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    Lean Office Assessment

    Original price was: $45.00.Current price is: $35.00.
    The Lean Office Assessment was created allowing a departmental work group or individual to continually assess their Lean or continuous improvement initiatives. The Lean Office Assessment is a customizable Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that will provide a baseline from which you can then improve your administrative processes. It also can assist in determining which Lean tools may be of value during a continuous improvement project. The Lean Office Assessment has 10 Lean building block categories that are further divided into 34 sub-categories that are individually scored. All categories are automatically linked to the Overview page which displays a Radar (or Spider) Chart of the total category scores. The score will assist you into allocating the appropriate resources in your Lean project. When conducting the Assessment the work group or individual must relate their database management procedures and Microsoft Office practices to the overall concepts and tools referenced. The 10 categories are: 5S, Quality, Physical Layout, Visual Controls, Standard Work, Continuous Flow, Pull Systems, Leveling, Continuous Improvement, and Training.

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