Businesses have frequently touted the anecdotal evidence of employee engagement. However, a BlessingWhite report puts some quantifiable numbers behind why it's so important to truly interact with employees and create a supportive work environment. For example, firms with a highly engaged workforce had total shareholder return that was 19 percent higher compared to other companies.
Continue reading »For many years, companies across the globe thought sustainability was the antithesis of profitability, and there was no possible way for a company to succeed while also being eco-friendly. However, a variety of industries have found that couldn't be further from the truth. In particular, the pork production sector has noted very little change in
Continue reading »Applying Lean thinking to accounting and financing practices may not be easy, but it's certainly doable, explains Manufacturing Digital. As the source notes, the key is keeping track of the core tenet of Kaizen: The elimination of waste. From there, financial firms should also consider other facets, such as encouraging upper management involvement, providing employees
Continue reading »Hospitals and other healthcare organizations are going through some radical changes. Part of this is brought on by the push to adopt new medical technologies, such as electronic health records. Another influencing factor is the desire to do more with less – many healthcare organizations are dealing with more patients as aging Baby Boomers continue
Continue reading »The Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) National Lean Conference is currently taking place at the Winnipeg Convention Center in Manitoba, Canada, where more than 750 attendees will share tips and learn how Lean can benefit their companies. The number of individuals in attendance highlights how prominent Lean manufacturing has become in the sector and beyond,
Continue reading »“Don't let the power go to your head.” In one sense, that idiom warns against becoming conceited and developing an ego. However, taken in a business context, it also suggests companies shouldn't let all the power go to the top. Still, many businesses run operations from a top-down perspective, with meaningful changes coming down one
Continue reading »The main tenet of Lean centers around reduction of wasteful practices. In Lean manufacturing, this might mean cutting out a certain step in the production process. In other businesses, it could involve a better separation of responsibilities that results in more productivity. However, there are other ways of applying the Lean mindset. One trend many
Continue reading »An employee is only as good as the training program used to bring him or her up to speed – this can be said of anyone within a company, whether it's someone completely new to the job or a manager being promoted to a new position. Effective training initiatives help a company achieve a unanimous
Continue reading »Lean manufacturing isn't the only way businesses can apply the principles of Kaizen. Continuous improvement is a way of thought, not specifically a checklist of activities that companies can perform to suddenly become Lean. Now, many software developers are adopting Lean principles to help improve workflow, CIO reports. The key is integrating a Kaizen train
Continue reading »American technology company Lockheed Martin recently achieved a set of five-year global environmental goals that were made back in 2008. Carol Cala, the company's vice president of energy, environment, safety and health, credits continuous improvement for help in accomplishing these standards. What's more, in addition to helping Lockheed Martin become greener, continuous improvement has also
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