Finding Constraints
chapter 6: Finding Constraints is the most detail I’ve read on looking for bottlenecks. And it begins with a basic method.
Sometimes I need to spelled out to me, Sometimes I know what to do but I still need to see what the other guys doing, and sometimes I need examples.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26895164-scaling-lean
Work Bibliography and Process History
Criteria: If you study about work, and have no one to share what you’ve learned. No place to put knowledge for Processing/to be processed. No database or Documentation to file away “All the processes we used and tried; and why our Processes is this hodge-podge that you see”
This is an interesting thing that says something about the company. If there is no group or department that processes knowledge that may help our operations. Its possible that the company already knows this – but ideally it has a bibliography – Stuff that will inform you on what the company does or should be able to know.
Authors have Bibliography so you know where they got their Ideas. I think Operations need one also, to show where they got their Operational Processes. I feel it would be small minded to think our Ideas are new and good, and to Fail to think millions have already thought, done, tried, and improved on it.
Metrics far removed from Causes.
Profit is the key metrics farthest removed from what causes it in many biz. By the time you measure it, your too late to fix shit.
This is a problem for us: people only care about the status of their shit, and never whats happening to the Sales Order/Job Order. If people are just a glorified Nagger then you have no problemsolvers. If people only care about the status and not the Narrative of Events then they cannot contribute anything constructive and helpful.
Note that Indifference to Understanding is created by the Lack of Training, Job Role Definition, and Operational Process. If people dont know how to understand then they’ll do the minimum effort needed, because they have too much shit on their plate. If their Job role is does not say its not their job to understand then they wont. Also if the Company does not, as culture, Approach issues and problems like a Methodical problem Solver – then they see no one to immitate or hold themselves against as a standard.
Interestingly – this Problem is common in many companys who dont have Adapting KPIs or Living Processes. When Operations does not adapt to reality then its Metrics don’t really matter. Its interesting that a book on Startups talks about this and not Other Books.
Actually its interesting that Books dont talk about Problems as much or Take a Problem (see Wikipedia Antipattern https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-pattern) approach. While they really can give you the Theory of something Working, and you measure and analyze the GAP.
Fix (shit) as we go
Even if it distracts us from our current operations. While there is a time and place to fix shit, ideally we spend as much as 1/5 to 1/3 of our Operational hours (6.5-7.2 hours a day) fixing shit. Not just correcting the bad symptom, but collecting information on Causaility (Analyzing) and then breaking down the Problem Solving to weekly goals. Of course you need Training, A method to store, track, and update these Improvement projects, and the ability to make small useful fixes over time. (reminds me of the 2 words a day learning rate in my chinese studies when I need to learn thousands of words and grammar rules). If it distracts us, then we have to have a method and plan before we undertake it or we lose sense of time focusing on a problem.
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