Blog
What it means to be lean...
15 February 2010
Brett Griffiths from Lean transition Solutions offers 30 tips on what it means to be lean...
- Lean is centred around creating more value for less work
- Lean is not a magic wand; it cannot work without effort
- Lean will provide benefits when seen as a system that integrates all organisational aspects
- Lean relies on root cause problem solving
- It is critical to dedicate the right resources at the right level to coordinate effort on developing a workable lean system
- The enemy of continuous improvement is the opposition to progress, force of habit and the fear of change
- The attitude required is to view problems in a positive way; every problem is an opportunity to improve
- Advancing step by step does not mean to move slowly
- Every standardised improvement provides the foundation for the next
- Continuous improvement workshops give the opportunity to make changes in a week that would otherwise drag on for months
- Lean focuses on improving processes, confident that they will in turn improve financial results
- Adopt Lean principles , but put them into your language in a way that fits your business and technology
- Developing a Lean system will require leadership who believe in the philosophy and will consistently and continually develop the process over time
- Create the right processes to produce the right results
- Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situation
- Make decisions slowly, thoroughly considering all the options, implement decisions rapidly
- Make the process flow evident throughout the organisation
- Level out workload, eliminate unevenness
- Build a culture of stopping to fix problems
- Standardise tasks built on best practices
- Make the effort to teach individuals how to work together as teams
- Make people accountable
- Secure a structure for continuous improvement; Plan-Do-Check-Act
- Success depends on management commitment which is essential for creating and maintaining the drive for improvement
- Lean and continuous improvement will not work as a process bolted on to the company; it has to be fully integrated into the way the company is managed
- Lean is a relentless focus on driving out waste and creating customer value
- Refine your existing processes to develop a World Class system
- Provide practical improvement solutions
- A Pull System should be adopted to eliminate inventory build up between processes
- A workplace organisation system known as 5S can be used to maintain a safe, clean, organised and efficient working environment
Email Louise directly: louise@hewett-recruitment.co.uk
It's all about technology - 30 years on!
04 February 2010
Technology has changed every aspect of our lives. In a relatively short space of time, we’ve seen our work and leisure time completely transformed, it’s hard to imagine life without our almost surgically attached mobile, blackberry or iphone.
Looking back 30 years ago when I started my business, communication was so much slower and rather gentile…. letters all had to be sent by post, phone calls were made from landlines, records were kept manually… now everything is instantaneous.
Many of us have become Twittering, Skyping, email junkies, it can be difficult to abstain from the obsessive need to constantly check our emails! Remote working offers us the ‘freedom’ to work from home, on the train or anywhere we like, the difficulty is switching it all off….. dumping the gadgets and clearing the mind, something we all need to do occasionally.
How we ever found our way to meetings without Sat.Nav is a mystery…. and if we broke down on the way, we’d have to use a telephone box to call for help, that’s if we had the right change for the phone! In those days there was a chance some of us might even know how to fix the problem if it was under the bonnet…. could just be a case of using an old pair of tights to replace the fan belt… no chance now.
I can’t remember life without Google being particularly challenging…. but then our expectations were different… we expected to do our research from books at the library… we use it to find everything now from holidays to restaurants. Technology connects us with colleagues and friends old and new all over the globe, we can shop online [oh joy], upgrade our skills with online training and it can even encourage us to do more exercise!
For the moment I will resist the e-book option, there is nothing like opening the crisp pages of a new book and although Wii Fit can be great fun, it can’t beat the simple pleasure of a walk in the glorious Worcestershire countryside……having Googled the route and pub first of course!
Email Louise directly: louise@hewett-recruitment.co.uk
'Next Generation' - HR shaping the future of businesses...
14 January 2010
‘Next Generation’, a high profile research project launched recently by the CIPD, explores what Human Resources might look like in the future. Through the research they are seeking to identify the emergent trends and groundbreaking practice existing today, to enable them to build a picture of what HR might look like in 5 or 10 years.
The report will undoubtedly generate debate…..HR’s emerging role is seen as creating ‘organisational equity’. Simply, HR professionals should be business people focused on increasing the capacity of the organisation, helping it become more alert, agile and adaptable and unlocking sustainable performance.
HR Director of Tesco, Therese Procter was quoted as saying at a recent conference how HR plays a pivotal role as the ‘conscience’ of the organisation, ensuring values are met at every stage of the process. HR’s role could be seen as the ‘soul of the business’ and the natural ally of the CEO.
The key messages from the report so far seem to say that HR needs to broaden its horizons, think more strategically and financially and take responsibility for moving organisations forward. HR Director of Diesel, Tim Pointer said “Next Generation gives a clear indication of the decade ahead, I look forward to hearing more about the increasing alliance between HR and Marketing…. the value that brands can have for products and people. But mostly I really like the fact that it focuses on emergent practice… we want up to date reports from the front line”.
There are some excellent professionals out there leading the way with an innovative and creative approach…. every business is taking a long hard look at itself to shape up for the challenges ahead…. it’s good to hear that HR are at the forefront…. ’holding up the mirror’ to organisations, reflecting the interests of its people and its business. For more information: www.cipd.co.uk/nextgen
Louise Hewett
Email Louise directly: louise@hewett-recruitment.co.uk
Celebrating three decades of recruitment success
07 January 2010
In 2010 Hewett Recruitment is celebrating 30 years of recruitment success across Worcestershire and beyond. Throughout this anniversary year, Managing Director Louise Hewett and her team at the company’s Worcester and Kidderminster offices will be celebrating the company’s continued growth and success since its launch three decades ago.
“Thirty years has gone by so quickly,” says Louise Hewett. “We are looking forward to what 2010 has in store, we have recruited two new specialist consultants and expect to grow the team further in the New Year. The strategic development of our I.T. division in this ‘landmark’ year ahead is already proving to be a good decision and we are confident this specialist area of the business will prove a great success in 2010 and beyond.
We don’t like to ‘sit on our laurels’ at Hewett’s, we are always looking for ways to enhance the’ service experience’ for our clients and there are several further niche areas we are considering led by feedback from our customers.
In addition, Hewett Recruitment will be undertaking numerous celebratory events throughout the year, as well as fund raising and charity activities and of course a big party is on the cards!
Email Louise directly: louise@hewett-recruitment.co.uk
Appraisals.... managing people effectively
20 December 2009
Appraisals can be a ‘tick box’ exercise that cause considerable anxiety, don’t achieve anything and once completed are not reviewed or looked at until the following year. So how can we avoid them simply being a bureaucratic waste of time?
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development 87% of employers use some form of annual appraisal, 27% do them bi-annually and 10% more often than that.
Appraisals should give us another opportunity to manage people professionally; they can be good for both employers and employees if managed effectively. Ideally they should be two way, free flowing conversations, offering acknowledgement, support and motivation, giving ‘quality time’ and attention. This is an opportunity to step back for a moment and gain perspective…. reviewing, giving honest feedback on performance, identifying training and development needs and setting goals moving forward.
According to the CIPD, there is no one right way to conduct an appraisal. The approach will depend on the nature of business and the people involved. As a general rule, they advise it is helpful to have information readily available on objectives…. whether or not they were achieved and if not the reasons why, level of competencies, training received and future development required and actions to be taken by the individual and the appraiser. Each employer will create their own version, but a good constructive appraisal is one in which the appraisee does most of the talking, achievement is recognised and reinforced and ends positively with agreed action plans.
There is a school of thought that says that good managers have no need of an annual event like an appraisal. They say they engage with their team members and can tell you at any point in time what they are working on, how they are performing, any issues they or the team are having, what motivates each person and what their potential is within the organisation. But perhaps for most of us mere mortals, the appraisal remains a useful tool in the performance management process.
Louise Hewett
Email Louise directly: louise@hewett-recruitment.co.uk
