00492 é6e2520b4751ef0af46b1927e1edb46

499

Achieving Quality Results Through Blended Management

that the fundamenta! characteristic of the relatively unaligned team is wasted energy. By contrast, when the team becomes morÄ™ aligned, a commonality of direction emerges, and individuals' energies harmonize. There is less wasted energy. There is a shared vision and an understanding of how to complement one another. Alignment to a common purpose is a necessary condition before empowering the individual will empower the whole team. Empowering the individual when there is a relatively Iow level of alignment worsens the chaos and makes managing the team morÄ™ difficult. Collectively, we can be morÄ™ insightful, morÄ™ intelligent than we can possibly be individually.

The Blended Management Model

In World Class Manufacturing. Schonberger advises managers to develop and communicate a WCM vision that demonstrates devotion to the

1.    Get to know the customer

2.    Cut work-in-process

3.    Cutflowtimes

4.    Cut setup and changeover times

5.    Cut flow distance and space

6.    Increase make/deliver freÄ…uency for each item reÄ…uired

7.    Cut the number of suppliers down to a few good ones

8.    Cut number of part numbers

9.    Make it easy to manufacture the product without error

10.    Arrange the work place to eliminate search time

11. Cross-train for mastery of morÄ™ than one job

12.    Record and retain production, quality, and problem data at the work place

13.    Assure that linÄ™ people get first crack at problem-solving —before Staff experts

14.    Maintain/improve existing equipment before thinking about new eÄ…uipment

15.    Look for simple, cheap, movable eÄ…uipment

16.    Seek plural instead of singular work stations, machines, cells, and lines

17.    Automate incrementally, when process variability cannot otherwise be reduced

FigurÄ™ 2. Schonberger's Seventeen Point Action Agenda.