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OE Tools - How To
     Understanding LEAN
     Facilitating Kaizens
     5S
     SMED
     Situational Simulation
     Using Process Maps
     Tying OE to Bottom LIne

Workforce Engagement
     Engaging the Workforce
     Praise Effort, Reward Results
     Empower Direct Reports

Process Modeling
     Process Modeling
     Simulation and Optimization

OE Strategy
     Rubberband Effect
     Facilitating Process Mapping
     Metrics Drive Gaming
     NO OE Programs on PDR
     Process Driven
     Continuous Improvement

"The Road to a Continuous Improvement Culture"

My first career was as a Forester cruising timber in the Southeastern US, and I loved the work tremendously, but the pay was not enough to raise a family. I went back to school and got a degree in Industrial/Operational Engineering from Purdue University. Since then, my career has evolved from computer programmer, to salesman, to entrepreneur operational engineer (OE), to developing and implementing a Continuous Improvement program within a Fortune 500 company, to entrepreneur OE again. I'm not much different from most people I meet in one important aspect: as we move forward in life, we all continue to evolve.

The concept of continuous improvement is consistent with our basic human nature to evolve (continuously improve) ourselves. So when I talk to people about establishing a Continuous Improvement (CI) Culture, the tendency is for them to respond "we are always continuously improving". I can't disagree with that, however the concept of a Continuous Improvement Culture is more than that. To better understand this, let's look at how an OE is utilized in a traditional North American organization vs. how an OE is utilized in a Toyota Production System organization.

In a North American organization, an OE is expected to manage various process improvement projects; from setting project focus, driving the data collection & analysis process, and generating and implementing solutions. In a Toyota Production System organization, an OE is expected to facilitate front line teams through various improvement projects. In this scenario, the front line team sets project focus, drives data collection & analysis, and generates and implements the solutions; where the OE provides support, direction as needed, facilitates the effort, and introduces specific operational engineering tools to the front line as needed. In a CI culture, the front line teams are always going through the operational improvement process as a standard way of how they do their work.

At the heart of establishing a Continuous Improvement Culture is the level of engagement of the front line workforce. In a CI culture, the front line workforce owns and drives the operational improvement efforts. The big benefits of doing this include:

1. Front line workforce is more knowledgeable about what is truly happening in the operation, and tend to have better insights into the critical failure points of the operation.
2. Front line workforce owns the operational improvement process, and as a result, the solutions generated are easily sustainable.
3. Front line workforce sees problem long before they become big, and as a result the organization is better able to avoid falling into fire-fighting mode.

And the Operational Engineer focuses on:

1. Facilitating the operational improvement effort.
2. Selecting the operational engineering tools to utilize based on the problem being solved.
3. Researching and bringing in tools/technology from outside the organization to help solve the problem being worked on.

Can an organization automatically jump from the traditional OE approach to a CI Culture? I don't believe so. Most organizations start their operational engineering journey with OEs executing individual projects, and possibly providing some generic training to various levels of the organization. With time and success, an organization takes steps towards eventually establishing a CI culture.

So if you don't have a CI culture where you work, don't fret, you are not alone. Going from a culture where OEs manage various projects to a culture where the front line workforce drive the various operational improvement projects is a journey. Our goal each year should be to figure how our organization needs to evolve our current OE strategy and tactics so that we are moving closer to a Continuous Improvement Culture. So ask yourself, what are we doing different this year to move us forward on the journey to a CI culture?