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by Robert Malone, Contributing Editor   | Abstract: | It's time for manufacturers to take a refresher course in Deming's simple, yet powerful 14 tips for effective management. |
Simplicity requires insight into the complexities of reality, rendered to the essentials, while avoiding lots of assumptions. What does it take to be truly simple, as in a mathematical formula's elegance, a classic fountain pen, a smooth robotic algorithm, or an Amati violin? Many things that appear simple are not at all simple — for example, zero, pi, credit card rules, the fine print on most contracts, ERP and its so-called simple modules, and new software that assures us that this will only take a few minutes to implement. Simplistic and simple are not synonymous, however. A simplistic solution may leave out the simple and concentrate on the trite. That which is simplistic might best be described as stupid. The Japanese take a Zen approach to life. It comes out in their games, such as the intriguing Go and ever-challenging Sudoku. It shows up in their packaging and logo designs, electronic products, and, of course, the formidable Toyota Production System. [Click to continue] |