As I wrote my last blog, a tune by The Police popped into my head. Blogging is a message in a bottle. I’m “sending out an SOS”, as Sting sings, to anyone who will read it. Like the visual messages Michel Grief describes in his landmark book, The Visual Factory, my messages are intended for anyone who will receive them. I don’t have a target market. If my messages mean something to you, then they are for you.
The over-riding theme of this blog is that American industry can compete effectively on a global basis if we will only actualize the ingenuity of our employees, specifically through the understanding and practice of TPS. Lest this message seem too parochial, I’ll assert that a strong American economy is essential to a strong world economy. In any case, if wanting my children to have the same opportunities that I’ve had is parochial, then I’ll happily accept the badge.
In 2011, each of my blog entries will tell a story, either mine or a friend’s, intended to engage your thinking about TPS. I prefer the term “TPS” to “Lean” because the latter has unfortunately been perverted in some circles to mean head-chopping. But the term “Lean” is out there, so I’ll use it interchangeably with TPS, endeavoring always to provide a constructive view of the concept. I’ll post on Tuesdays and Thursdays, sometimes with a little humor, sometimes more seriously. Each blog will be short – small batch – for easy reading. And each will attempt to convey a key point or two about Lean. I’ll also reference other information sources through links (like those noted above) both academic and artistic.
I hope you’ll continue to enjoy Old Lean Dude and will come along for the ride in 2011. I’ll keep on sending my 'messages in a bottle' and will be delighted to get a few back from you as well. My goal? As Sting and the Police sing, a “hundred billion bottles washed up on the shore” ...an American shore, in this case : )
Bruce (O.L.D.)
