{"id":3004,"date":"2020-09-08T09:41:38","date_gmt":"2020-09-08T13:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oldleandude.com\/?p=3004"},"modified":"2020-09-08T09:41:38","modified_gmt":"2020-09-08T13:41:38","slug":"single-minute-exchange-of-bar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oldleandude.com\/2020\/09\/08\/single-minute-exchange-of-bar\/","title":{"rendered":"Single Minute Exchange of Bar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With all the gloom and doom of the Coronavirus, the divisive political climate and the Zoom fatigue, this has been a tough summer.  Here is a whimsical post to kick off the fall about applying Lean thinking when you\u2019re stuck at home.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maureen (Mrs. Toast) and I have found some respite over the last six months in an occasional visit to our outdoor pub, situated on a porch to the side of our house.\u00a0 There, with a backdrop of our favorite music from Spotify, we can enjoy some lighthearted conversation and laughs.\u00a0 Back in March, when it became apparent that we\u2019d be spending a lot of time sheltering at home, we resolved to build our own mini-resort \u2013 mostly from scrap materials.\u00a0\u00a0 The open air was a soothing balm and, especially on a warm evening, we almost felt like we were on vacation.\u00a0 But there was one problem:\u00a0 Our little oasis was not waterproof \u2013 especially in heavy wind and rain.\u00a0 After the first storm we tried buttoning up the leaks, and covering with a tarp. But alas, the weather played havoc.\u00a0 When a second storm was forecast about a week later, we frantically carried all libations inside, fire brigade style, stacking them anywhere and everywhere.\u00a0\u00a0 We emptied the bar in about 15 minutes, but setting it up again after the storm took more than an hour.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Always Kaizen-minded, Maureen was unhappy with this haphazard approach, and set about to simplify and standardize the pub changeover.\u00a0 First, she sorted out excess or seldom-used materials and then created set locations for the remainder.\u00a0 (This probably also reduced the time to mix a drink, but that was incidental as we really don\u2019t drink that much and mixing the drink is part of the social experience anyway \u2013 i.e. \u201cvalue-added.\u201d) Next, she created an order of assignments for both dis- and re-assembly of our haven.\u00a0 A couple old tubs that I once used to drag Lego simulations to customers were more than adequate for transport to a dry location.\u00a0 \u00a0Our first-time trial was 10 minutes for breaking down the bar and 15 for setting it back up, but we were making small adjustments for both steps during the trial. Then we waited for a storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On April 13, the day after Easter, we had the first opportunity to test Maureen\u2019s quick-change system. \u00a0This was a live operation as there was approaching thunder in the air. Time to breakdown the bar was 8 minutes, as was setup after the storm had passed.\u00a0 Not that time mattered that much in this case.\u00a0 It was more a matter of reducing the frustration of a chaotic process.\u00a0 Making the changeover easier was as important as making it faster.\u00a0 There is a natural satisfaction in making a job easier \u2013 even something as frivolous as SMEB (Single Minute Exchange of Bar.)\u00a0 Would Mr. Shingo approve?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

O.L.D. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hey OLD readers \u2013 as summer draws to a close and you begin planning for 2021, don\u2019t miss the 16th<\/sup> Annual Northeast L.E.A.N. Conference<\/strong>.\u00a0 Naturally, it\u2019s virtual, which makes attendance from anywhere<\/em> easier than ever.\u00a0 And we\u2019ve kept price way down to respect the hard times that many of our customers have experienced.\u00a0\u00a0 Our theme, 21st<\/sup> Century Lean<\/strong>, established long before the pandemic is almost prophetic in its objective to deal with the intersection of Lean and IoT.\u00a0 As Covid-19 has accentuated the promise of the Internet of Things, it\u2019s more important than ever to establish a balance between technology and respect of people.\u00a0 Hope you can join us and some world-class presenters for that dialogue.\u00a0 Here\u2019s the link to the agenda and registration:\u00a0 https:\/\/bit.ly\/2ZKmo5t<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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