5S for Knowledge Workers - NEQC Scott... · 5S for Knowledge Workers: MASTERING THE INFORMATION ... Getting Things Done ® based on work by David Allen ... Basic Workflow –Collect,

5S for Knowledge Workers:MASTERING THE INFORMATION

WORKSPACE

October 22, 2014

Session 24A

ByScott Marchland Davis

ASQ NEQC 60TH CONFERENCE, SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS

Getting to 5SWhat is a knowledge worker?

What are the elements of 5S?

How have these been combined in the past?

How can they be combined more successfully?

October 22, 20144 ASQ NEQC 60TH CONFERENCE, SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS 2

Knowledge WorkersNo standard definition – first used by Peter Drucker in 1959 (Landmarks of Tomorrow)

◦ Workers whose main capital is knowledge

◦ People who “think for a living”

◦ Workers focused on non-routine tasks and problem solving

◦ Creative and highly educated workers whose output is knowledge, data, or information

Typical examples◦ Engineers, scientists, lawyers, doctors, accountants, teachers, programmers

◦ Managers and executives


Characteristics of Knowledge WorkUnpredictable – tasks vary substantially day-to-day

Portable – work can often be completed independent of location

Information-focused – work involves manipulation of data rather than physical objects

Continual learning – workers must maintain currency of knowledge and skills

Self-directed – workers often follow strategic priorities but make tactical decisions themselves

Ambiguous – goals and performance are often difficult to measure


Origins of 5SKey part of the Toyota Production System

Adopted extensively by Lean and Lean Six-Sigma (LSS) practitioners worldwide

Focused on reducing waste in production through 4 key methods:◦ Expose waste visually by making out-of-control and off-nominal conditions visible

◦ Minimize wasted motion by keeping materials at hand and people working

◦ Reduce maintenance waste by identifying and eliminating sources of mess (e.g. leaking lubricants)

◦ Minimize space waste by consolidating production areas


The 5 S’sSort – remove unnecessary material

Set in order – make sure necessary material has a home

Shine – remove mess and the sources of mess

Standardize – establish routines and processes

Sustain – maintain the area and the routine

Bottom line goal – if 5S is doing its job, you are more productive


Examples of 5S in the Factory


Examples of 5S in the Factory


Extension of 5S to the OfficeSome success with non-knowledge-worker applications (e.g. call centers)

Multiple FAILURES with knowledge workers (e.g. engineers)

Why?


Factory 5S Applied to the Office


Manufacturing and Knowledge Work are DifferentWorkspaces are shared versus personal

Processing is based on movement of material versus movement of information

Demand is generally well-defined versus ambiguous

Priorities are generally imposed versus self-defined

So is 5S a waste of time for knowledge work?


The Keys to Knowledge Work 5SBecause knowledge work involves information processing, reduction of waste must also focus on information processing

Knowledge work 5S must focus on inboxes, outboxes, and movement of information

Because knowledge work involves creativity and idiosyncratic processes, it must focus on a higher process level

◦ Analogy – rigid and fixed manufacturing processes versus flexible and adaptable product development procedures


Information ProcessingModern personal productivity methods require management of a rapid influx of information

Examples: Getting Things Done®, Zen to Done, Manage Your Workday Now, Cyborganize, Super Focus, Total Relaxed Organization

All these methods provide frameworks for:◦ Organizing information

◦ Developing actions and “to-do lists”

◦ Prioritizing actions in the moment

In other words – 5S for information


5S of the Information SpaceSort – discard information not relevant to action

Set in Order – move information to actionable or reference storage

Shine – eliminate sources of useless information

Standardize – develop and use a standard method and toolset for information processing

Sustain – review your system to ensure continued effectiveness


System ExampleGetting Things Done ® based on work by David Allen

Popular system used by professionals worldwide

Relevant features:◦ Structured method for “Inbox triage”

◦ Context-sensitive to-do lists

◦ Avoidance of arbitrary priorities

◦ Flexible - adapts to different toolsets

Big Idea: Achieve focus and flow by downloading actions from your mind into a trusted system


Sort/Set in Order in GTD®

“Stuff” Inbox(es)Action-able?

Trash

File for Reference

Someday/Maybe

No

Yes

Do(<2 min)

Delegate (Waiting For)

Defer(Action Lists)


Details of the Sort/Set in Order StepsProjects – any multi-step action can be a project

Projects must have:◦ A plan – level of detail can vary

◦ Completion criteria

◦ A storage file/folder

◦ A Next Action (could be Waiting For)

Deferred Actions◦ Time-dependent actions (e.g. appointments, meeting prep) go on the calendar

◦ Other actions go on context-sensitive lists (e.g. Computer, Phone, Agenda, Anywhere)


Shine in GTD®Minimize e-mail subscriptions

Practice and advocate good e-mail practices◦ Subject-line only e-mail (EOMs)

◦ Limited CCs

◦ Concise language

◦ Clear requests for action if needed

Practice and advocate good meeting practices◦ Agendas

◦ Action items and minutes

◦ Limited attendees


Standardize in GTD®Flexible toolsets, fixed methods

Setup involves selection of a set of tools for:◦ Calendar

◦ Task Lists

◦ Reference Files

◦ Project Files

◦ Inboxes


Example – GTD® in Outlook


Example – GTD® In Google Tools


Example – GTD® In Evernote


Example – GTD® in Remember the Milk™


Sustain in GTD®Daily and Weekly Reviews ensure trust in the system, which is critical to sustaining

Daily Review◦ Clear Inbox

◦ Check Calendar (today)

◦ Add Actions as needed

Weekly Review◦ Clear Inbox

◦ Check Calendar (-1 +2 weeks)

◦ Check Waiting Fors, Projects, and Someday/Maybes

◦ Review all Actions and close if needed

◦ Review Trigger list and add actions if needed

Basic Workflow – Collect, Process, and Execute based on contexts


Knowledge Worker 5S Rollout ExperienceExperience covers two generations of rollout, primarily at Resonetics

Key success factors:◦ Management support of quality tools in general

◦ Cultural openness to change and improvement

Approximately 30 knowledge workers have been trained so far


Laser micromachining services and systems provider

High precision (features to 1 micron), focused on life sciences

Based in Nashua, NH with 100+ staff, 3-shift operation

Key knowledge worker categories: sales engineers, quality engineers, service engineers, systems engineers, applications engineers, manufacturing engineers, materials managers, finance personnel

About Resonetics


Instructional MethodsSmall group instruction

Three sessions – system setup, how to collect and process, how to perform reviews

Emphasis on buddy system for habit development

~2.5 hours total instruction time


Toolsets UsedAll training is Outlook- and paper-based◦ Universally available

◦ Familiar

◦ Simplifies instruction

Additional tools are discussed, but not explored in detail

Instructor’s toolset is described at a high level as an example◦ Inboxes – Outlook, paper, Gmail

◦ Task List – Remember the Milk

◦ Reference Files for Current Actions – Gmail, Outlook

◦ General Reference Files – Paper, Evernote, Outlook


Session AgendasSession 1: Setting up Categories, Folders, and Tasks in Outlook

Session 2:

◦ Why 5S?

◦ 5S in the Office – A Tale of Horror?

◦ The Getting Things Done® System – 5S for Knowledge Work

◦ Choosing Tools for GTD®

◦ Setting Up Your GTD® System

◦ Sustaining Your System

◦ Buddy Systems and Lunch Reviews

◦ Processing Workshop

Session 3:

◦ Review of 5S Concepts

◦ Review Workshop

◦ Daily Reviews

◦ Weekly Reviews

◦ Longer Term Reviews

◦ Putting it All Together


Results – Audit ProcessSelf-audit questionnaire/spreadsheet distributed after training – prompted monthly◦ Self-audit assesses performance on a

variety of quantitative factors

◦ Spreadsheet generates progress radar plot similar to those used in factory

◦ Response rate: 69%

◦ Average score improvement after the first month: 15.5

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

SORT

SET IN ORDER

SHINESTANDARDIZE

SUSTAIN

Office 5S Performance Graph

This Audit Last Audit


Results – Audit Scores

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

Audit 1 Audit 2 Audit Delta

Average Audit Score

Average

Survey Max

Survey Min

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

Audit 1 Audit 2 Audit Delta

Max and Min Audit Scores

Max Min Survey Min Survey Max


Sample Audit QuestionsSort: Inboxes are clear (Inbox Zero=5,Less than 1 day accumulation=3,More than 1 week accumulation=1)

Set in Order: All Projects have a Next Action (100% have a Next Action=5, Some projects have a Next Action=3, No projects have a Next Action=1)

Shine: Work area is organized efficiently (Completely organized=5, Mostly organized=3, Chaos=1)

Standardize: File names and methods are consistent across Projects and Reference (Completely consistent=5, Some inconsistency=3, No consistency=1)

Sustain: Weekly reviews conducted consistently (Within the last week=5,More than 14 days since last review=3,Never=1)


Results – Feedback from TraineesRewards:

◦ Significant improvement in peace of mind

◦ Feeling of greater organization and productivity

◦ “I’m comfortable I’m not missing something important”

Challenges:

◦ Disciplines can be difficult to follow

◦ Sometimes priority work prevents following the process

◦ “My priorities are set for me”


SummaryKnowledge worker 5S requires elimination of waste in information flows rather than material flows

Productivity tools can reduce waste in information flows

Significant productivity gains are possible, but adoption is challenging for some

Areas for further study◦ Alternate productivity methodologies – beyond GTD®

◦ Alternate instructional processes

◦ Alternate toolsets – beyond Outlook


Thank you!

Questions?

35ASQ NEQC 60TH CONFERENCE, SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTSOctober 22, 2014

Scott Marchland Davis

Director, QA & RA

Resonetics

Phone: (603) 521-6237

Email: [email protected]

Documents

5S for Knowledge Workers - NEQC Scott... · 5S for Knowledge Workers: MASTERING THE INFORMATION ... Getting Things Done ® based on work by David Allen ... Basic Workflow –Collect,