Category Archives: Standardization

The Failure of Lean/Six Sigma

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Brian Chapin

I’ve been asked in a few emails to comment on how to apply Lean/Six Sigma to ammonia refrigeration and PSM programs. Short answer: Don’t. The long answer follows but feel free to skip this once your eyes glaze over! I … Continue reading →

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Everything is working just fine – Now is the time to improve!

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Brian Chapin

Ever get down because the operator that is always “fixing” a “broken” refrigeration system is viewed as a hero while the operator who reliably and efficiently operates a system is forgotten about? Read on and see what I think you … Continue reading →

Posted in General Information, Standardization, System Optimization | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Garden City Ammonia Program PodCast

Posted on January 12, 2011 by Brian Chapin

I recently had a long conversation with Craig Ward of Garden City Ammonia Program. He turned it into an episode for their GCAP Cool Cast. You can listen to the entire conversation here. As always – feedback is welcome.

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SOP Development Tip – Leave the Multitasking to the Computers

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Brian Chapin

As any parent can attest, it’s possible (though hardly optimal) to do two things at once – as long as none of the tasks you are performing require much thought. You’ve probably noticed that when you multi-task it’s very easy … Continue reading →

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Stop Fantasizing about your Dream Team and get to work!

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Brian Chapin

I’m continually amazed how often I come across underperforming organizations that don’t try to improve because they feel the caliber of their employees is inadequate to achieve higher performance. It may well be true that your team is suboptimal in … Continue reading →

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Ammonia PSM Coordinator? Go Gemba!

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Brian Chapin

“Gemba” is a Japanese term for “where the real work is done.” In manufacturing, one of the best things your Kaizen or Process Improvement team can do is spend some time on the shop floor. There you see the problems … Continue reading →

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Benefits of a Trained Professional Ammonia Operator

Posted on July 27, 2010 by Brian Chapin

“Without Standardization, there can be no improvement” That’s one of my favorite phrases from Lean/Six Sigma. Is the person who is in charge of your ammonia system someone who genuinely cares about how your system is running? Are they the … Continue reading →

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A gem from the National Transportation Safety Board

Posted on July 15, 2010 by Brian Chapin

I read accident reports from all sorts of sources. A few years ago I read through the entire NTSB online library for fun and I still keep up with the new ones. There were many good insights in the reports … Continue reading →

Posted in Incidents, Standardization | Tagged , | 2 Comments