5 ways to discover and understand our hidden factories.

1. Coming to See
Hidden Factories
5 ways to shine a light on what is really happening
in our activities and processes

2. Created by Tom Curtis 2012
Blog: www.onimproving.blogspot.com
Presentations: on www.slideshare.net/
onimproving
Email: ideamerchants@gmail.com
Twitter: @onimproving

3. What is a Hidden Factory?
The unseen and unknown world of what is really
happening in processes and activities.

4. Not all that one finds in a hidden factory is
wrong or bad. In some cases it is better
serving the customer than the “official process”.
The problem is that it is different than the official.
but why?

5. Why is different a problem?
The negative possibilities The positive possibilities
unsafe more productive
unsound more efficient
costly more current
defect producing more innovative
broken progressive
damaging more skilled
unsustainable more robust
These are still an issue.

6. Why are positive possibilities an issue?
The positive possibilities
1. May not be done by everyone
more productive 2. May require special skill
more efficient 3. May require better understanding
more current 4. May be usable elsewhere as well
more innovative
progressive
more skilled The Issue?
more robust Can change without us knowing.
(This can be really really bad.)
May not be as good as it might be.

7. Good or Bad
we
must
unhide
the
Hidden Factory.

8. If you do not think you have one,
it is
LARGE and THRIVING.

9. 5 ways to shine a light on a hidden factory

10. t . Trust
u ..
B . is a
r s t
F i must
and without it any
attempt will be a
bust.

11. Think mission of
understanding
not raid.

12. Go and...
See
Free
Be
We
Re

13. Go and...
Trust
qu
en
c e,
See
rt.
Free
is a s e
ce
o ta c on
must en in
ar ed
and
without it
T he
se
to
ft en
us
Be
We
bu
any
attempt will
be a
bust. Re
The goal is to understand.

14. Go and... See
Go and See is to watch and observe.
To spend time required to understand
what the purpose of the process is,
how the process works, and what the
people do. This necessitates an
investment to both understand the
standard or expectation and the
current process. We need to be
careful to ensure what we see
reflects what happens all the time.

15. Go and... Free
Go and Free is to remove barriers in
discussion with those who work in the
area. To provide freedom to be open
and honest about what happens.
This requires trust and time. This is
important because it helps to reveal
aspects that cannot be seen and can
provide the why it is done, backstory,
and insight into the thinking behind
the changes. We will set free.

16. Go and... Be
Go and Be is to attempt or try. We
can “work the line” or “build the
report”. In learning by doing we will
gain an appreciation for what is done.
We will understand how well the
standard or expectation fits the task.
We will see ways we would do it
differently. We may understand why
the standard was not updated or
adjusted. We will experience.

17. Go and... We
Go and We is to work together. We
will not find the hidden factory if there
is a feeling of us and them. There
must be a feeling of we. We can work
to understand why the standard is not
followed. Is it too hard, not realistic,
not sufficient, too old, unknown, non
existent? We can come to
understand and improve together. We
must avoid the urge to believe that the
difference is disobedient in nature.

18. Go and... Re
Go and Re is to do the RE words-
Review, Reset, & Research.
Review-What is the Standard?
Reset-What is the current state?
Research-Why is the process
functioning in the way it is?
In the RE’s we can find understanding
of the gap between the standard or
expectation and reality.

19. Now What?
Get it Straight:
Correct
or
Update
Correct-Bring back to Standard. Make
adjustments necessary to meet requirements.
Update-Make adjustments to the Standard.
Help the new standard the become current.

20. Repeat often.