Content by Harish Jose
The Best Kind of KaizenWithout understanding, improvement is unlikely
Wed, 05/09/2018 - 12:01
I have been writing about kaizen a lot recently. It is a simple idea: change for the better. Generally, kaizen stands for small incremental improvements. Here I’m going to look at what is the best kind of kaizen. The twist in the dumpling A few…
Looking at Kaizen and KaikakuKnowing when to plod and when to sprint
Mon, 03/12/2018 - 13:02
In today’s column, I will be looking at kaizen and kaikaku through the lens of the explore/exploit model. Kaizen is often translated from Japanese as “continuous improvement” or “change for better.” Kaikaku, another Japanese term, is translated as…
In Defense of Fuzzy ThinkingWith continuous improvement, wherever we are, there we are
Thu, 02/01/2018 - 12:02
It’s not easy to find topics to write about, and even if I find good topics, it has to pass my threshold level. As I was meditating on this, I started to think about procrastination and ambiguity. So my column today is about the importance of “…
Which Way You Should Go Depends on Where You AreThe dangers of misapplying linearity
Thu, 12/14/2017 - 12:02
I recently read Jordan Ellenberg’s wonderful book, How Not To Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking (Penguin Books, 2014). I found the book to be enlightening and a great read. Ellenberg has the rare combination of being knowledgeable and…
Epistemology at the Gemba Multiple perspectives of knowledge and wisdom
Mon, 10/30/2017 - 12:03
Today I will look at epistemology at the gemba. Epistemology is the part of philosophy that deals with the theory of knowledge. It tries to answer the questions, “How do we know things, and what are the limits of our knowledge?” I have been…
Rules of Three and FiveTips for sample sizes
Wed, 08/23/2017 - 12:03
It’s been a while since I’ve written about statistics. So in this column, I will be looking at the rules of three and five. These are heuristics, or rules of thumb, that can help us out. They are associated with sample sizes. Rule of three Let’s…
Process Validation, Part 2The problem of induction
Tue, 07/11/2017 - 12:02
In today’s column, I will be looking at process validation and the problem of induction. Yesterday, I looked at process validation through another philosophical angle by using the lesson of the Ship of Theseus. The U.S. Food and Drug…
Process Validation, Part 1Ship of Theseus
Tue, 07/11/2017 - 12:02
There is a great Greek paradox/puzzle called the Ship of Theseus. There are multiple versions and derivations to it. My favorite version is as follows (highly watered down). Theseus bought a new ship. Each day he replaced one part of the ship.…
Popper’s CircleA philosophical view of problem solving
Tue, 05/09/2017 - 12:03
I have been reading a lot these days about Western philosophy. The most recent book, All Life is Problem Solving (Routledge, 2001), is by Karl Popper, one of the great philosophers of the 20th century. This is a collection of Popper’s writings. One…
Entropy in the Manufacturing WorldComplexity lies between low entropy and high entropy
Mon, 04/10/2017 - 12:02
In this article, I will be looking at entropy in the manufacturing world. Entropy is generally defined as a measure of disorder. This general definition can sometimes be inadequate. Let’s look at the example of a desk in an office. One could say…