For me, tools are those things that limit your thinking.  Always believing standardization is good creates a mindset that makes standardization a tool.  The "7 wastes" of manufacturing limit our thinking to those 7 wastes.  Really most things that have a label and can be copied is a form of tool.  Improvement folks love tools because they can be copied whether they apply or not.  Instead, asking what will help us learn (rather than pull out the tool kit) is a better method.

Mr. McLean, This information adds to your comment. I recently shared this brief summary with the Deming Group. We need to understand the contributions that IE had made to organizational system design and management, in the manufacturing and service industries.

F.W. Taylor heavily influenced Lillian M. and Frank B. Gilbreth who are considered parents of Industrial Engineering.She is considered the first lady of engineering "By 1912, he [Frank B. Gilbreth] left the construction business to devote himself entirely to "scientific management"-- a term coined, in Gantt's apartment, by a group including Gilbreth. But to him it was more than merely the mouthing of slogans to be foisted on a worker at a job in a plant. It was a philosophy that pervaded home and school, hospital and community, in fact, life itself. It was something that could be achieved only by cooperation--cooperation between engineers, educators, physiologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, economists, sociologists, statisticians, managers. Most important--at the core of it all, there was the individual, his comfort, his happiness, his service, and his dignity." Pioneers in Improvement and our Modern Standard of Living IW/SI News, Issue 18, September 1968, pgs. 37-38 Some of the publications by the Gilbreth inlcuded: Psychology of Management (1912) Motion Study for the Handicapped Fatigue Study Applied Motion Study Bricklaying System The Foreman in Manpower Management Scientific Management in the Operating Room. They are considered the pioneers in the Hospital Improvement process . "Japanese industry is the envy of the world for its efficient and humane management practices. Yet, as William Tsutsui argues, the origins and implications of "Japanese-style management" are poorly understood. Contrary to widespread belief, Japan's acclaimed strategies are not particularly novel or even especially Japanese. Tsutsui traces the roots of these practices to Scientific Management, or Taylorism, an American concept that arrived in Japan at the turn of the century. During subsequent decades, this imported model was embraced--and ultimately transformed--in Japan's industrial workshops. Imitation gave rise to innovation as Japanese managers sought a "revised" Taylorism that combined mechanistic efficiency with respect for the humanity of labor." Manufacturing Ideology: Scientific Management in Twentieth-Century Japan William M. Tsutsui The origin of TPS, previous to Dr. Deming's arrival in Japan, started when Ken'ichi Horigome, Tsuneo Ono, Yoichi and others (in the 1920's) were exposed to the theories of work measurement and design developed by Frank B. and Lillian M. Gilbreth. Later, Tsuneo Ono influenced Shigeo Shingo, IE and Taiichi Ohno, IE.

12 days ago

Originally conceived by Frank and Lillian M. Gilbreth, the “tabletop improvement experiments” have been used in Japan since 1925 to teach important principles of continuous improvement. They were adopted by Shigeo Shingo. 

Lillian Gilbreth, IE, received in the name of the emperor of Japan the "Third Class of the Order of the Precious Crown'' for "Outstanding contribution to the guidance and diffusion of scientific management and industrial development" (1968) 

Deming-Gilbreth Connection 

During his life, Dr. Deming had considerable interactions with several Industrial Engineers such as, William Golomski, George Box, Ryuji Fukuda, W. Allen Wallis, Frank B. Gilbreth, Ben S Graham, Sr., Joseph Juran, Frank Gryna Jr., Hitoshi Kume and others. 

“It was Dr Juran who pointed out long ago that most of the possibilities for improvement lie in action on the system, and that contributions of production workers are severely limited”. W.E. Deming 

IEs helped Dr Deming operationalize his theory of management in Japan. Many had IE education and were applying scientific mgmt since late 20's. 

Dr. Deming worked with Ben S. Graham, IE and others in the study of administrative processes in middle 1950's. He provided statistical knowledge in support of the study of work processes. 

What is IE 

"Industrial engineering is concerned with the design, improvement, and installation of integrated systems of people, materials, information, equipment, and energy. It draws upon specialized knowledge and skill in the mathematical, physical, and social sciences together with the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design to specify, predict, and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems." (AIIE,1955) 

IE body of knowledge typically includes: Systems Engineering, Applied Decision Theory, Human Factors Engineering, Industrial Costs & Controls , Industrial Systems Simulation, Engineering Economics, Work Process Analysis & Design, Facilities Planning, Layout & Design, Manufacturing System Design, Engineering Probability & Statistics, Design of Experiments, Statistical Quality Control, Quality Engineering, Operations Planning & Control, Production Planning and Control Management, Operations Research, Modeling and Simulation.... In addition to this, courses in the humanities and engineering design process. 

-Deming was Honorary Life Member of American Institute of Industrial Engineers

Fernando J. Grijalva

@demingsos