2 Second Lean

How to Grow People and Build a Fun Lean

Culture at Work & at Home
Paul A. Akers
Fastcap Press © 2014
156 pages
[@] getab.li/25547
Book:

Rating Take-Aways

8
9 Applicability • “2 Second Lean” is a process of simplification that leads to improved efficiency.
7 Innovation • It discards producing in big lots in favor of “one-piece flow” to reduce inventory.
8 Style
• Find and kill “eight wastes:” too much production, processing or stock, “defects,”
“transportation,” “wasted motion,” “waiting time” and “unused employee genius.”
  • Choose the things that bother you most, and get rid of them.
Focus • Toyota embodies effective, straightforward processes, but you needn’t travel to Japan to
witness excellence in Lean.
Leadership & Management
Strategy • Implement Lean’s “5S’s”: “sort, straighten, shine, standardize” and “sustain.”
Sales & Marketing
• Build a Lean corporate culture by holding morning meetings to share success stories
Finance that inspire your staff to deliver “two-second improvements” every day.
Human Resources
IT, Production & Logistics • Be humble and open; always praise your staff.
Career & Self-Development
• Implement “three pillars of Lean” improvement: reduce waste, constantly make
Small Business everything better, and record before-and-after videos to share with customers.
Economics & Politics
Industries
• Strive for ongoing excellence and workplace joy.
Global Business
Concepts & Trends

To purchase personal subscriptions or corporate solutions, visit our website at www.getAbstract.com, send an email to info@getabstract.com, or call us at our US office (1-877-778-6627) or at our Swiss office
(+41-41-367-5151). getAbstract is an Internet-based knowledge rating service and publisher of book abstracts. getAbstract maintains complete editorial responsibility for all parts of this abstract. getAbstract
acknowledges the copyrights of authors and publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this abstract may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, photocopying or otherwise –
without prior written permission of getAbstract Ltd. (Switzerland).

This summary is restricted to the personal use of Salomon Diokne (salomon.diokne@hoerbiger.com) 1 of 5

LoginContext[cu=1704732,asp=4084,subs=0,free=0,lo=en] 2016-01-29 13:58:47 CET

getabstract

getabstract
Relevance
getabstract
What You Will Learn
In this summary, you will learn:r1) How a “Lean culture” can transform your business, 2) What methods you can use
to recognize and eliminate “waste” in every process, and 3) What strategies will help you implement “two-second
improvements” at work and home.
getabstract
Review
Entrepreneur and business writer Paul A. Akers narrates from his hands-on experience as he transforms his business
into a “2 Second Lean” (his trademarked term) culture. His short manual bursts with enthusiasm and uses real-life
pictures that show the before and after stages of his company’s Lean changes. Akers draws heavily from his leadership
experience at FastCap LLC. He avoids manufacturing jargon and complex theory in this chatty, personal, humorous
account. getAbstract recommends most of his suggestions to start-ups, business owners, shop floor staff and anyone
seeking to optimize their business processes.
getabstract
getabstract

getabstract
Summary
getabstract
“Lean Thinking”
Imagine that you own a small business that produces innovative woodworking products.
You are an expert in the field, and your bank gives you a big loan to expand your thriving
business. You impress everyone with your success, but when you hire a consultant to
optimize your inventory, the consultant says you lack expertise and that your manufacturing
getabstract processes are not viable. Feeling somewhat humiliated, you start reading about the Toyota
“A Lean culture is
a free culture where
Production System. You learn about Lean thinking, which advises making every step in
people are trusted to your process as efficient and simple as possible. You move gradually from “big batch”
express themselves thinking – producing, say, 100 pieces at a time – to making only what you need when you
and be creative. This is
uncomfortable for most need it. By adopting Lean thinking, you reduce the stock you manage and, instead, directly
leaders.” tackle two crucial maxims: cut waste and improve constantly.
getabstract

“One-Piece Flow”
Running a big batch production process requires lots of space, machinery and people, plus
the means to move products around. If, instead, you opt for “U-shaped manufacturing cells,”
each worker becomes responsible for producing only one item from start to finish. This
offers many benefits. With a one-piece flow, workers produce less inventory, make fewer
mistakes and create less waste. One-piece production improves cash flow. Look closely and
you’ll find that every batch production job produces waste at each step.
getabstract
“Make a batch
and waste will be The Hated Eight
everywhere – or make Waste stands at the core of everything Lean seeks to destroy. Your task is to eliminate it.
one, make it right and
waste will magically You may look at waste reduction as a liability – or, if you can enjoy a more playful take,
disappear.” consider launching a companywide “scavenger hunt” to track down these eight sources
getabstract
of waste: too much production, processing and inventory, plus “defects,” “transportation,”
“wasted motion,” “waiting time” and “unused employee genius.”

By eliminating waste, you’ll achieve better outcomes and expend less energy. Consider
every potential small improvement. If one step in your production usually takes 60 minutes,
ask yourself – and your team – how you can cut it in half. Once you’re down to 30 minutes,

2 Second Lean                                                                                                                                                                         getAbstract © 2016 2 of 5

This summary is restricted to the personal use of Salomon Diokne (salomon.diokne@hoerbiger.com)

LoginContext[cu=1704732,asp=4084,subs=0,free=0,lo=en] 2016-01-29 13:58:47 CET

 think again and aim for another 50% cut. Lean means hunting down all possible waste and
helping your employees improve their work all the time. Provide the correct example by
always attempting to make every task and process more simple.
getabstract
“Each mistake and “Lean At Home”
each improvement will You can apply Lean thinking to many of life’s activities, including how you organize your
become a valuable
part of building a home; you can always find room for improvement. Ask “what bugs you” to find out where
culture of continuous you can enhance daily performance. For example, you might have a closet with dark corners
improvement.”
getabstract that make it hard for you to find a matching outfit in the morning: Upgrade to brighter lights
to reduce frustration and save time and energy in your morning routine.

Seek out other potential Lean improvements. For example, analyze how you make your
morning tea or coffee. Instead of putting a pack of sweetner in a mug, adding cinnamon and
then fetching a tea bag and hot water, consider buying the sweetener in bulk and mixing
it with cinnamon in a sugar shaker placed conveniently near your tea bags and hot water
source. Potentially, this could save a few hours and a mile or two of running back and forth
in your kitchen every year.
getabstract
“Toyota makes millions
of improvements every “Pilgrimage” to Japan
year, all generated
from the ideas of their Consider Japan the center of Lean thinking. If you have the time and means, consider a
employees worldwide.” pilgrimage and learn directly from the experts at Toyota. See how they transformed their
getabstract
factories into “institutions of efficiency and simplicity.” Watching people on the shop floor
embrace the principles of Lean can be inspirational, whether they perform their tasks with
concentration at their stand-up workspaces, engage in continuous training sessions or just
sweep the floors.

Witness how the leaders dress in the same blue overalls as everyone else, and how
even the CEO scrubs the bathroom as part of the daily cleaning routine. The people in
getabstract a Lean plant focus on living Lean principles every day. Toyota prioritizes its people.
“The Lean leader
has an ego strong Through learning and ongoing training, Toyota inculcates employees with the concept of
enough to solicit and “continuous improvement.”
welcome ideas from
absolutely every person
involved and will “The 5S’s of Lean”
recognize everybody’s The 5S’s of Lean can serve as an elementary guideline for starting your firm’s Lean journey:
contribution as
valuable.”
getabstract 1. “Sort” – Eradicate everything you don’t require.
2. “Straighten” – Systematize how you display tools.
3. “Shine” – Clean floors and workspaces daily.
4. “Standardize” – Share best practices by posting signs representing them visually.
5. “Sustain” – Mark where certain things belong: chairs, tables and “even the salt and
pepper” shakers.

getabstract You can implement all five steps at once, or only a subset to get started. For example, Hoks, a
“The number-one thing
that people want in life
Japanese manufacturer that went from a multimillion-dollar loss to an amazing $10 million
is to feel that their ideas profit in only a few years, began its transition with three S’s: sweep, sort and standardize.
matter and they are
making a difference.”
getabstract Lean Culture
To ingrain Lean in your business, start building a culture that displays its principles
every day. Use “morning meetings” to share performance updates and success stories with
your workforce. Begin with five minutes every day, and scale up to meetings that last
between 30 to 45 minutes. During meeting time, no one works. Everyone share insights

2 Second Lean                                                                                                                                                                         getAbstract © 2016 3 of 5

This summary is restricted to the personal use of Salomon Diokne (salomon.diokne@hoerbiger.com)

LoginContext[cu=1704732,asp=4084,subs=0,free=0,lo=en] 2016-01-29 13:58:47 CET

 and improvement opportunities. Rotate the task of leading the meetings to generate and
encourage leadership within your staff.

getabstract Everyone likes acknowledgement and admiration for their achievements. Offer tours of
“Lean is focused
on intentionally your facility. Your people will feel good about outsiders wanting to see their work and
simplifying any process. emulate their successes. In Lean culture, the individual comes first, then the process and
When you make a
process simpler, you then the product. Build an inclusive, proud culture and savor more happy faces around your
yield a better, more shop floor.
satisfying result with
less effort.”
getabstract Getting Better in Two Seconds
Some people struggle to come up with continuous improvements in their workplace.
Facilitate that process by asking for small, incremental enhancements. Ask how you can
save just two seconds in your daily working routine. If everyone performs these two-second
improvements every day, those seconds will accumulate to a significant savings in time and
resources. To recognize your staff’s creative enhancements, walk around the facility each
morning to see how your employees have improved their workspaces.
getabstract
“To eliminate the waste What seems like a simple idea becomes powerful when you “set the expectation, inspect
of excess inventory,
we had to analyze our the expectation” and then “reinforce the expectation.” To learn how other Lean companies
processes closely and started their improvement journey, visit one. The improvements at FastCap, Kaas Tailored,
find ways to improve
them.” VIBCO and Toyota are quite visible, so you can learn from their firsthand experience.
getabstract
Start in the Bathroom
You can start your Lean transformation in many different spaces, but one space that is
equally important for anyone in your firm might be the bathrooms. Make your lavatories
the standard for what Lean should look like. Create a chart that explains how to clean the
bathroom, using pictures and easy-to-understand descriptions. Copy and laminate that card
and put one on each bathroom door. Standardize the cleaning materials and equipment you
use; display and label all cleaning supplies nicely on a shelf in every bathroom.
getabstract
“If you feel like you’re
pushing a train or like Now engage your staff in cleaning the bathrooms. Whereas you might have used outside
you’re spinning your cleaning personnel in the past, explain why you want everyone to take charge of the
wheels trying to make
Lean work, then you’re
bathroom’s cleanliness from now on – including yourself. Rotate tasks so that people clean
doing it all wrong.” a different bathroom every week. To create a standard and to act out of respect for each
getabstract
other, each person will want to leave the bathroom neater and cleaner than he or she found
it. Starting in the bathroom is a simple way to endorse a culture of continuous improvement.

Now, imagine you visit your firm’s lunchroom and find a table covered with empty bottles,
used napkins and half-eaten sandwiches. Some employees clearly didn’t clean up. Your
first thought might be: “How can anyone be so disrespectful?” Since you’re vested in Lean
thinking, jump into improvise mode; consider how to stop such packaging waste.

“Extreme and Humble Lean”

getabstract When an economic crisis appears, immerse yourself in fighting back. When FastCap lost
“Your pride will blind
you to what you most 25% of its sales in 2008, its leaders created a threefold plan for fighting back: “We will
need to learn.” survive. There will be no layoffs and no pay cuts. Not only will we survive, but we will
getabstract
prosper through the recession.” FastCap reduced its marketing expenditures by 50%, and
every department cut expenses. Buying used equipment at a lower price from companies
that went bust helped FastCap expand and create new jobs. At the close of 2009, the
company proudly reported that it had successfully survived the battle, thanks to Extreme
Lean practices during the crisis.

2 Second Lean                                                                                                                                                                         getAbstract © 2016 4 of 5

This summary is restricted to the personal use of Salomon Diokne (salomon.diokne@hoerbiger.com)

LoginContext[cu=1704732,asp=4084,subs=0,free=0,lo=en] 2016-01-29 13:58:47 CET

 As a Lean leader, be humble, show openness when you make mistakes and always praise
your staff. You don’t have to come up with all the problem-solving concepts yourself if
you build a culture in which others happily share their ideas. Consider how humility makes
you successful.

“Three Pillars of Lean”

To strengthen the idea of two-second lean, make sure you build your improvements on
getabstract
“At its core, Lean is three pillars:
really about the process
of growing people.”
getabstract 1. “See waste” – To eliminate the eight wastes, people must recognize them.
2. “Continuously improve everything, everybody, every day” – Keep building on
your achievements.
3. “Make before and after videos of all your improvements” – Videos make your
achievements visible to everyone. They can be educational and show your progress.
Even if you are new to videos, do not worry – just start. If you wait for everything to be
perfect, you will never make a video. Instead, turn on your smartphone and make your
debut. Have your staff produce and watch improvement videos all the time. Use these
videos for marketing, for example, as part of your weekly email newsletter to customers.

getabstract “11 Steps to Lean Culture”

“A Lean strategy Lean should be simple and fun. You don’t need to hire consultants to start on your 11 steps
will always yield a
simpler, safer and to Lean culture. All you need do is move through this list, one step at a time:
better product, and with
happier, very involved
employees.” 1. Make sure the CEO personally embraces and adopts the Lean idea.
getabstract 2. Hold regular team meetings daily.
3. Teach the eight wastes.
4. Encourage everyone to make videos.
5. Point at yourself when you demonstrate waste.
6. “Fix what bugs you.”
7. Begin implementing Lean practices in any places that no longer work.
8. Get started yourself; don’t wait for an external consultant to appear.
9. Leave family out of it; never teach your spouse or children to be Lean.
10.Don’t hesitate – once you begin, you will soon gain recognition as a Lean leader.
getabstract 11. Always look for a simple solution to any problem.
“My advice for people
wanting to create a
Lean culture is to start Execute these steps to energize your business. If at any time your culture needs more drive,
in the bathroom and
roll it out slowly from go back to step 1 and repeat until your workplace experiences rebirth.
there.”
getabstract
“Building a Lean Culture”
When you build a Lean culture, you’ll find that you can harvest the returns fairly quickly.
You will experience greater retention and less turnover. Your employees will have fun
working for you and your customers will be loyal to your strong performance and superior
operations. Reducing costs, increasing quality and always innovating will sustain your firm
over the long run.
getabstract
getabstract

getabstract
About the Author
getabstract
Founder and owner of FastCap LLC, Paul A. Akers is an Extreme Lean enthusiast and hosts the radio show, “The
American Innovator.”

2 Second Lean                                                                                                                                                                         getAbstract © 2016 5 of 5

This summary is restricted to the personal use of Salomon Diokne (salomon.diokne@hoerbiger.com)

LoginContext[cu=1704732,asp=4084,subs=0,free=0,lo=en] 2016-01-29 13:58:47 CET