03 May 2009

Half full or half empty?

A company had invited over a Japanese Guru for a 'Lean Manufacturing' Workshop. These was part of a series of workshops that had started over two years ago, with the main aim to inculcate 'Lean Manufacturing' values and good practices that will help the organisation improve its processes and systems, reduce waste and drive cost savings.

At the end of the workshop, something caught the eye of the Japanese Guru. The keen-eyed man had noticed the many unfinished mineral water bottles on the tables. These bottled water are commonly handed out at such workshops. He then asked the audience to find out how many bottles the unfinished water could actually fill up. The results revealed that the water filled up half the total bottles that were opened. This was 50% waste! The Guru was dissapointed that his lessons on cost savings and waste reduction had not been entirely taken to practice. The management immediately stepped in and pledged to look into this issue.

Well one thing is for sure, all future workshop participants and visitors to the company will have to drink straight from plastic cups from now on.

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