Continuous Improvement Blog

Hi Everyone,

My name is Arianna Laiho, or Ari, and I have recently completed my training to become the newest Student Process Improvement Coordinator here in the Office of Continuous Improvement.

I was born in Midland, Michigan and spent large parts of my life living in Switzerland and most recently California, where I graduated from Clayton Valley Charter High School in 2015. I decided from there to attend Michigan Tech, my dad’s Alma Mater, initially as a Chemical Engineering student but my passions redirected me and eventually led me to switching majors to Biomedical Engineering last fall.

When I am not on campus, I spend a large portion of my time at Mont Ripley as a Ski and Snowboard Instructor and Ski Patroller in the winter or enjoying the local mountain bike trails when the weather permits. I also enjoy playing Trumpet in the Pep Band, and Jazz Band when my schedule allows.

I ended up applying for this position through a recommendation from one of the Facilitators and another PIC, without really knowing what I was getting into I jumped right in and realized pretty quickly that although I was unfamiliar with the terms being given to different Lean practices I was somewhat familiar with the principles. Without realizing it, I had spent my childhood surrounded by lean thinking and processes because of my dad who I recently discovered has been a Six Sigma Black Belt since 2002. This has not eliminated all the confusion of taking on Lean but I have so far enjoyed the on-boarding process and am looking forward to jumping into events in the next week or so here!

-Ari

2016-2017 has been an improvement year for the student organization, Leaders in Continuous Improvement (LCI). In the past year, we have doubled our membership, rebuilt the organization from scratch, and found new and fun ways to run our general meetings. The organization has become very organized, and both the e-board and general members have been given many fresh opportunities.

In the fall of 2016, we started with a very successful K-day, and the E-board worked to spread the knowledge of continuous improvement to students attending the event. We drew students in by offers of candy and stadium cups before they gave our Lego 5S game a shot. It was very favorable with the students and a large portion of them showed up to our first general meeting of the year to begin their continuous improvement journey.

The semester continued with fun general meetings where we focused on activities connected to various topics such as 5S, fishbone diagrams, process mapping, etc. Our members enjoyed the activities and had a good learning experience during the meetings. A question we asked ourselves before going into the fall semester was “When companies come to us with recommendations, how do we know what member is the best one?” The e-board worked together for a couple of weeks and came up with a level system. Every member walking through the doors to our meeting is level 1, and when they want to move up, they have to attend general meetings, Gemba walks, guest speakers, etc. to earn points. Our highest level is 3, and that is our members with the most knowledge and participation in our organization. As an E-board, we want to have members at all levels, but we do encourage members to move up as well. For example, one benefit you get if you move up to level 2 is a career fair flag to put under your nametag. This was a huge hit during Career Fair in both the fall and the spring and many of our members got interviews because of this. The organization will always want to improve so we will see what is in store next semester.

In both the spring and the fall we had Gemba walks and industry trips for our members to attend and to see lean in practice in the industry. In the fall we went to the Michigan Tech Library, BOSS snowplow in Iron Mountain, and Pettibone in Baraga. In the spring, we went to The Muffler Shop, Quincy Woodwrights, and our bigger industry trip, Parker Hannifin. These industry trips were beneficial to our members as they get to see how various companies embrace lean and continuous improvement, as well as the added benefits of practicing lean.

Next year, the E-board is planning great things for LCI and one of our goals is to get more students excited about Lean and continuous improvement. Have a great summer, Huskies!

Through the process of becoming engulfed in lean culture, there is a lot to be thankful for. For myself, becoming more organized has helped me better focus on school and achieve success in my everyday life. Others who embrace a lean lifestyle may be happy with how they have more time to spend with loved ones through the improvement of processes within their lives.

Although each instance of discovering lean is different for everyone, it’s always interesting to hear the aha moments of people who have realized the positive effects of what lean and continuous improvement has done for their lives. Starting my first semester at Michigan Tech, I found myself becoming overwhelmed in school, work, clubs, family, etc. The list could go on, and for many other people I have come to know, they have felt similar experiences. To be able to come out of this downward spiral of never ending tasks can be difficult and sometimes feel impossible. For myself, the day that I started at Michigan Tech was also the day I started to transition into a lean lifestyle. By the end of the first week, I had already made my first personal Kanban, which is explained as a visual management tool to keep track and manage the tasks that needed to be completed. After getting a firm grasp on this tool, I started to then adapt other lean tools into my life such as affinity diagrams and also the 5S organizational tool. By the time I was able to get a grasp of these tools, I was already seeing improvements with the increased time for other activities, as well as a sense of calmness knowing that I am staying on track to successfully complete my first semester as Michigan Tech.

Seeing as though we are nearing the end of the school year, I have taken a couple minutes to reflect on my time at Michigan Tech and also in the Office of Continuous Improvement. I have come leaps and bounds in my organizational skills, which has ultimately alleviated unneeded stress in my life. Without this buildup of stress, I am able to focus my efforts towards what is most important in my life. As I said earlier, everyone has a different aha moment when embracing a lean lifestyle. Being able to celebrate my successes in school and work was the moment that I realized that lean was for me, and that I had truly found a path to move forward on.

I’ve officially reached my one year anniversary of being a PIC here in the Office of Continuous Improvement. The amount of knowledge, experiences, and people that I’ve met in the past 12 months have far surpassed any expectations that I had when I was on-boarding. One question that I frequently get asked is, “what do you do for your job,” and I blandly answer, “I work with Lean and Continuous Improvement.” Now, I say blandly because my intention is to strike curiosity and to create a dialogue between us- the response to my vague answer is almost always scrunched up eyebrows and, “Lean?”

A year ago, I also had no idea what Lean was, I started my job as a PIC happy to have employment year round. I often tell people that when I started, I was also asking what Lean was and I thought it was referring to physically leaning over. It wasn’t until around my third month that I began forming an elevator pitch. Now, I have a little more solidarity to my response… Lean is like a house, with many rooms. Each room offers something a little different, but together it makes walls, floors, a roof, a home to grow in. Lean is whatever you make it to be, and this is allowed because of the foundation it is built on-top of. Lean consists of a culture that promotes tapping into a different depth of your brain so that you can use this knowledge to help bridge the gap between current and future state through root cause analysis. Lean is about solving problems to be able to understand why the root cause is functioning (or not) the way it is. Lean is about being open minded to change, differences, others, and to growth. Lean is about eliminating waste, in-order to increase efficiency, productivity, and safety for all processes and people involved. Lean is about creating standards for doing things, but also being flexible for each individuals need. Lean is a lifestyle, filled with many aspects, and advantages. I’d like to remind you, that this is lean in my eyes as of today, it will change again a little in a month, and even more in another year. It’s also important to note that due to the flexibility of lean it is going to be different for everyone.

I’ve found that Lean cannot be easily defined or phrased without feeling like the parameters defining it are too constricting. Lean is able to provide a broad application of life changing habits if you remain open-minded.

The Office of Continuous Improvement has added a member to the team. Anita Paquin is the newest Student Process Improvement Coordinator. Anita’s willingness to learn should make her a great addition to the office. In the short amount of time she has been here, Anita has shown her passion for learning.

Here Anita will introduce herself,

Hello,
My name is Anita, becoming a student process coordinator was a bit unexpected, but a much appreciated opportunity.

I was born in Atlanta Georgia and spent the first half of my childhood exploring the country with my parents before settling in lower Michigan around age 10.  After settling in Muskegon Michigan I found my passion for learning. I attended high school at Orchard View, where I was offered the opportunity to join a program called Early College Muskegon County (ECMC). ECMC offered me a head start in my college career, allowing me to earn a full associates degree in General Sciences and Art before graduating high-school. After graduating in 2016, I decided to gain some independence and moved here to Michigan tech.

I am always busy, and I enjoy having my hands moving whenever possible. Besides my position here in the Office of Continuous Improvement, I am also a full time student, a part time Walmart Cashier, and a hobbyist wildlife photographer (In the summer I can usually be found chasing chipmunks).

I am very excited to learn what differences LEAN training can make in all aspects of my life. I have not been in the office very long yet, but I can already see that my position as a student process improvement coordinator is going to prove a valuable piece to my future.

~Anita

We look forward to seeing what Anita’s passion for learning can add to the office and what lean culture can add to her life.

The holidays are all about family, home cooked meals that are to die for, gifts, celebration, and joy. But what happens once January first hits? The fitness centers reach capacity with people outside begging to be let in, produce is scarce but your beloved lucky charms have an inventory, and the cliche statement: “New Year, New me!” until about January 14th.

Now, let’s rewire this a bit, I’m not bashing the latter statement, or the sudden interest in exercise and healthy dieting. Rather, I encourage it. What I am bashing is that it stops mid-way through January. Now, some people actually do succeed and that’s awesome, yet almost everyone sets a goal for themselves, but why do only a handful stick with it? Is it more drive? More incentive? Less busy? I don’t know this answer, but I do know a way to ensure you are one of the ones that achieve whatever it is you want. How do you do this? It’s easy, S.M.A.R.T. goals. What this stands for is that the goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.

According to Statistics Brain 2016, the top four New year’s resolutions are: Lose weight, Getting Organized, Spend Less and Save more, Enjoy life to the fullest. Well, getting organized is what we’re all about so we’ll do something different. Enjoying life to the fullest isn’t really specific or measurable. Spend less and Save more is good, but we might as well go with #1 lose weight. This will be a hypothetical example.

Is this goal specific: What, How, and why will this be accomplished?
The goal is to lose weight, more specifically 45 pounds and to achieve a body fat percentage that is 20% body fat! How it will be accomplished is by exercising 5/7 days. The Why is because my doctor told me I was overweight and I’m not happy in my own skin, so I want to change that.

Is this goal measurable: How will it be measured? What shows progress towards this goal?
This goal will be measured by percent body fat and weight loss by the use of a scale and body mass index. Progress will be shown once the percent body fat decreases to within the healthy range, and about 3-5 lbs at least is lost each month. It can also be measured by how happy I feel in my skin.

Is this goal attainable: Is the time frame good? Is there a need for knowledge, skills and abilities to achieve? Are there resources needed?
The time frame is good. There is a need for knowledge, skills and abilities on how to structure work outs, how to diet properly and healthily. The resources that will be needed are an exercise facility, perhaps a personal trainer, and maybe even a nutritionist.

Is this goal realistic: What’s the result of the goal? What’s the reason, purpose or benefit?
The result of the goal will hopefully be successful weight loss of about 45 pounds. The reason is so that I am no longer overweight, the purpose is for a healthier lifestyle, and the benefit is that this may allow me to be around a lot longer.

Is this goal timely? What’s the time frame? What’s the completion date?
The time frame of this goal is 12 months and the completion date is December 1st.

Goal setting is fantastic, but there’s nothing more rewarding than achieving a goal that you set for yourself. Life gets busy, in the way, and often our goals to better our selves gets bumped to the bottom of the priority list. However, if you originally set your goals through the use of SMART goals, then it will be easier to stick to your goal to the end.