About WCPS

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far WCPS has created 638 blog entries.

Small details

By |2020-09-04T03:08:10+00:00January 4th, 2020|

Sometimes, very small parts of a process can have a massive impact on overall performance. Take Formula 1 racing. Quite often, the winner is determined by when tyre changes are carried out .., or the speed at which they are carried out. Yet tyre changes probably account for less than 1% of elapsed time. So,

Promise yourself

By |2020-09-04T03:10:25+00:00December 28th, 2019|

Many of us are about to celebrate the start of a new year. It is traditional to make resolutions or promises to oneself that should make us a better person in some way. Those of us who are committed to productivity or performance improvement should make a similar professional promise. For example if you travel

Consistent Inconsistency

By |2020-03-19T22:41:09+00:00December 21st, 2019|

Six Sigma is based on consistency - on reducing variation so that processes run smoothly and consistently, to their specification. Most processes have some variation - due to inconsistency of raw materials, variations in machine or equipment performance, human inconsistency and error, variations in the environment and so on. We either have to stop such

Experts are not enough

By |2020-09-04T03:11:08+00:00December 14th, 2019|

What will a group of productivity experts do for you if you want to improve productivity. Well, the best you can expect is to gain wisdom about best current practice.  That’s the job of an expert - to disseminate the best of current knowledge. What the experts won ’t necessarily give you is innovation, new thinking

Don’t uninvent

By |2020-03-19T22:41:09+00:00December 7th, 2019|

Why do people keep pretending that useful things have not been invented For example, I keep seeing waiting staff in restaurants struggling to carry more than a couple of plates and IK want to shout 'There is such a thing as a tray" but some unwritten convention decrees the tray to an 'object non grata'. 

Less work, more productivity

By |2020-03-19T22:41:09+00:00November 30th, 2019|

When we are young and inexperienced, we tend to think that if we work harder we will be more productive. As we gain experience (and age), we start to realise that this is not true.  Too much of our effort is unproductive.  We slowly learn to work smarter, to prioritise, to  eliminate waste, to think our way to

Copycat Chinese??

By |2020-09-04T03:13:41+00:00November 23rd, 2019|

I was back in China last week. The economic miracle of China is well know but many people still think it was, and is, built on cheap labour and ‘copycat’ products. These people have never been too a modern Chinese gigafactory - lots of automation, just in time manufacturing, good use of AI - all

Lessons from Sport

By |2020-09-04T03:14:27+00:00November 16th, 2019|

I watch quite a bit of sport on TV, including American football. Those of you who know the game will know that each side has virtually 3 teams playing in a match - the offence, the defence and what are called ‘special teams’ who handle kick off, kickoff reception and other isolated events. Each of

A new model needed

By |2020-03-19T22:41:30+00:00November 9th, 2019|

Recently I got caught up in a great commute ... I had to travel into the city centre at the same time as all the other unfortunates that do so at the sane time every day. It is clear (or it should be) that we need a new model of work, of workplaces, of team

Peter Watkins was named President of WCPS

By |2020-11-04T14:47:29+00:00November 4th, 2019|

At a Board meeting in Beijing, China, a number of changes were made to the officers of WCPS. Peter Watkins was named President of WCPS, replacing John Heap who resigned from the role. Mike Dillon was named as Chairman of WCPS. Chen Shengchang was named as President of the World Academy of Productivity

Go to Top