Fostering Innovation: How to Develop Innovation as a Core Competency and Connect the Principles of Lean in Your Organization

While innovation can be defined in many ways, the author sees it as a process. It is not the sudden eureka moment in the middle of the night, nor is it a clear and linear path towards a final destination. Instead, it involves a strong sense of creativity and curiosity. An innovative mind has a natural inclination towards out-of-the-box thinking. It involves a willingness to try something new, without fear or judgment, to develop something no one else has ever articulated. While the mindset comes naturally, it requires fuel to keep it running. Innovators are voracious readers and researchers. They feed their mindset all of the fuel it needs to stay informed and relevant in their field.

Many of the same things can be said for the Lean mindset. Lean management doesn’t happen overnight, and it is very rarely a clear and linear path to true Lean thinking. Some might consider Lean a subset of innovative thinking, while others see it in reverse. Regardless of the relationship’s directionality, one thing is certain: You cannot have one without the other.

This book follows John Riley, the CEO of a medium-sized valve company just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, who will stop at nothing to create an innovative work environment. Through the ups and downs of his journey, he learns a number of Lean and innovative skills, strategies, and mindsets to help him build the business he’s always envisioned for himself.

Throughout the book, you see examples of both strong and poor innovative leadership skills demonstrated by each of the main characters. The key messages are ones that help leaders build and access a mindset insistent on continuous improvement. Leadership techniques and abilities that bolster creative thought and problem-solving are the most successful throughout this book.

To be truly innovative, you can never stop driving the learning process. For this to happen, leaders need to recognize when there is a need for a change or improvement. This is the beauty of the marriage between Lean and innovation: They both require continuous learning and growth. The desire to improve is only one piece of this equation, however. The other is the willingness to act. Without both of these factors, true innovation will always be out of reach.

Bill Artzberger, PMP, LSSBB, is the managing partner at the Lean Learning Center. He specializes in Lean Manufacturing, Innovation, Lean Health Care, Leadership, and Project Management.

He has over thirty-five years of experience in real-world senior management, including CIO, VP, President, and CEO. He has worked with thousands of individuals from the boardroom to the shop floor, in virtually all sectors of industry. Bill holds two patents and brings extensive project management, lean manufacturing, and information technology experience to The Lean Learning Center. He has been published dozens of times and is a co-author of the top-selling Lean book “Driving Operational Excellence” and author of “Powering the Lean Enterprise”. He is also an associate professor at Oakland University and a member of the OU Pawley Center advisory board.

He has successfully implemented lean improvement projects in dozens of companies throughout the world. Bill is an expert in the usage of lean techniques such as value stream mapping, error proofing, quick changeover, kaizens, kanban systems, 5 S, and visual pull systems. He has taught hundreds of lean process classes and is an expert at driving large-scale operational change programs.

Some of his recent projects include:

-- Implementation of production work cells and lean systems for GE. MRP / ERP coupled lean production and inventory system implementations for multiple companies in a variety of industries. Plant re-design and implemented lean production and supply chain systems for airline assembly systems at Spirit Aerosystems and Boeing Aircraft.

-- Plant re-design for GE.

-- Designed and implemented material inventory programs and maintenance procedures for a major North American Airline. Lowered aircraft maintenance costs by over 30% and reduced aircraft turnaround time by over 50%. Greatly improved customer satisfaction and reduced excessive employee overtime.

-- Engineered new manufacturing processes using Lean Manufacturing Methods at a North American food production plant. Produced higher-quality products in less time, improved manufacturing efficiency, reduced set up time and inventory, shortened lead times, and improved customer satisfaction.

-- Used innovative forecasting and inventory models to align sales with production at an automotive supplier, allowing orders to be anticipated and filled six times faster.

-- Managed and led successful, large-scale lean implementation projects at automotive and aerospace manufacturing plants reducing inventories, increasing production rates, improving quality, reducing set up times, and improve customer service.

Other clients include: DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, DTE Energy, Ford Motor Company, Spirit Aero Systems, GE, American Airlines, BlueCross BlueShield, DMC, Agco, SuperValu, Hawthrone Metal Products, Kia, Audi, Hwashin, PCI, CFI, Harley Davidson, Longview Fibre, Benteler Automotive, and JD Powers

Bill earned his MBA from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan with a major in management and a minor in marketing. He received a BA from Walsh College in Troy, Michigan with a major in Information Systems and a minor in finance. He also holds an AS from Oakland Community College in Farmington Hills, Michigan with a major in systems analysis. Bill is ITIL Certified, a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and a PMI certified Project Management Professional (PMP).