Sandwiches with a side of CPI

All of my family’s dining out experiences have now been ruined by a guy named Steve. Steve was a contractor that worked with me while I was doing Process Improvement work with the Air Force Reserve Command. He was one of four Steve’s we had on staff, and so each had been given nicknames. The first Steve hired got to keep the name Steve. Then there was “Motorcycle Steve” because he had a Harley. Then there was “Funny Steve” as the guy always had a joke. And lastly, “English Steve” as he was originally from England, drank tea, had the accent, the whole nine yards (or, I guess, 9 meters). It was “English Steve” that ruined going out to eat for us.

The Air Force model for Process Improvement was the “Rapid Improvement Event.” It was normally a week-long event in which a cross functional team would gather under the watchful eye of a Green or Black Belt, and address a problem. First the current state would be established, followed by creating an ideal state (to help think outside the box), and then a future state would be developed. An action plan on how to get to the future state would be the end result of the event.

Overall it was a good solid approach. But the issue some of us had, was the Air Force had us spending the first day teaching about CPI. We didn’t like it as it slowed the class down, and it had been discussed in the newsletter before (See Training Hindering Instead of Helping).

So some of us began cutting back on the upfront training, and tried to incorporate training into the event. And this is where English Steve ruined eating out for me, and eventually my family.

The first day of an event, English Steve would take the team out to lunch. They’d go to a family-owned sandwich shop just outside the base. Great place, good sandwiches at a decent price. But they weren’t known for their speed. And they would often get orders messed up. And the place could get a little messy. But it was a solid lunch.

The next day, English Steve would take the team out to lunch at another sandwich shop. This was a national chain noted for their speed and accuracy. They were so quick that your sandwich would often be ready for you by the time you went to pay for it. The entire restaurant was spotless. And there were a ton of little CPI details to pick up on: such as the metal plates they used were slightly bigger than the holes for the trash cans. The plates could not be accidentally tossed into the trash.

After the second lunch English Steve would lead the class in discussing the two shops; what went well and what could be improved. Having been at the event, I saw how lively and engaging these sessions were. Almost all the 8 wastes of Lean were brought up and discussed. Also noted were the differences of the attitudes between the workers. The family shop, while pleasant, seemed to be going through the motions. The chain’s team was engaged and energized. This simple exercise of going out to lunch was one of the most creative, and best, examples of practical training for Process Improvement I’ve ever seen. And I made the mistake of telling my family this over dinner one night.

We’d run out to grab a bite at a local burger place; a place considered “casual dining.” Not quite fast food, but you order at a counter and pick up the food yourself. As we waited, and then as we ate, I talked about the little training lesson English Steve did. I was just dinner conversation mingled in with other updates. As we finished our meals, we took our tray up to toss our wrappers and cups, and my daughter noticed the tray could easily have fit into the opening of the trash container. She remembered me mentioning the one sandwich shop having plates being bigger then the trash opening…and so she pointed out the place could use a little process improvement. And that’s how it started.

Now, if we go out for fast food, casual dining, or even fine dining, we bring up CPI observations:

• That tray stand is blocking the servers’ station; look at all the wasted movement
• The food is cold: it’d been sitting too long. They need a Just-in-Time pull system
• All the baskets of rolls sitting there…getting stale. That’s inventory and not good

And of course, depending upon the restaurant, we usually end up with observation on the trash on the way out. Has it been Poke-yoked to prevent the plate or tray from accidentally being tossed. It’s now become our litmus test for going out and the ride home usually consists of CPI observations. Damn that English Steve...

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