Archive for the 'Area' Category


17
Sep

Email improvement

If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to the RSS feed. Have a look at the QnEKs. Share your own small improvements on your next visit. Thanks for visiting!Too many e-mails in inbox\\\\nI implemented a process of new work management:\\\\r\\\\n\\\\r\\\\n1) new rule: no email lives in my inbox more than […]


17
Aug

Use an Application Launcher to Start Apps Faster

Launching programs by scrubbing through the Start menu -> Programs submenu, or navigating a folder hierarchy, is often time-consuming and error prone.
I installed the free Colibri, available from (http://colibri.leetspeak.org/), on Windows, and Quicksilver, available from (http://quicksilver.blacktree.com/), on Mac OS X.
Now launching any application is as fast as hitting control-space and typing a few characters. Colibri […]


09
Aug

SmartDraw is properly named

Tough to integrate softwares to create simple business graphics such as timelines, flow charts, etc.
Purchased SmartDraw and learned how to use it.
Creating graphics is a snap and the output is highly integrable to MS Office products.
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08
Aug

Edit Text to Save Paper

My colleague Andrew (in a non-profit I’m a part of) had a major document to distribute that was just over five pages in length.
Andrew modified a couple of margins and edited some non-essential words out of the text which shortened the document to 4 pages.
He thus printed it on 2 sheets of paper, […]


08
Aug

Blackle Saves Energy for Google Users

I didn’t do this improvement…my son just discovered it and sent the link to me.
We have a problem of energy usage; specifically, the power utilized by millions of computer monitors every day.
Some folks put up a site blackle.com . It uses the Google search engine and puts it on an all-black background. […]


07
Aug

RSS Feeds

I forget to check in on great websites like this. When I do check in, I can’t remember what I’ve already read.
I began subscribing to this website (and others like the Lean Blog) via RSS.
Now, any time these websites are updated, the updates come in to a special folder in my Outlook […]


02
Aug

Clear Shelf Labels

I observed a shelf label which had very similar looking, but different, containers on the shelf above and below it. It was not clear which containers the label was referring to.
I found the supervisor of the area and asked her which was which. She explained. We then took a marker and […]


31
Jul

Table Top Access Hole

Setups at our test station required the worker to walk to the back side of a bench to connect wiring.
Drilled a large hole in the bench top so the wiring could be passed through the table allowing connections under the bench from the front side.
Worker now doesn’t have to walk the 12 feet to get […]


30
Jul

Preventing Excel Data Loss

Spreadsheet used to run laboratory (where specimens were stored) was used all day, fear was file would be closed and data would be lost. Post it had been on screen saying “Please remember to save after every entry.” This wasn’t error proofed and the post its guaranteed nothing.
Changed “auto save” function to save […]


30
Jul

Portable Metric Display Board

We needed to post on-going daily and weekly metrics for our team to see. But there was no wall space we could use, for practical and aesthetic reasons.
We found a white-board on wheels that was maneuverable in our hallways. We could attach the metrics with magnets or just write on the board. […]

Quick n Easy Kaizen is provided by Hal Macomber
Technical wizardry by Kim Black.

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