If it weren't for the fact this Lean item involves tens of millions of dollars, I believe I'd find the whole swirling debate about it kind of amusing. Well, actually it is amusing, $40 million or no $40 million. Hey, what's a few million dollars among friends, eh?
So is this Lean training thing really just a practice in cult manipulation because they use Japanese words?
From what I've been able to figure out so far, having attended some meetings where senseis and hot shots meet to discuss hoshins and other such things, the senseis are invading Saskatchewan on a regular basis to train leaders who then train the trainers who then train the "champions" and the champions get to train the lemmings. And I'm sure each of those categories have Japanese terms that can be used to make them sound more important or at least exotic.
As expected, the sensei or senseries make the big bucks when they arrive in Saskatchewan and apparently it costs a lot to bring them from Japan, even though the company hired to spread the gospel is headquartered in America.
Each flight, it has been noted, costs Saskatchewan over $2,000 for each sensei, and according to the contractor, they're losing $6,000 per flight in the process.
This leaves me with one question?
Where is the Lean technology being applied in booking flights of the sensei? Two thousand dollars to $8,000 to fly a guy from Japan to Regina seems a bit steep. No travel reward points, no frequent flyer discounts? Where is the flight-booking sensei?
So are the masters and manipulators teaching our health (and soon the education) system to be more efficient?
Leave a stethoscope where it shouldn't be left and you lose a finger? Not so far!
Hey, they may not need stethoscopes any more.
Leave a recharging cord unattached burn at the stake of hoshin? What are the consequences?
So the next question is, who audits the in-house auditors who are telling us this Lean stuff is working and saving us millions? How much of it is objective and how much is subjective?
I dwell in a cynical, skeptical world so can't help it.
Does the efficiency cycle keep spinning for years? For decades? Do we ever get to ultimate efficiency? Did they read Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged?
Did they really pay physicians $33,000 each to attend Lean workshops/seminars or cult worship sessions? If so, please explain how that is Lean in 200 words or less. No, make that 125 words, we can't spend a whole lot of time reading. It ain't Lean.
Did Lean really save the system $35 million in blood/plasma product handling? I didn't know our blood was that valuable on the open market. We should sell more of it!
Someone needs to prove that statement is true, in 125 words or less, of course.
Those who are Lean advocates state that another $16 million has been saved in the design of the children's hospital in Saskatoon.
Please prove, in 125 words or less.
I didn't realize the children's hospital had been built already, but if it has been proven that $16 million was saved in the design, then it must exist.
OK, we've had our fun with the Lean and mean sensei machine, dear diary.
My mind is still open, just don't ask me to be more efficient with my writing, because I have difficulties cutti
