One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the
case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan's biggest
cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer
had bought a soap box that was empty.
Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line,
which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery
department. For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line
empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste,
the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with
high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap
boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No
doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent whoopee
amount to do so.
But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the
same problem, did not get into complications of X-rays, etc but instead
came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric
fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as
each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the
line.
Moral of the story: KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) i.e.
always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution
that solves the problem
So, learn to focus on solutions not on problems
"If you look at what you do not have in life, you don't have anything"
"If you look at what you have in life, you have everything"
case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan's biggest
cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer
had bought a soap box that was empty.
Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line,
which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery
department. For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line
empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste,
the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with
high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap
boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No
doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent whoopee
amount to do so.
But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the
same problem, did not get into complications of X-rays, etc but instead
came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric
fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as
each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the
line.
Moral of the story: KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) i.e.
always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution
that solves the problem
So, learn to focus on solutions not on problems
"If you look at what you do not have in life, you don't have anything"
"If you look at what you have in life, you have everything"
