As promised, here is my pick of some of the best:
- Cut down on the turkey and the booze
- This is probably the only period of my Life where Lean does not apply
- Not eating so much, by not overproducing, by stopping when I am full!!!
- Shop one day and never more
- Eliminate waste by not wrapping presents? Place the Christmas tree in the fireplace to reduce Santa’s unnecessary motion? Improve the rapid change over from Christmas to New Years by burning the tree rather than taking it down and packing the ornaments away? Actually, this is sounding rather harsh…sorry. As we tend to bake Christmas cookies over a two-week period I probably could use a FIFO inventory system to avoid stale cookies showing up at the New Year’s party….like they’re going to last that long. Ho Ho Ho
- Passing out all the gifts and then everyone opens them all at once. The time savings over opening one at a time would be enormous. You might be able to get in an extra nap before breakfast
- Instead of buying all the presents at one time (batch shopping), and waiting to wrap them (In Process Inventory, and batch wrapping) – I buy and wrap as I go! I do take the time to wrap the gifts (add value) – my customers (kids) believe they are worth the most all wrapped up!
- Convert to Islam, Hinduism, Judaism or Zen Buddhism
- * Overproduction: right size the Christmas dinner – no leftovers please
* Wait time: shop during off peak traffic and store hours
* Transportation: plan travel routes in advance to minimize distance, costs
* Processing methods: create standard work for shopping, wrapping, etc.
* Inventory: only buy what you or others need
* Motion: have a system for passing out gifts on the big day (or night)
* Defects: keep receipts for returns; give gift cards for risk free giving - You forgot the waste-management/environmental impact on the back end – one from too much eating that’s really a work-share/outsource to municipal water authorities, but then what of all the boxes and wrapping paper!?
- Give your time to others in need, celebrate family, love and hope. Skip the presents and cliche marketing hoopla and go to the core of the Holiday. Celebrate the turning point in man’s compassion for his fellow man taught by the son of God who gave his life in suffrage for us. Lean it out….
Merry Christmas to one and all!
James
