When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (Ink won't flow down to the writing surface). In order to solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 million. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater, in practically any surface including crystal and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C.
And what did Russians do.......................................??
The Russians used Pencils!!!
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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: Keep It Simple, Stupid, i.e. always look for simplest solutions & learn to focus on solutions; not on problems. Got it?
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Keep It Simple, Stupid
Just Let Go!
In Africa, the natives use an ingenious method for catching monkeys. They hollow out coconut shells by cutting a small hole at one end of each shell.
The hole is small enough to barely allow in a monkey’s hand. Inside each of that hollowed shells, they place a few roasted peanuts.
They connect all these hollowed coconut shells to a thick & strong cord each and wait in hiding for the monkeys. When the monkeys discover the peanuts inside these hollowed shells, they reach in and grasp them in their fists. But these holes are simply too small to allow these tightly clenched fists to escape.
At this precise moment the native pulls on the cord and these monkeys who could have but won’t let go of those roasted peanuts to save their precious lives, are caught and thus sacrificed.
Too often, we hold on so tightly to our own lousy peanut ideas for fear that we may lose them, when all the while, it is these very peanut ideas that hold us captive for life and prevent the freedom we so long for.
FedEx Express - Famous Origins
In 1965, Yale University undergraduate Frederick W. Smith wrote a term paper about the passenger route systems used by most airfreight shippers, which he viewed as economically inadequate. Smith wrote of the need for shippers to have a system designed specifically for airfreight that could accommodate time-sensitive shipments such as medicines, computer parts and electronics.
In August of 1971 following a stint in the military, Smith bought controlling interest in Arkansas Aviation Sales, located in Little Rock, Ark. While operating his new firm, Smith identified the tremendous difficulty in getting packages and other airfreight delivered within one to two days. This dilemma motivated him to do the necessary research for resolving the inefficient distribution system. Thus, the idea for Federal Express was born: a company that revolutionized global business practices and now defines speed and reliability.
Federal Express was so-named due to the patriotic meaning associated with the word "Federal," which suggested an interest in nationwide economic activity. At that time, Smith hoped to obtain a contract with the Federal Reserve Bank and, although the proposal was denied, he believed the name was a particularly good one for attracting public attention and maintaining name recognition.
The company incorporated in June 1971 and officially began operations on April 17, 1973, with the launch of 14 small aircraft from Memphis International Airport. On that night, Federal Express delivered 186 packages to 25 U.S. cities from Rochester, NY, to Miami, Fla.
Company headquarters were moved to Memphis, Tenn., a city selected for its geographical center to the original target market cities for small packages. In addition, the Memphis weather was excellent and rarely caused closures at Memphis International Airport. The airport was also willing to make the necessary improvements for the operation and had additional hangar space readily available.
Company Growth
Though the company did not show a profit until July 1975, it soon became the premier carrier of high-priority goods in the marketplace and the standard setter for the industry it established.
In the mid-1970s, Federal Express took a leading role in lobbying for air cargo deregulation that finally came in 1977. These changes allowed Federal Express to use larger aircraft (such as Boeing 727s and McDonnell-Douglas DC-10s) and spurred the company's rapid growth. Today FedEx Express has the world's largest all-cargo air fleet, including McDonnell-Douglass MD-11s and Airbus A-300s and A-310s. The planes have a total daily lift capacity of more than 26.5 million pounds. In a 24-hour period, the fleet travels nearly 500,000 miles while its couriers log 2.5 million miles a day – the equivalent of 100 trips around the earth.
The company entered its maturing phase in the first half of the 1980s. Federal Express was well established. Competitors were trying to catch up to a company whose growth rate was compounding at about 40 percent annually. In fiscal year 1983 Federal Express reported $1 billion in revenues, making American business history as the first company to reach that financial hallmark inside ten years of start-up without mergers or acquisitions.
The Interesting FedEx Story
Their boss, Mr. Smith was very concerned as every hour of downtime would costs FedEx in excess of U$50,000 and the faulty conveyance belt that has brought down the entire shipments & distribution processing line are yet to be rectified in its 5th hour by now.
FedEx has estimated to have already lost some U$ 250,000 to U$ 300,000 in the forms of compensations due to late shipments & deferred deliveries, not to mention the loss of business opportunities and customers’ confidence. A rather senior & experienced engineer, Sam was immediately flown in to troubleshoot the faults and to subsequently advise Mr. Smith on the matter.
He immediately worked on the shipments processing line and zero in onto the conveyance belts logic systems that drive & control the entire systems, making all the necessary adjustments & fine-tuning along the way and in less than 20 minutes from the time he stepped into the plant, the entire shipments processing line was in motion again.
Loud applauses from the processing line workers were heard and Mr. Smith immediately rush down from his office in the top floor to greet and thanks Sam for solving FedEx’s problem with the shipments processing line.
Of course, Mr. Smith were eager to listen to Sam on the matter and just before that, his secretary passed him a U$10,000 bill that Sam, the engineer has given her earlier before Mr. Smith reached him. He looked into the bill, displayed no surprise and asked Sam if he could kindly itemize his bill so as to make it easy for his accountant to answer to the auditors.
He came back to him with his very interesting itemized bill as follows:
U$ 1.00 for turning the screw on shipments processing logic board
U$ 9,999 for knowing exactly the right screw to turn
U$ 10,000 Hence the Total Bill being …
Mr. Smith found Sam’s bill rather eye-opening and radical in its itemization and made a note that all his executives throughout the company must learn from this insightful experience.
In perspective, most of the in-house engineers that were called before Sam know that the fault was with the logic boards but no one knows which screw to tune that makes all the difference. Similarly, most people know the successes of their business lies with the key result areas (KRA) but few know what these key result areas (KRA) are. Much fewer people will actually take the trouble to learn what these key result areas are.
Imperfect Friends
Here's a short story, just in case any of you were feeling a little imperfect.
A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After 2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts, the pot said.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've watered them.
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."
Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape. Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life.
Blessings to all my crackpot friends.
How to Avoid Problems
One day, Norman Vincent Peale, one of the famous authors of positive thinking, received the visit of a person who told him, "Doctor, I have so many problems, I do not know how to face them. Give me a solution."
"If I understood you correctly, you would like to find a place where there are no problems."
"Yes that's it; I am ready to give everything I have for that."
"That's not necessary; I will take you to a place where there are no problems. To tell you truth there are 15,000 persons there who have no problems".
And he took him.... to the nearest cemetery.
Life is made of problems. And each problem brings each of us face to face with positive and negative aspects of life.
If you concentrate on the negative your life will be hell.
On the contrary if you learn to discover the opportunity that lies hidden in each problem, you will have a passionate and happy life.
The next time you face a problem, take time to examine it from all the angles and change your point of view till you see the positive side.
Remember, Dale Carnegie says, "Happiness doesn't depend upon who you are or what you have, it depends solely upon what you think."
PRACTICAL HOUSEHOLD TIPS
2. Sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, and then slides a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed. Hmmm . . .
3. Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.
4. For icy doorsteps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won’t refreeze. (Wish I had known this for the last 60 years)!
5. Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is)!
6. Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE)! Use Rubbing Alcohol on paper towel.
7. Whenever I purchase a box of SOS Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this could be much more economical. And now a box of SOS pads lasts me indefinitely! In fact, have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way! You can also put the used pad in the freezer and pull it out the next time it is needed.
8. Opening brand new jars can be a feat in itself. Well, I have found a way to make it the easiest thing to do. Instead of banging a jar of jam, pickles, etc., with a knife until it loosens up, I simply reach into the drawer and pull out the handy nutcracker. It adjusts to the size of the jar and I simply give it a good twist and off pop the lid! (Not always, but most of the time).
9. Bloodstains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour A little peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time!
10. Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
11. Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any Room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on. Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.
12. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
13. To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!
14. To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop.
15. Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
16. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.
17. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
18. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.
19. Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
20. Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces. (Patti's comment: You've got to be kidding!!!--leftover wine????)
21. To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.
22. Ants, ants, ants everywhere . . . Well, they are said too never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
23. Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine. Hmm . . .
24. When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
