Taiichi OHNO Greeting Card (blank inside)

NOT AVAILABLE IN STORES

Say thanks, or "You're amazing!" with this greeting card that gives a nod to process and culture. 

It's one thing to be armed with a second-nature ability to spot Taiichi Ohno’s 7 Wastes. It's another thing entirely honor Taiichi Ohno with this bold design inspired by Shepard Fairey’s famous OBEY portrait of Andre the Giant.

Anyone and everyone in the continuous improvement biz is going to love this fun, funny insider’s take on Fairey’s pop art classic.

QI Curiosities’ Ohno looks as much like the real man as Andre does. And if you look close you’ll find four 7’s in our design. 

IYKYK. If you don't know...

Our Fairey-esque portrait is of Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer and author who’s considered the architect of the Toyota Production System. This system was coined, “lean thinking” in the west by Watson and Crick. Wait, that's not right. Lewis and Clark? Nope. Well actually it was John Krafcik who was a student of Womack and Jones. These guys wrote the book on the subject.

Anyway... Mr. Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer and author, is widely considered the architect of the Toyota Production System. We have never heard this fact disputed. His system was coined “Lean Manufacturing” in the west. Ohno is also the taxonomist of the 7 Wastes:

1. Defects
2. Delay
3. Over-production
4. Over-processing
5. Travel/Transport
6. Inventory
7. Motion

We’ve also seen an eighth waste: under-utilized talent. We at Quality Improvement Curiosities are purists, though, and we eschew the 8th waste because the value-added test is elegant and objective.

Did the activity change the form, fit, or function of the product? If yes, you have a value-added step. Congratulations. If not, you have waste. Please refer to Taiichi Ohno’s classic list for the proper classification. 

The QI Curiosities’ Poet Laureate is developing a reimagining of this timeless test as a haiku, or possibly a Limerick.

Nothing about the value-added test concerns itself with who did or did not add value. Or who came up with the idea behind recent improvements, or who was on the team, and so forth. So there. 

AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY TO QI CURIOSITIES CUSTOMERS - LIMITED TIME ONLY

It's imperative for leaders to say thanks. Say it with a handwritten card. Keep a stash of greeting cards on hand. At Quality Improvement Curiosities, buying in small batches pays! Get an escalating discount when you buy multiple cards in any combination, not just this gem. Buy 2-3 and get 5% off. Buy 4-5 and get 10% off —dot dot dot— Buy 12 or more and get 30% off.

• Material: 14.77 oz/yd² (350 g/m²) paperboard
• Size: 4″ × 6″ (101 × 152 mm)
• And of course, it comes with an envelope.

This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!