Sunday, April 25, 2004
Thanks for all your eMail messages about a potential 'Lean' program for community banks! Isn't the Internet great to quickly get the word out? Get back to this blog often, because we'll have frequent updates!
Here's where we are:
1. Program Approach
We're investigating the opportunity to develop 2 separate 'Lean' programs. One program will be for large and regional banks, which they can purchase and tailor to their own needs.
We at Hometown Banking will help develop an alternate option in which smaller banks can participate individually at a shared participation rate. We have several providers interested in developing such a program.
2. Communication Approach
We will use our proven Internet programs to facilitate communication. This will enable us to educate those interested in the program, all across the US, quickly, and at a low cost.
a. WebSeminars -- We will conduct a series of WebSeminars to educate you about our approach.
b. Weblogs -- We will use our popular 'blogs' to help you keep your employees and customers in the loop.
3. Incentives
We will use the same incentives you're using now to motivate employees and customers as the need arises.
Stay tuned for much more to come, and let us know if you have suggestions!
Dear Lean Thinker,
We have a very simple objective at LEI. We try to describe in plain language the fundamental ideas of lean thinking. We have derived these from Toyota, which derived many of them in turn from Henry Ford's breakthroughs at Highland Park early in the 20th Century.
While our primary outlet for diffusing these ideas is our series of publications (which you can obtain in the Bookstore), we have a complementary objective of bringing together for mutual support managers applying these ideas in a growing range of industries across the globe. You can learn more about our current seminars and other meetings by going to Training.
Of course, on-line interconnectivity is the thing today and we have designed and improved our Forum so that you can read topics, post responses, search current and past threads, and even register with us a set of key words so that you are notified when new relevant postings appear. While you can browse all the left links on this page except "Forums" without signing up, I hope you will now click to register to get full access to the forum. One registration is the basis for Forums, Bookstore purchases and Training reservations.
As we continue to launch new initiatives, we renew our invitation to you to participate in the Lean Community where we hope to create value and eliminate waste together in the years ahead.
Welcome to the Lean Community!
Saturday, April 24, 2004
Office Kaizen takes the proven team-based, rapid improvement system of Kaizen and applies it to the administrative environment in participating banks. Employees are focused on creating a rapid flow of value to the customer in each Value Stream by focusing on eliminating waste. Office Kaizen is a powerful system for improving productivity, reducing lead-time, and sustaining results.
Office Kaizen uses many of the common Kaizen tools such as Value Stream Mapping, Kanban/Pull, Pokayoke (error proofing), 5S, Flow, Takt Time, and Standard Work. Office Kaizen places great emphasis is placed on Visual Management and creating continuous flow of value-added information.
For more information, please contact us!
By Alec Rosenberg, BUSINESS WRITER
ALAMEDA -- NorCal Community Bancorp, parent of Bank of Alameda, said Friday its first-quarter profit rose 28 percent, as the community bank made more loans to consumers and small businesses.
Bank of Alameda has 55 employees, with three branches in Alameda plus commercial banking offices/branches in Emeryville and Oakland. The Oakland office opened last month and 200 people attended its grand opening Thursday.
Bank of Alameda offers checking and savings accounts, and a variety of loans for consumers and small businesses, from real estate loans on Emeryville lofts to construction financing for homes in the Oakland hills. The bank also offers lockbox services to process payments.
"We're getting our fair share of business because we deliver a high level of personal service," Andrews said.
The company, whose 2003 profit rose 47 percent to a record $1.77 million, plans to expand down the I-880 corridor to San Leandro and Hayward, Andrews said. Also, it is considering establishing loan production offices in Contra Costa County and the Central Valley, he said.
As big banks consolidate, there remains a niche for small banks, said Andrews, who is president of California Independent Bankers, a trade group representing small community banks.
