Entrepreneurship

 In the future I see myself finding an even mix between entrepreneurship and being a businessperson. While many aspects of entrepreneurship fascinate me, building your own business is not the only way for someone to be satisfied in their chosen career. The entrepreneur side of me rests more on my ability to think "outside the box" than to necessarily start a business from the ground up. While I would love to be my own boss in a sense, it also comes with a risk to reward ratio that can easily be teetered one direction or the other. Some people get an idea that they think can be turned into a guaranteed profitable business, but often investing all of your time and money into that idea can cause you to lose everything.

However, because being an entrepreneur is not all about starting your own business a lot of us are entrepreneurs in one fashion or another. The entrepreneurial side of me is my creative side and the drive to always need to have creative input wherever or with whoever I work for in the future. I lack the type of personality to just follow orders and keep my thoughts to myself all the time. There are times when I can think on my toes like an entrepreneur and times when I may think on my heels, taking the safe bet.

I believe that even the strictly business minded people as well as the wildly entrepreneurial types can each achieve happiness in life. Its not necessarily what your doing, but if you enjoy doing it. Some folks cannot handle the stress and responsibility of flying by the seat of their pants in a sense and need to be more grounded. A person can be perfectly content having the security of a job where they are needed for the foreseeable future without the risk of possibly being out on their but the next minute. I fall in the middle, I seek the excitement of trying new ideas yet can stay reserved in many aspects, carefully planning each move while exploring the different consequences.

Lean Process

Based on our discussion in class today, implement and document a quality improvement process to the project/situation in which you performed a 5S process. This implementation must be based on the muda listed on the lean manufacturing wiki site. (note: there are several additional more modern types that you could utilize if need be)

For the documentation, list/describe the waste you have identified and explain the process change you have implemented. Either collect some data that demonstrate your improvement, or realistically estimate the effect that your improvement will have on your process.

Through elimination of unnecessary documents and programs the quality of my work time on my computer increased. The new system for organizing all classwork has helped to streamline productivity. This new system relates to the muda of inventory. When files are not properly inventoried and easily accessible information can be lost or damaged. I identified this as a problem while dealing with school work.

For example, I am currently enrolled in a geographical information systems, G.I.S, class. Using the software utilized by GIS professionals requires careful organization of all data needed for a project. With my data properly laid out I can work on my project without constantly mixing up which files are which and troubleshooting why data sources are not active. I would estimate this new lean process of inventory to be extremely effective, especially this close to the end of the semester when I am running short of time.

Criteria for Evaluation

1. Attendance- participation--- thoughtful ideas, and discussion
2. Ambition/Initiative-- getting done what you say your going to do done.
3. Cooperation/Communication - Good communication, answered emails, came to meetings, works well will other teamates.
4. Research Quality - Overall quality of assigned sections (amount of material, legitimacy)
5. Deadlines met - Was the students information posted in google docs in a timely manner
6. Ideas/Contribution - Were his/her ideas useful to the project, did the person contribute to the overall design of the project
7. Reliability

5s Process

Post a record of a 5S process that you have completed. Post a before and after picture. Also, post a short narrative of how you addressed each of the "8s's" of the 5S process. Due Nov 11. 

Before: Very messy desktop, files from over a year ago including many that I am not sure the purpose anymore. My whole hard drive needed organizing and "cleansing".

Sorting- All files were sorted into three main categories: classes, jobs, and files to be deleted.

Straightening - New folders were created in my documents labeled with the same categories I had divided by misc. files and programs.

Systematic cleaning - Any duplicate files as well as old files that do not need to be saved were deleted.

Standardizing - By reviewing and sorting all files by the new system a standardized method was created to how I now save my work to my hard drive.

Sustaining -The new system of organization is sustainable in the sense that I can now utilize this system in storing any future documents.

Safety - Through the creation of obvious folders/sub-folders my files are safe from accidental deletion.

Security - All files/programs that are in these new folders were backed-up on an external hard drive securing them from corruption or deletion in the event of the computer crashing.

Satisfaction.- I am satisfied with this new system because now I can work more efficiently on my computer without searching for lost files, and can easily back-up all new files by simply saving the two new folders to and external hard drive.

After: Cleaned up the desktop, all classwork and other files were organized in my documents.