Niall Coney

Niall Coney

Stop Calling 5 Whys a Tool

Several yellow post it nots on a wall describing various problems and pain points in a business process.

We treat 5 Why like a tool, but it’s really a mindset. It isn’t about worksheets or counting questions; it’s about staying curious long enough to reach the truth hiding under the convenient answer. When you stop seeing 5 Why as a technique and start seeing it as disciplined inquisitiveness, you finally uncover the forces that make problems inevitable - not just the symptoms that make them visible.

The Improvement Leader Self Assessment

Most improvement programmes stall not because people lack tools, but because leaders don’t have an honest read on how improvement and problem solving actually operate in their organisation. This short diagnostic gives you exactly that – a clear snapshot of…

Does CI Lead to Job Losses?

Individual in a modern office holding a box with a plant and documents, with coworkers working at desks in the background.

“If I improve this process, am I improving myself out of a job?” It’s a question many won’t say out loud, but it shapes how people engage with Continuous Improvement. This blog tackles the uncomfortable truth behind that belief, unpacking where Lean/CI has been misapplied and why job losses are not an inevitable outcome.

Rethinking Takt Time in Service

Illustration of service‑industry workers with icons showing takt time and queue management.

In service environments where unpredictability reigns - call centers, hospitals, IT support - takt time isn’t about control, it’s about clarity. This blog explores how takt can be used not to standardise every task, but to reveal patterns, protect staff, and manage complexity. Learn how cadence becomes a management lens, not a constraint, and how visual tools like day-by-hour boards can transform chaos into insight.

Understanding Control Chart Detection Rules

Arriving at the 100th Anniversary of Control Charts, we commend the work of Walter A. Shewhart and those that followed in the development of what is a very simple and effective tool that is often grossly misunderstood or under-utilised. This is especially relevant to 'detection rules' we use in control charts, let's explore those.