In our previous article (read first), we talked about the value of thinking models and in particular “systems thinking”. To support systems thinking we identified the 5 Elements of a Business System. And we said that every business system is comprised of these same 5 elements. Now let’s dig into systems thinking a little further…. Read More
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Two Minutes on Manufacturing Excellence – The Power of Systems Thinking
It’s accurate to say that effective businesspeople routinely apply “thinking models” in their work and less effective businesspeople don’t. That’s a pretty sweeping generalization, but it holds up much of the time because thinking models consistently do two things. They promote and enable clear thinking, reason, analysis and collaboration that lead to good decision-making and… Read More
Two Minutes on Manufacturing Excellence – Assessing Your Factory Floor Training System
In our recent blogs posts, we’ve discussed the challenging manufacturing environment of increasing customization and, with that trend, the need for improved job training as work continues to get more varied, complex and is always changing. The last two posts identified initial steps to building an improved job training system. Today’s is about another critical… Read More
Manufacturing Day 2020 – The Creative Enterprise
CALLING ALL PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHERS, CREATE NEW PRODUCTS, FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY TO MAKE THEM, CONTINUALLY LEARN, AND BE WELL-REWARDED FOR IT. That’s what the fast-evolving world of manufacturing is looking like more and more each day and… WE WANT YOU! The Manufacturing Marketplace Fueled by today’s continual demand for… Read More
Two Minutes on Manufacturing Excellence – Building a Great Job Training System Step 2
In our last article, we talked about step 1 in developing an effective training system. And how critical training has become, as products become, more customized and specialized causing jobs and tasks to become more complex and to continually change. Without effective training, unwanted variation, inconsistency, errors, reduced throughputs and other wastes are inevitable. Job… Read More
Two Minutes on Manufacturing Excellence – Building a Great Job Training System Step 1
In our previous two posts, we discussed the worldwide trend of increasing product customization and specialization and the many implications of that. One being the introduction of more variation into our work processes from up-front selling and quoting through design, purchasing, manufacturing and distribution. So how do we take advantage of the desired variation of… Read More
Two Minutes on Manufacturing Excellence – Stop the CHAOS! Improve Your Training
Stop the CHAOS! Improve Your Training The Inevitable Trend In our previous post, we talked about the worldwide trend towards more customized and specialized products and how that trend translates into significant challenges (and opportunities) for manufacturers. Let’s face it. Making more customized and specialized products (that are more complex and always changing) and doing that… Read More
Two Minutes on Manufacturing Excellence – Customized, Specialized Products
Customized, Specialized Products – Challenging? Yes. Doable? Definitely! THE OPPORTUNITY I think we all get it that the manufacturing we lost to foreign competition (China in particular) over the past couple decades was mostly commodity products that they could make much cheaper and often “good enough”. But as we’re all seeing now, the worldwide trend… Read More
Sustainable Success in a Fast-Changing Marketplace – Comments from a Local Manufacturer
Below is a real story with multiple timely and important messages from one of our area manufacturing leaders who has chosen to remain anonymous. One of the important messages… Yes, it’s important to be as efficient as possible in how we do things (continual process improvement). But if we want sustainable success, we also have… Read More
Innovation as a Science and System
A very good (and short – 3 pages big print) research-based article on innovation as a system. Very much supports the whole concept that is Innovation Engineering – that innovation is a systemizable business practice that any organization can on-board and benefit from. And consistent with IE concepts and ideas. Whether CI or Innovation, it’s… Read More