One reason that automation has yet to be widely embraced by many small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) is project failure or the perceived risk of automating. If an investment fails to produce results, who can blame owners and executives for shying away from...
Aligning Sales & Operations with a 1-Page Plan
The Problem Sales and operations have crossed swords since the dawn of manufacturing. Lately, however, I’ve noticed a consistent theme: With unexpectedly strong sales, the manufacturing group has fallen behind, which has led to long lead times and missed deliveries....
Practical Supply Chain Automation for the Small Manufacturer
In December’s newsletter, the topic of practical supply chain automation presented the concept of gravity flow racking to automate the movement and transfer of stored materials. Another practical and affordable method of material transfer small manufacturers can...
Customer Focused Improvement – Where to Start
Lean and Continuous Improvement initiatives often have a predictable and disappointing start. Tools are implemented like Gemba walks, tier boards, and 5S, and there appears to be positive change, but 12 months later the changes are not reading out in meaningful ways....
Practical Advice for a Digitization Strategy
One of the best things about the time I spent in my early career, working at a mid-sized manufacturing plant, was how simple it was to get things done. Once plant leadership and the operators were on board with a plan, the only thing holding me back was having enough...
Developing a Winning Automation Strategy
Many manufacturers are starting to turn to automation to address increasing competition and a lack of skilled production workers. COVID and retiring Baby Boomers have exacerbated the labor shortage and made a more urgent issue. Most manufacturers do not have an...