Manufacture Smarter Blog

6/10/2022 - BY: ROB STAUFFER
When I advise my clients or teach a project management course, the first question I ask is what types of problems they experience when managing projects. As with most problems, the first step is to assume they are likely symptoms with some underlying root causes. If you or your organization does not follow a project management methodology (meaning everyone manages projects their own way), then you should expect these types of systemic problems. A variable process will always yield variable outcomes no matter how hard you try.

2/18/2022 - BY: MIKE BEELS
What the phrase aims to describe is that culture determines the success in an organization regardless of how effective your strategy might be. In other words, if the people in an organization aren’t passionate about your organization’s mission, vision and brand, it affects their ability to work together, solve problems and come up with new ideas for improvement. Their lack of enthusiasm could mean they are unwilling to give their time and energy which leads to disengagement.

1/21/2022 - BY: DAVE NELSON
Improving your company’s or your department’s bottom line can be a challenging journey. I suggest taking the stairs. The stairs I am talking about refers to Value Stream Mapping (VSM). Value Stream Mapping is the “steps” leading into the “House of Lean.”

6/11/2021 - BY: JOHN SPILLSON
Understanding how all generations learn and thrive is vital to optimizing the efficiency of a team. Lean can be the answer to keeping new hires engaged and excited about their work.

2/26/2021 - BY: PETE SCHMIDT
When I ask manufacturers about their biggest challenges, nearly all mention the lack of available skilled workers. With so many companies looking to hire, this added competition only further compounds the challenge. In our most recent Smart Solutions Series webinar, we explored how Lean manufacturing principles can be applied to an organization to maximize productivity – effectively filling these critical gaps in production using existing resources and talent.

2/12/2021 - BY: PETE SCHMIDT
​During the past challenging year, one recurring theme that many companies have discussed with me – whether they have 10 employees or 200 – is that they are all struggling to find people to fill open positions within their organization. What if there were a way to reduce the number of new hires needed?

2/5/2021 - BY: CHUCK WERNER
The effect of cost on profitability is generally well understood. The higher a company’s costs, the less profitable they can be. However, while companies often know if they are (or are not) profitable, they do not always have a clear understanding as to why. Gaining a true understanding of the impact defects have on profitability is key to improving business performance.

7/31/2020 - BY: ROGER TOMLINSON
Within manufacturing, there is always room to grow and improve. As companies pursue continuous improvement and seek to solve existing problems in their facilities, it helps to have a structured guide pointing the team in the right direction for success and change. This kind of support is provided by A3 problem solving.

6/12/2020 - BY: CHUCK WERNER, ANTHONY WELSH & PETE SCHMIDT
As manufacturers prepare to return to work in accordance with the current restrictions of social distancing, much assistance can come from implementing common Lean manufacturing practices.

5/12/2020 - BY: JESS CRUZ
While the many changes and disruptions that came from the COVID-19 pandemic were not expected as we entered 2020, leaders in all industries have worked hard to restore our nation’s prominence and success as the world continues to respond and recover. So, how does this impact the business activities of small and medium-sized manufacturers?