Manufacture Smarter Blog

11/1/2019 - BY: ROGER TOMLINSON
In any organization, if you do not know how you are performing, there is no way to know where you're going. This is where Lean waste walks come in.

10/18/2019 - BY: MICHAEL MCGRAY & CHUCK WERNER
Provided on-time delivery is above 95%, not too much product is hitting a scrap hopper and a little more money is coming in than going out, many leaders assume their business is functioning successfully. Hidden issues (and costs) may well be felt, but are not properly identified in a way that lends to their elimination. Today, many affordable tools are available to help us truly understand the factors that drive profitability. 

9/13/2019 - BY: ANDY NICHOLS
Commonly, internal quality auditors conduct their audit assignments only to make sure everyone is "following procedures." Unfortunately, this approach fails to address the effectiveness of only doing what is written down. This neglect results in important facets of any QMS being overlooked.

7/19/2019 - BY: KARA KUCINSKI
Manufacturing is entering a new era. And while the current business landscape may be vastly different than what manufacturers have experienced before, the same tools and concepts from the past can be used to inspire change and improve practices in this new setting. One such tool is Kaizen.

5/31/2019 - BY: ROGER TOMLINSON
Transitioning to a Lean enterprise does not happen without careful planning and solid implementation strategies. Success depends on effort. And while it is true that all workers in an organization must contribute to these efforts, the single most important factor in determining the success of your Lean implementation is front-line supervisors.

4/19/2019 - BY: MIKE BEELS
The idea of spring cleaning has been around for many years, when we commit to thoroughly cleaning our homes, room to room, top to bottom, including areas we typically don’t clean. But while this notion of spring cleaning is mostly applied to home organization, it also can – and should – be used to tidy workspaces. 

3/29/2019 - BY: ROGER TOMLINSON
With downtime, profitability and quality on the line, failure to properly maintain and keep up with equipment can quickly lead to major – and expensive – issues for manufacturers. With this in mind, the goal to achieve autonomous maintenance is growing among manufacturers as they strive to reduce risk associated with downtime or broken machinery, while also improving productivity and extending the lifetimes of equipment.

2/8/2019 - BY: MIKE BEELS
We tend to assume that every task we perform is essential in sustaining operations. But after analyzation from a Lean perspective, we might be surprised to discover that many of our activities are actually costing the organization time and money.

1/25/2019 - BY: ANNA STEFOS 
Each day, more manufacturers are implementing new technologies in their facilities in efforts to improve operations, boost efficiency and increase profitability. However, many are still trying to figure out how to best approach these new technologies and what they will look like for their business. One way to better understand how to achieve a “smart” factory is to think of it in the context of Lean Six Sigma.

11/30/2018 - BY: ROGER TOMLINSON
Successful projects don’t just happen; they require hard work and collaboration from both project managers and team members to ensure all tasks are completed and goals are met, on time and on budget. However, many projects ultimately fail or are abandoned because the team does not work together to achieve shared goals.