Posts by M@tt
Change Your Dynamic By Investing in Your Team
By Ben Hershey, President & Coach, 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC What is the difference between companies which are stuck in the status quo and those which are transforming themselves into the leader in their industry? One significant difference is their focus on Continuous Improvement. By focusing on making things better—People, Projects, and Process—these leading companies…
Read MoreBreak Through Your Box
How many times have you seen your competitor or other businesses in your area copy what you produce or offer? Maybe it is the kind of company that takes a photo of some trusses, puts themselves in front of it, and says, “Look at me, I am the same kind of company they are.” Flattery…
Read MoreDisruptive Innovation with LBM/Component Companies
Over the years, our industry has seen a lot of innovation in how we handle materials, how we manufacture, and how we take a house from an idea to a component using the computer. But, over the past few years, we have seen an acceleration in big ideas, disruption, and we we can do using…
Read MoreContinuous Improvement Culture
While speaking at a recent conference, I was asked a really good question from one of the executives of a Component/LBM company. His question prompted me to think about how I would start 2018 off in my articles. The question was: “Our company does not have an incentive program in place though we arbitrarily reward…
Read MoreTim Woods Series
No Waste Path Using Tim Woods December 2017 Skills Play a Vital Role in Lean Management November 2017 Improve Your Production Processes and say “NO” to Waste September 2017 Improve Your Motion and Waiting August 2017 Open Your Eyes to Overproduction June 2017 How Quality Control is Essential in your Lean Program April 2017 Inventory…
Read MoreWhy Coaching is Important to Continuous Improvement
It’s 2017, Happy New Year! If you are like me, you spend the later part of the year setting goals for the coming year and planning how to accomplish them. For those who work for me, I always set goals, metrics, and participate in a conference on how we are going to achieve what we…
Read MoreEstablishing Your Lean Strategy
Many of today’s Component Manufacturers are considering some measure of Lean implementations. Most are based on a series of what are essentially isolated Kaizen-based waste reductions projects. In selecting areas in their operations, a CM will look at the perceived waste (savings) available; those areas with more waste reduction potential get a higher priority. While such a…
Read MoreLean Thinking Means No Waste: No Tim Woods
Previously published in The Component Manufacturing Advertiser – November 2016 At its core, Lean means no waste. The original Lean (Six Sigma) concept defines 7 wastes (Muda) that exist in business. All process waste is categorized into one or more of these categories. The rules for these wastes apply in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing industries.…
Read MoreGenerational Shift in the Component Industry
The workplace has always had multiple generations working side by side. There’s the fresh-faced newcomers, the experienced professionals who hold the established roles and the older individuals who have been in the industry for decades. Each of these distinct age groups comes with its own unique background and expectations, which can sometimes cause friction between…
Read MoreTop 10 Employee Training Tools
Finding and retaining employees is currently a significant challenge. There are several facets to this issue: identifying a pool of viable candidates; convincing them the component manufacturing industry is a valuable career option; and, providing a great work environment so they don’t jump ship when the work becomes difficult or they are approached with a…
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