Process
Have We Forgotten How to Observe?
By Ben Hershey This article was recently featured in Component Advertiser Over the years, I have walked through more manufacturing facilities than I can count. I have looked at production lines, equipment, material flow, workforce, leadership, automation, safety, quality, inventory, scheduling, and just about every other part of an operation. Recently, I was reminded that…
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 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…
Read MoreMaximizing Your Investment in State-of-the-Art Equipments
As with any industry, labor is scarce in the prefabricated wood component industry. Unfortunately, the problem is not going away any time soon. So, to improve production and increase revenue, many manufacturers are investing in newer, faster automated machinery. But, that may not be the only solution. A truss plant could have the best machinery…
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