4ME
- Man, Machine, Material,
Method, Environment
Man: [Man -
career, training, performance evaluation, family,
beliefs, characteristics, ]
Convey genuine interest in the career development of
each individual from an owner to a trainee. Spend time
listening, understanding, and helping each employee
succeed, knowing that acceptance (not wage) is a primary
motivator.
Rotate field service and assembly personnel. Move
limited talent into very specific roles and monitor
efficiency closely. Use results to create standards for
quality and productivity.
Establish scoring system for machining quality. Inspect
everyone's work in a random pattern and post scores.
Establish training levels to "pay for skill /
performance"
Schedule review within sub-teams - Create continual goal
setting and creative work distribution decided by their
peers. Create healthy competition for bragging rights,
not pay. Winning team gets pizza or extra learning video
break each week. Different team rep. each week in short
review, graded on that weeks presentation.
Create a rotating training schedule with Triangle Tech,
PSU, the Business College, etcetera.
Fill in gaps and expand individual capacities.
Machine:
[Machine-tools, electro-mechanical devices, computers,
vehicles ]
Rebuild to enhance features, not just back to original
standard - more productivity, new feeders, electronics,
additional fail-safes, sensors checked in both states
every cycle, accessories, quick-change tooling, canned
controls option, parts accumulation/transfer to next
operation, pick&place options (simple and custom),
hydraulic resistance (beef-up brackets to address adding
required stiffness), continuous improvements of existing press lines. Also,
promote continuous improvement of standard feature in
newsletter.
Re-design products with noise reduction components, part
out sensors, quiet orientation feeders, quick-change
tooling
Custom Products - Offer PSU students opportunities for
research projects. Test various
filling methods and materials, then measure properties.
Material: [Material - components, software, ]
Offer more Adjustable Frequency Drives, new HMI
retrofits, options with various features, wear-surfaces
using alternate materials and techniques for alignment
and durability, automated material handling devices both
simple and complex, third party enhancements with high
performance rating from customers, accumulators and
continuous flow to next operation conveyance,
operation/training manuals and reference literature
online.
Method: [Method - practices, procedures, rules,
discipline, LEAN processes ]
Gold Mine Theory - Build relationships with business
partners/customers; striving for long-term mutual
benefits. Know their business objectives and capital
budget plans. Help them make good choices, even at the
risk of losing a short-term sale. Develop a five year
rolling forecast and marketing approach distinguishing
new start-ups, rapid growth, steady state, and neglected
companies in recovery. Something big is always on the
horizon.
So many technicians in the industry love adjustability
and ease of access, but are concerned with quality and
speed. Fix this perception by setting challenges through
customer feedback and share with the world through
Newsletter. We don't need to instantly solve every
potential for improvement, but rather create a steady
movement in that direction (glacier).
Free purchasing assistance and cut sheets for customers'
maintenance staffs. Offer small, publicized mark-up
(e.g. 25%) in cases where customer needs purchasing
intervention. Every chance we get, add to online
recommended spare parts collection and cross ref. by
press, by feature category... protect to maintain
security. All this will build trust and develop loyal
customers.
Open Mind Policy for review customer feedback - Reward,
with recognition, our best customer feedback (and how we
plan to address it) in a monthly newsletter. Include
some lively, interesting reading like quick tips on
personal finance, health and wellness, latest trends,
etc. Share (in general terms) team activities and
successes (open communication with customer and healthy
pressure for employees to perform in front of the most
important audience, their final customers). Offer prizes
for completing customer surveys. (Hold drawing for
quarterly special prize, online via website for
convenience.)
Special Products and Services - Include technology
articles in website (e.g. specific successes)
BOM - RAK inventory control. Modernize Purchasing, BOM
across press lines, categorize and share components and
track usage. Incorporate Engineering and Business
System. Share indicators, like Sales dollars per
employee, with each employee (strategically timed) to
align his/her mindset for upcoming business decisions
(like layoffs during down trends). Bar code inventory.
Auto-release standard product assemblies with options.
Make options/no options for each feature
interchangeable. Pre-drill mounting holes, using CNC
machining whenever possible. Use sub-assemblies for
various groups of options.
Empower engineers to tackle roadblocks and incrementally
& continuously improve products and systems. Create
pride, ownership, appreciation, and satisfaction in
every product and service they provide. Create a forum
for interaction and design review among Engineering,
Customer Service, and Sales Managers beyond the current
work in process issues. Continually refine this focus to
keep current with business climate and companywide
strategic objectives.
Conduct a Lean Office Kaizen event with a volunteer from
PSU academia and your industry.
Environment: [Environment - home, work area, politics,
religion, earth, ]
Create a new, interesting, interactive, helpful website
(problem solving, sharing improvement ideas, helpful in
customer service, used for tracking progress for
training, scheduling, metrics, etc.) [Enlist help of RAK
or GoDuBois.com.] Update frequently, assure that
outdated documentation is caught and corrected (e.g.
Back to top button on each page to help navigate.)
Offer TPM guidelines - Offer to participate in Kaizen
Events. Defer methods training to PSU CE for TPM, SMED,
ISO, Lean Six Sigma, etc. (organize short courses). Host
"User Group" events (campfire-side style) to bring
various small customers together to share ideas on
problem set-ups, technical challenges, and share the
power that your industry's/services/ corporations take
advantage of through "strength in numbers". (See
remanufacturing for continuous improvement).
Promote community ties - YMCA, Wellness Lifestyles,
DuBois Red Cross, GoDuBois.com, DRMC, TL Triathlon, and
others.
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