I have heard the argument for years, that connecting an EBIT improvement with overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) improvement is impossible. The argument always starts around OEE being a reflection historically of results and a model to indicate future capacity based upon reliability and product mix. But much like having insurance as you reduce your risk, improving OEE creates a higher probability to realize success in the future. I have often referenced this “profit protec

Summertime brings beaches, vacations, warm air, and outages. Outages, for some of us, are the time of year when we shut down assets and production units for extended periods to conduct period inspections, corrective maintenance, and/or large-scale upgrades. During these outages, we tend to have internal team members and outside contractors working long hours and sometimes working on top of each other's jobs to achieve the critical path. These types of conditions have the pote

WIthin all forms of manufacturing, outages exist. They are either planned or unplanned and they could exist at some periodic interval. These activities are a transaction of time producing for addressing or maintaining the condition of the assets intended to produce. Some organizations grasp the benefits of planning concepts well and execute the outage to the plan while nimbly working with the challenges that unfold during the outage. Yet, other organizations strive to become

I’ve stopped saying a word. This word can either be used as a noun or a verb and its etymology dates to the 13th century. It is comprised of other words that include Anglo-French and French origins, around phrases such as to support, to uphold, and to preserve. I have removed it from my vocabulary this year, due to its commonly accepted perception in manufacturing as being negative, unplanned, and a cost. As Juno told Barbara in Beetlejuice, most don’t want want to talk about

Saturdays and Sundays are my days to slow down and write. I dedicate roughly two hours to reading, writing, and reflecting on the smorgasbord of randomness collected over the week. This past Saturday as I was walking home to begin chapter two of the day, a lady was walking toward me on the sidewalk. My mother raised me to offer a smile accompanied with a good morning as a token of “paying forward” in life. So I gave my smile and a friendly “good morning” to the passer-by. In