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We are problem solvers during investigations, not storytellers
Recently I have been researching for examples of problem-solving that have gone wrong. I wanted to understand specific examples, some of...
Oct 16, 20224 min read


Is your bottleneck morphing?
Many simulation tools and references exist to find the bottleneck within the production process to find ways to increase capacity and...
Oct 9, 20227 min read


Stop gerrymandering the asset hierarchy
Malcolm Gladwell in Season 3, Episode 7 of Revisionist History, talked about his 12 Rules For Life. I was so moved by this podcast, that...
Oct 2, 20224 min read


The math is emotionally correct
Years ago, I got into a spirited discussion with a colleague about a quality measurement he wanted each production unit to use within all...
Sep 25, 20225 min read


One lonely cinnamon roll doesn't mean it is old
When conducting investigations, we often allow our assumptions to get in the way of our investigation. We see something that we perceive...
Sep 18, 20224 min read


Conforming to wrong is wrong
In the 1950s Solomon Asch conducted a social experiment referred to as the Solomon Asch - Conformity Experiment. It was an experiment to...
Sep 11, 20224 min read


Layers of protection, and still mismatch errors.
A statistic I came across the other day indicates that 6.3 billion prescriptions were dispensed in the United States in 2020. Combine...
Sep 4, 20224 min read


Yup, I did my first TikTok to explore the effectiveness of training videos.
Regardless of the type of manufacturing that we are in, it is safe to assume that we have plenty of standard operating procedures (SOPs)....
Aug 28, 20225 min read


The hidden cost of Preventive Maintenance mismatches
In a perfect world, the cradle that starts the existence of preventive maintenance (PM) starts from a Failure Mode Effects Analysis...
Aug 21, 20226 min read


A crispy approach to dehydration
Manufacturing and summertime mean one thing, it’s hot. Most people might complain about how hot it is after mowing a quarter-acre yard in...
Aug 14, 20224 min read


The impact of "when" recognition is given on retention
There are various data points and case studies on the benefits of recognition. Whether it is a form of financial recognition to an entire...
Aug 7, 20224 min read


Let's stop people from dying immediately after retirement.
revision 1 - 9.24.2023 The heavy manufacturing industry is a challenging business to be in and may not be a popular career choice. A...
Jul 31, 20226 min read


I forgot. What do you do after a conference?
I assume most attendees of organizations are required to that write some form of “trip report” that reflects on the take-aways of a...
Jul 26, 20224 min read


You just drifted. Stay focused.
Organizations are becoming more connected than ever before with the complete office packages of Microsoft or Google. We can work on...
Jul 17, 20224 min read


Smile. Let's see those estimates.
Finding things in everyday life that empower you to evaluate statistics or theorize estimates on a scenario has always been fun for my...
Jul 10, 20224 min read


Can we make virtual meetings not suck?
We are two years into drinking virtual meetings from a fire hose, and for some of us, it may feel like a decade. The ease of having a...
Jun 27, 20224 min read


How is your backlog?
If you are managing an organization, I will assume that you have experienced the overwhelming sensation of uncovering a backlog that is...
Jun 20, 20224 min read


"Criticality" for $1000, please.
How is "criticality" used? The word “criticality” is often used out of context within manufacturing. I often hear someone say, “that is...
Jun 15, 20224 min read


Which revision are you referencing?
Revision versions are funny things. Revisions may exist in your engineered drawings, tracking incremental improvements, and enhancements....
Jun 6, 20224 min read


"Profit protection" has a good ring about it.
I have heard the argument for years, that connecting an EBIT improvement with overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) improvement is...
May 30, 20223 min read


Concierge, we need ice under the overhead crane please.
Summertime brings beaches, vacations, warm air, and outages. Outages, for some of us, are the time of year when we shut down assets and...
May 24, 20224 min read


Cheers... to the last outage.
WIthin all forms of manufacturing, outages exist. They are either planned or unplanned and they could exist at some periodic interval....
May 17, 20225 min read


The most misused word in manufacturing
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...
May 10, 20224 min read


Congratulations for what?
Saturdays and Sundays are my days to slow down and write. I dedicate roughly two hours to reading, writing, and reflecting on the...
May 1, 20223 min read
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