Lean Built: Manufacturing Freedom

How do you handle a backlog with lean? Andrew gives a little masterclass on that, since he just had to do it, thanks to the holidays and employee sickness. Then Jay talks about why he's thinking about getting a space pod (office pod or silence booth). Plus, they talk about why adding Credit Key was good for Jay, making quality of life improvements at the end of the year instead of hoarding cash, shipping in the holidays, and how to handle Christmas break.

Jay and Andrew talk about Andrew's new forklift, the pros and cons of handling inventory for other shops, tax incentive buys at the end of the year, as-needed budgets, systems vs goals, "use it or lose it" mentality in bigger companies, delaying gratification for wants (but not needs!), and how to avoid being at the mercy of the supply chain.

Andrew and Jay continue to talk about what kind of lathe would Andrew like, as well as false ways of achieving economy, the drawbacks of big sales, seeing where you only partially think of things, the value of high-priced CEO meetings, and more. Books mentioned:How to Sell at Margins Higher Than Your Competitor by Lawrence Steinmetz.Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense by Rory Sutherland.

The discussion dives into the pros and cons of payment plans, highlighting the financial risks tied to rapid depreciation of assets. It contrasts luxury items with everyday goods, revealing their impact on financial stability. The hosts emphasize the value of strong vendor relationships, especially during organizational changes. They also tackle production challenges, advocating for clear communication amidst the complexities of manufacturing. An important question arises: do your ERP systems truly serve your needs in this fast-paced environment?

Should Andrew buy a lathe? This is the question of the hour, leading to all sorts of useful discussions, such as ... do you spend money on a crummy machine just to learn? Or buy your good one first? If you have a machine, will the work come? What happens if getting use out of a machine relies on one rockstar employee? How do you play the odds in a small business? How do you avoid "monkey like shiny" syndrome? What makes a visionary, and why do Jay and Andrew both kind of hate the word? Would either of them ever hire a CEO?

Jay and Andrew talk 3D printers, color matching vs color coding, after-market mods, and ponder what it would take to sell their companies and start from scratch with what they know now.

Andrew is putting off buying a lathe, which leads to a discussion of what to prioritize in buying machines, returns and exchanges, how Amazon makes it easier for people to rip you off, and more.

Andrew and Jay talk about teamwork, pushing a machine until you break it (to learn how far you can push it), onboarding new vendors (plus vendor management in general), over-communicating as a violation of lean principles, organizational clarity, and more.Books mentioned: The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive: A leadership Fable by Patrick LencioniRocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters

Jay and Andrew talk about Jay's new Zeiss CMM, how to not burn up somebody's goodwill, documenting processes, face to face versus shoulder to shoulder versus face to screen, the high cost of small errors, and the dangers of automation. Plus Jay pushes back on whether Andrew should get a lathe ... side quests are dangerous!

Jay and Andrew talk about lean drift in other shops, waiting on other contractors, construction crews doing wrong things, shop layout improvements, inventory systems, known knowns vs. known unknowns vs. unknown unknowns, when routine becomes inhibiting, customers wanting to modify equipment, and more.