Lean Built: Manufacturing Freedom

The hosts reflect on personal losses and the legacies they wish to create. They emphasize the value of meaningful connections over material wealth. Humor meets honesty as they discuss fostering a culture of continuous improvement in manufacturing. Challenges in hiring amidst a competitive market are explored, alongside the intricacies of balancing remote work. The significance of personality alignment in hiring is highlighted, while discussions on accountability and team strengths in leadership wrap up their engaging dialogue.

How do you avoid decision fatigue? How many good decisions can you make in one day? How can you make your decisions ahead of time? How can you brainstorm effectively? These are a few of the important issues Jay and Andrew tackle in this episode of "Lean Built."

From discussing the merits of expanding quickly versus gradually to exploring the pivotal role of the shop floor in fostering career development, Andrew and Jay have a lot to talk about in this episode. They tackle the idea that anything repetitive should be automatable and ponder what it takes to build a company where employees aspire to retire from. They also examine the importance of assembling a diverse team with varied skills and preferences and the potential of gamification in enhancing productivity.But it's not all about speed. Andrew and Jay emphasize the significance of being careful with aligning incentives within the shop environment. They shed light on the concept of "sooner, not faster" and the utility of tools like Gantt charts in managing workflows effectively.Books mentioned: New Shop Floor Management: Empowering People for Continuous Improvement by Kiyoshi SuzakiHenry Ford: My Life and Work by Henry Ford

In this episode of Lean Built,  Andrew and Jay dive into the world of machining mishaps and shop space dreams. Andrew recounts the story of a wild thing that happened during vacuum workholding, which leads to some tips for safe vacuum hold-down machining—plus a discussion of other downright scary machine malfunctions.Plus Jay and Andrew begin to delve into the topic of planning for future shop expansion.

First up, Jay and Andrew dive into the art  of effectively documenting workflows. How do you avoid the pitfall of keeping everything in your head?Next, they explore the world of AI and how it can be used to address frequently asked customer queries.Then Jay shares a story of transitioning a process from digital to analog, prompting a discussion on the pros and cons of both digital and analog methods. When do you embrace digital tools and when do you stick to the tried-and-true analog methods?All that and more in this episode of Lean Built.

Jay and Andrew talk about the power of deletion and the joy of 3D printing. They discuss the importance of embracing the development process, even when it includes ideas that don't work out. They offer insights on how to effectively engage with influencer marketing (there's a way to do it and a way not to do it). Plus Andrew reveals his trade show strategies. 

Andrew and Jay talk about keeping the right amount of inventory without causing a bottleneck, the awesomeness of vertical lift modules (and just generally turning square feet into cubic feet), avoiding monuments in the shop, and how kanban is not just cards ... it's a system for exposing weaknesses.Book discussed:New Manufacturing Challenge: Techniques for Continuous Improvement by Kiyoshi Suzaki.

Andrew and Jay delve into the depths of lean maturity (or the absence of it), discussing how small companies can avoid reinventing the wheel, skillfully use redundancy, adhere to fundamental lean principles, and deliver answers right where the questions are most likely to be asked.

Andrew's just got a new lathe and we talk about it in this episode. There are plenty of challenges, including moving the shop layout. We also talk about how new employees help you find problems, and Rock Fuel University.

Jay and Andrew talk about rigging, how money eases the way, making our environment serve us, relationships vs profit, establishing value through the right comparison, and much more.Books mentioned:Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense by Rory Sutherland.The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design by Marty Neumeier.New Manufacturing Challenge: Techniques for Continuous Improvement by Kiyoshi Suzaki.