Change Your Pricing Formula for 2018 and Make More Net Profit Todd Drummond Let us assume that you are having problems with a truck’s transmission and it must be repaired or replaced. The local mechanic explains the hourly rate for service and that the cost of any parts needed to fix the transmission is extra. The hourly charge he is billing is to cover his... Read More January 2018 Issue #10222 Page 30
Robotics, continued Joe Kannapell Automation is advancing around the world, but will it yield the quantum leap promised? And how big a margin will it provide over conventional processes? Let’s first assess how various systems affect non-direct-labor inputs to the production process. Later we’ll balance these against... Read More June 2017 Issue #10215 Page 6
Lumber Briefs: The Real Cost of “Not Discounting” Invoices Matt Layman Part Four in the Save Money Series Back in the good old days, when I was a rookie lumber broker, central zone SYP producers offered wholesalers a 5% discount which gave us incentive to work their wood outside Mississippi and Alabama. I offer that just to be aggravating. Also, back in... Read More February 2017 Issue #10211 Page 58
Lumber Briefs: Anticipated 2x4 Prices H1-2017 Matt Layman Part Three in the Save Money Series I certainly do not have crystal ball, but I do have something almost as good. I have history and the ability to analyze the market from a fundamental and technical perspective. Together they provide an 86% accurate forecast of when prices will rise and... Read More January 2017 Issue #10210 Page 59
The Approach of Opportunity Carl Schoening Those of us who have been around this industry long enough have a general feeling of cautious optimism. We have all been through the economic ups and downs, the building cycles, and all the rest. We have sat listening to economists at BCMC every year. We have read so many detailed articles over... Read More September 2016 Issue #09206 Page 16
Bidding Practices that are Just Good Enough Can Cost Tens of Thousands in Additional Net Profit Todd Drummond Two very distinct aspects of the bidding calculation could be costing your company tens of thousands of dollars. If you were shown a better bidding method, would you allow your pride to prevent you from testing it and, if it works, taking the time to embrace it to improve your company’s... Read More September 2016 Issue #09206 Page 18
Truss Labor Time Standards for MiTek MVP™ and Other Programs Todd Drummond I have heard the same thing many times over and over. People want a better method of understanding truss manufacturing labor efficiencies, but they use the same flawed units of measurement they have always used. “Todd, I’ve been in this industry for decades as a ‘fill in the... Read More July 2016 Issue #09204 Page 20
Continuous Improvement Ben Hershey Continuous Improvement – Success is achieved, not from the program, but from the mindset Theory of Constraints. The Houlihan Labor Method. Quick Response Manufacturing. Six Sigma. Lean. Total Productive Maintenance. Total Quality Management. The lexicon, tools, and methods... Read More July 2016 Issue #09204 Page 62
Increasing Net Profit While Sacrificing Labor Efficiencies? Todd Drummond Sometimes we lose focus of the main goal of creating more net profit for the company by focusing too much on one aspect of our business. Too often individuals focus too much on perceived labor efficiencies while limiting their overall capacities. Does reducing labor cost always produce more net... Read More December 2015 Issue #08197 Page 11
December 2015 Lumber Market Blueprint Matt Layman Evaluation November was a funky weather month. The east fielded above average rainfall, the western mountains got some snow, even though most temperatures were above average over the entire nation. There are pockets of pent up demand, like northern TX and Oklahoma, although on the whole,... Read More December 2015 Issue #08197 Page 38