We’ve all seen the predictions: Component manufacturing is going to grow ever bigger as labor remains tight and big builders get more efficient. And with component manufacturing gross margins being higher than what you get for selling commodities, it’s a good time to ask:...

Last month, I talked about how things were “back in the day” as compared to now. The Servo Revolution is upon us, and we must all work to keep up with technology. Modern technology drives our businesses, both literally and figuratively. Even so, technology is not the sole element in...

Part One: 1960 to 1979   Garden style apartments have been good for the truss business, but have morphed into an almost unrecognizable beast. In making this transition, component manufacturers have built on 40+ years of experience, and have conquered this beast, but not without...

Industrial engineering – “The branch of engineering that is concerned with the production of industrial goods, especially by the design of efficient plants and procedures and the management of materials, energy, and labor.” (Source – The Free Dictionary) The Lean...

Technology certainly has changed the way I do my job. In fact, in many ways, it’s changed the entire industry I’ve chosen to build a career in. When I graduated with a Construction Management Degree, the construction industry was wide open. But selling production saws for the Wood...

We’re now at the point where everyone is on board with the idea of change. Management and staff have indicated a willingness to take steps to improve. So how do we proceed? What processes learned from Lean Manufacturing can we use to make progress? As discussed last month in the 5th...

Every consultation is different, yet some things remain the same. People are creatures of habit, and some of the issues that are dealt with during the consultations are very similar. Three key obstacles or areas are so common that I have yet to find a company not struggling with each of...

Trade shows are a great way to demonstrate products and to meet people face-to-face. They are very useful when you want to see products that require a demonstration or, as my brother Keith would say, “where you want to put your hand on the machine.” But there are even more reasons to...

The pace of today’s business requires agility and change to maintain success. That is the reality of our situation. But be warned: “change” is difficult. Sometimes it requires tinkering, other times it means tearing down the very structures that have taken you to the point of...

A funny thing happened after Toll Brothers erected this “Board Foot Display” in their wall panel plant. Toll workers didn’t complain. In fact, they actually asked for digital readouts at their individual work stations. Hats off to Keith Fell, Toll’s Director of...