Pure Online Magic with Paragon, TDC Time Standards, and AppWright Job Management Todd Drummond If you want to give your company a new competitive edge while reducing costs and improving profitability, then you’ll want to hear what TDC has connected using Paragon and AppWright. Coming this October at BCMC, find out how your company can reduce costs, improve your manufacturing... Read More September 2025 Issue #17314 Page 26
Passive Lean Can Tame Lumber Chaos Edmond Lim, P.Eng. On a recent sailing expedition, I could not help but marvel at how a floating breakwater is a passive lean solution used to tame chaotic waves similar to how the Enventek Lumber PickLine tames the chaos in material handling. Both solutions are strategically designed to be simple, cost effective,... Read More September 2025 Issue #17314 Page 40
Lean Manufacturing Only Works with the Best Employee Management Practices Todd Drummond Anyone with any training in lean practice has heard of standard terms such as the Five “S” and “Just in Time.” What is not discussed often enough is that lean principles are based on healthy management and employee relations, which is the foundation of the... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 26
What a Flight on Japan Airlines Taught Me About Visual Safety Culture Ben Hershey On a recent trip from Seattle to Vietnam via Tokyo, I flew on Japan Airlines and was struck by more than just the exceptional hospitality. What stood out most was their disciplined safety culture, specifically how their flight attendants conducted safety checks. As they walked the cabin before... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 52
The Time for Improvement is Always Now Todd Drummond The summer build season is upon us, so the familiar daily time constraint challenges are back. Yet this summer build season is not like the past few years. In many regions, sales are not as strong, so margins are dropping to keep the sales volume needed to remain profitable. During the winter... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 24
Being Aware of Lost Productivity Todd Drummond Our perception forms what we think is the “true” reality, and our reality is always biased based on preconceived ideas, limited perspectives, and the big one of protecting our ego. So, how willing are you to review your area of responsibility for improvement beyond what you... Read More May 2025 Issue #17310 Page 28
Proper Time Management is Essential for Proactive Management Best Practices Todd Drummond When it comes to the daily tasks of any executive, there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day to implement everything that needs to be done. From sales to troubleshooting, there are constant interruptions in your day that keep you from accomplishing those goals you tell yourself need... Read More April 2025 Issue #17309 Page 28
The Sales Team’s Number One Time-Wasting Activity Todd Drummond When it comes to the sales team, the very group that provides the lifeblood of the entire company, there is often one blind spot for wasted efforts. Why do so many companies allow their sales team to jump through so many hoops to find need-to-know-right-now information? Why must the sales... Read More February 2025 Issue #17307 Page 28
Ten Commandments for Improvement Todd Drummond As we all start the New Year, we see the road ahead and the challenges we must face. This is part of the life experience: as time moves forward, markets change, and competition will always try to take what you have built. Many difficulties may look daunting, but with the right attitude, we can... Read More January 2025 Issue #17306 Page 28
Free Your Mind, Free Your Factory: The Hidden Upside of Lean Frame Manufacturing Ed Serrano What do a former First Lady and today’s most forward-thinking frame fabricators have in common? More than you might think. Consider this quote, “The more we simplify our material needs, the more we are free to think of other things” – Eleanor Roosevelt Eleanor... Read More January 2025 Issue #17306 Page 64