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 improve upon all areas over which we have influence. Just as in our personal lives, there are rules or commandments we can use to guide us to avoid the pitfalls that keep us making the same mistakes. Here is the lean manufacturing list of ten commandments for overcoming the difficulties of implementing changes within your groups.
(1) Abandon Fixed Ideas — Change should always be sought for improvement. This sounds easy in principle, but we all get fixated on thinking we know what must be done for most things in life. A practical example of that is using board foot to measure roof truss manufacturing. At least 80% of the industry still uses that inconsistent and thoroughly flawed method for pricing and manufacturing measurements. Maybe it is time to abandon fixed ideas.
For further explanation of BF versus time standards, see my previous articles:
(2) Think of Creative Ways of How It Would Be Possible — It is important to ignore feasibility and think of possibilities first. When I do my work helping people with their operations, it is so common for people to be fixated on costs, traditional methods, and what they consider practical methods. When I start talking about moving equipment, making new doors in walls, or even lifting material or equipment onto an elevated platform, people’s minds start turning with possibilities. Of course, some of the ideas are not cost-effective, but one does not know until the idea has been thoroughly vetted for the problem you are trying to resolve or improve upon.
(3) Do Not Accept Excuses — The 80/20 rule is very applicable here, which means 80% do not know how, and 20% refuse because of other reasons, such as ego. Keep in mind that most people would change their work environment if they had the power and know-how. Take the time to show people how to make the changes, and most are eager to embrace this new idea. The other 20% of people present internal culture challenges that are too long to explain in this article.
(4) Keep It Simple — Do not get caught up in trying to achieve the perfect solution from the beginning. Time and again, people are afraid of making an error when implementing something new. When I provide time standards (work minutes, man-minutes, R.E. or S.U.) for truss labor estimation, most feel overwhelmed by all the new numbers and practices. In reality, when you have someone like me guiding people and providing the actual numbers, it is not difficult at all. No matter what new practice you put into place, it will not be perfect from the get-go, and you can plan on continuous improvement and refinement.
(5) Correct the Mistake Immediately — Mistakes are part of life, and the sooner you fix them, the easier it will be to move past them. The most important thing to remember is not to assign blame and point fingers at individuals. Fix the process, do not point fingers, and create a culture of trust.
(6) Money Does Not Resolve All Your Problems — When I provide a final written summary report for each company, the list of the most needed areas for improvement has nothing to do with needed investments. As Edwards Deming stated, “Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets,” which means if you keep getting errors or want different results, you will have to change the system or process. Many of the suggestions I give my clients are all about process improvement ideas that need refinement and do not require capital investment.
(7) Problems are Normal and Should Be Viewed as an Opportunity — Shocking as it sounds, the same problems your group is dealing with, such as poorly drawn prints, unrealistic customer expectations, software limitations, and so on, are all too familiar to everyone else in the industry. Most companies are using the same equipment, software, and practices to process their work orders to one degree or another. It is all about their effectiveness with the processing and methods that make the difference compared to the competition. If you want to best your competition, implement better practices and processes embedded in a company culture of constant improvement.
(8) Ask “WHY” — Many times, a practice or methodology is used because it was what they were taught to do. They may think there is the only one way, or no one allows them to make a change. When we start asking the question, “Why?,” usually by the third “why” we get to the root of why something is happening in the first place. It is very difficult to implement change when we don’t know the reason why something is being used/done in the first place.
(9) Ask for Solutions from Many People — Asking for solutions from the people affected by any change creates teamwork and acceptance among a group. No matter the size of the group, people want to be heard and have their ideas vetted. The larger the group or company, the harder it is to adhere to, but it is necessary if you wish to create a culture of inclusion and belonging. Those who don’t make this part of the company culture have high employee turnover, dissatisfaction, and vacancies.
(10) There is Never Going to be an End to Improving, so Embrace Change as the Norm — When implementing lean manufacturing practices, it is all about continuous improvement, or the Japanese term Kaizen. Let’s face facts: People, in general, want to keep doing what they do the way they know how and are familiar with. It provides them with a sense of comfort, especially in challenging times. Yet, as we progress through the years, everything will eventually be altered somehow. If you don’t embrace a culture of continuous improvement, your company will ultimately be added to the list of the many failed businesses that no longer exist.
TDC is your best source for learning about proven and practical lean manufacturing best practices combined with industrial engineering principles to keep your company competitive. 20+ years for time standards (MM, RE, or SU) development and refinement for wood trusses. No one is better at providing your team with proven results for best-in-class practices. Please do not take my word about TDC’s services, though. Read the public testimonials many current and past clients with decades of expertise and experience have been willing to give: https://todd-drummond.com/testimonials/
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