Did you know that it is possible to achieve greater than $3 million in sales on one build table, even with severe seasonal fluctuations causing winter sales to be nonexistent? I define a build table as one build group of three to four assemblers building roof trusses. Did you know an automated five-bladed saw is capable of generating more than $6 million in sales? Or that most automated linear saws can do more than $3 million in sales? All of this in one shift, which means no second-shift night crews. What do you think the labor cost and efficiencies would be for this kind of sales volume? By the way, these kinds of results are being achieved in numerous component plants across North America.
So many people agonize over a labor shortage and yet are only achieving marginal output per team, so of course, they need more employees to produce the same amount. How many people, what kind of people and what is needed to achieve these types of results consistently are always the big questions. With all the advice coming from current vendors and the people within these companies, why isn’t it more common to achieve this type of output? Many manufacturers are not, and one should be asking why they are so willing to keep accepting a low level of productivity when the competitive environment is not getting any better.
Now, some may think I am suggesting that everyone just needs to invest in automated pucks and other expensive equipment. Sadly, most could have large gains above their current averages without a costly investment in automation. Automation does help, but it doesn’t always make sense to do so because it certainly is not needed in all situations. Still too many are investing in the very best automated equipment and are only able to achieve very modest gains. A shiny new table, lasers, and an automated puck system are not simple cure-alls for achieving large gains. Far too many companies are investing so much money, and yet the end results are fumbled on the metaphorical one-yard line. After taking the big risk of new debt and listening to the vendors and other people, why does it always seem just out of reach and unachievable by so many companies? The answer is simple but difficult to overcome. The people who are failing to achieve the desired results either do not know how or are simply unwilling to change to achieve far better results. The number one cause of this ignorance and an unwillingness to change is pride.
Pride is a fickle and terrible emotion. It blinds and binds us from achieving more than what we are currently doing. It whispers in our ear that what we are doing is good enough, or it screams at us that we are right, and the others are the ones who are wrong! In fact, ideas and practices should never be about being right or wrong. Ideas and practices need to be about always willing to evolve to what creates the best outcome with the changing environment. Pride creates an environment of fear that prevents people from letting go and embracing more effective methods of processes and management practices. The greater the fear, the greater the tendency to micro-manage and not allow others to provide solutions that can easily be tested before fully implementing them. Pride is such a foolish emotion that in the end, it is the cause of many floundering companies.
The size of the company does not matter. Large corporations with multiple locations and small independent companies are all very susceptible to pride’s terrible hindrance to achieving better results. Those who had hired my services before investing found that my unbiased advice helped them make the decision process far clearer and many saved tens of thousands in making a better decision rather than relying solely on their equipment vendors. Those who hired my services after the new equipment had found my council gave them far more productivity than what was possible after they failed to achieve the desired results they had been promised. When your company is finally ready to let go and embrace proven and practical methods of achieving stellar results, give me a call.
www.todd-drummond.com Phone: 603-763-8857
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