Understanding Lean Principles

The lean philosophy centers around five guiding concepts which are used to drive the behaviors of an organization. These 5 lean principles can help people at all levels of a company to understand what it is they should be doing and how it should be done. Of course, these lean principles aren’t going to layout…

Tony Ferraro | October 23, 2013 | Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read

Heijunka – Creating Flow

The word Heijunka is often used in the manufacturing industry, and it means sequencing, or smoothing of production. The idea behind this term is to help absorb sudden fluctuations or changes in the demand of the market. This is often done by producing several different models of a product, in smaller production batches. In practice,…

Tony Ferraro | October 9, 2013 | Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read

Changeover – Creating Flow and Eliminating Waste

For those in the manufacturing industry, changeover is a term which is used when talking about converting a particular machine, or a line from creating one product to another. The most well known example of this would be in the automotive industry where it is necessary to do a changeover when updating to a new…

Tony Ferraro | October 7, 2013 | Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read

How to Organize Your Shop: Try 5S

Are you needing some organization in your workshop?  Do you spend more time trying to find tools and supplies and less time actually working? Are you hoping to improve your efficiency and cut your waste down?  Would doing all of this help to improve quality to the customer and possibly even reduce prices? Well, you…

Tony Ferraro | October 1, 2013 | 5S | 3 min read

Manufacturing Infographic

Manufacturing Day is on October 5.  I hope they can fill all of these jobs they say they have just waiting for the right candidates. I’m not sure if all of that is because pay scales for some of these positions are only attracting less qualified applicants or if there truly is a line of…

Tony Ferraro | September 23, 2013 | Lean Manufacturing | 1 min read

Taking a Look at Company Culture

When getting ready to interview for a new position, most people focus their efforts on getting themselves ready to impress the people who they will be interviewed by. While this is certainly important, one should also take the time to try to figure out whether or not the company culture is a good fit for…

Tony Ferraro | September 20, 2013 | Continuous Improvement | 2 min read

Why Use a Checklist for Your Inspections?

Performing inspections is one of the most important jobs of a safety manager. Even in cases when the actual inspections aren’t directly performed by the safety manager, he or she will still be responsible for reviewing the results and taking action where necessary. Unfortunately, for many facilities, an inspection ends up being little more than a…

Tony Ferraro | September 9, 2013 | Safety | 3 min read

What is 5S and How Should We Implement It?

5S is, in the simplest terms, a method of creating, maintaining and improving a workplace which is clean, orderly, and has methods for detecting waste and errors built in. When used properly, it will help to identify areas where things are being done inefficiently, and come up with solutions for improvement. It will help to…

Tony Ferraro | September 4, 2013 | 5S | 2 min read

Executing a 5S Launch

If you’re considering implementing a 5S system in a facility, it is essential to take the time to do it right. When done properly, the 5S system can be an effective way to clean and organize a workplace, allowing it to run more efficiently. If the 5S launch isn’t well thought out,  it can lead to disaster.…

Tony Ferraro | September 4, 2013 | 5S | 3 min read

The Benefits of Equipment Inspections

Individuals or departments which are responsible for the overall maintenance of a facility are often stuck in an undesirable position. They are typically extremely busy responding to requests from other departments to fix machines or perform other tasks. In addition, they are often constrained by budgets which don’t have too much wiggle room. What this…

Tony Ferraro | September 1, 2013 | Safety | 3 min read