One of the first steps in the Toyota Production System is to define what adds value for the customer. During the design we try to completely define what the customer wants. What problems are they…
Toyota Production System (TPS) - How it Influences Design
The CAD System is Evil and the White Board is Your Friend
It is all too easy when starting the design process to work on our own with the latest software tools. There are a few things inherently wrong with CAD on the front end of the…
Virtual Companies
A couple of years ago we made a strategic decision to size our company for the lean times and use outsourcing techniques to handle the busy times, we decided to try and become a small…
Manpower Planning
One of the most daunting tasks that I’m regularly faced with is Manpower forecasting and planning for all of our various project efforts. One of the scientific tools I use is the reports from historical…
The Setpoint Superteam
How many companies are there where the employees don’t consider themselves as simply “employees,” but view their role as “Teammate?” Sound funny? Recently, I sent out a company wide query to determine what “SuperTeam” means.…