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More from Jeff Sipes
- From The Fabricator
How metal fabricators can juggle the many needs of the customer
- By Jeff Sipes
- Jul 3, 2020
- Shop Management
- Article
Metal fabricators have many different types of customers, both external and internal. But they have one common trait: They all have a voice. Juggling them properly is key to any lean manufacturing journey, writes Jeff Sipes.
- From The Fabricator
What fabricators can do with lean manufacturing when a crisis hits
- By Jeff Sipes
- May 11, 2020
- Shop Management
- Article
It’s a time of emergency. How should metal fabricators move forward with lean manufacturing practices? It starts with identifying how the COVID-19 crisis impacts organizations.
- From The Fabricator
Takt time in a nonrepetitive manufacturing environment
- By Jeff Sipes
- Apr 13, 2020
- Shop Management
- Article
Analyzing takt time makes sense in low-product-mix production, but it also makes sense in a high-product-mix environment—if you take the right approach with the lean manufacturing tool.
- From The Fabricator
Takt time brings objectivity to important lean manufacturing decisions
- By Jeff Sipes
- Mar 13, 2020
- Shop Management
- Article
Takt time is one of the most overlooked tools in the lean manufacturing toolbox. Used correctly, it helps managers make important decisions with confidence.
- From The Fabricator
Shorten changeovers and reap the benefits in lean manufacturing
- By Jeff Sipes
- Feb 24, 2020
- Shop Management
- Article
Want to streamline changeovers in your lean manufacturing journey? Scrutinize the steps, eliminate what you can, then restructure what’s left to keep jobs moving in your metal fabrication operation.
- From The Fabricator
Need direction on your lean manufacturing journey? Listen to the data
- By Jeff Sipes
- Jan 27, 2020
- Shop Management
- Article
Acting on gut feelings when analyzing lean manufacturing practices is just too risky for modern business. You need to know the root causes, and to uncover them, you need to listen to the data.
- From The Fabricator
Lean manufacturing: It’s about the detail
- By Jeff Sipes
- Dec 27, 2019
- Shop Management
- Article
Continuous improvement in lean manufacturing needs a broad strategy, but sometimes you need to observe the work, pay attention to details, and ask questions.
- From The Fabricator
How benchmarking accelerates continuous lean manufacturing improvement
- By Jeff Sipes
- Nov 30, 2019
- Shop Management
- Article
Most manufacturers will hit a plateau at some point on the lean journey. There comes a time for an infusion of new ideas or the need for a catalyst. Benchmarking just might be an economical and effective way to make that happen.
- From The Fabricator
Where lean manufacturing and Six Sigma meet
- By Jeff Sipes
- Oct 17, 2019
- Shop Management
- Article
Simple observation is often enough to improve manufacturing processes in the early stages. But as your lean Six Sigma initiative evolves, data plays a bigger role.
- From The Fabricator
How the book study complements lean manufacturing
- By Jeff Sipes
- Sep 13, 2019
- Shop Management
- Article
Book studies don’t require many resources, involve little risk, and offer many potential benefits. Few other things in business can claim the same.
- From The Fabricator
How to manage stubborn manufacturers who resist change
- By Jeff Sipes
- Aug 12, 2019
- Shop Management
- Article
Everyone resists change to some degree, but some are more stubborn than others. That creates a problem that can’t be ignored especially as a manufacturing company attempts to modernize and adapt to lean manufacturing.
- From The Fabricator
Performance metrics drive behavior
- By Jeff Sipes
- Aug 10, 2019
- Shop Management
- Article
The best metrics help people get the job done. But instituting helpful performance metrics requires thorough planning. It’s never as easy as, “Hey, let’s measure this!”
- From The Fabricator
The soft side of lean manufacturing through respect and humility
- By Jeff Sipes
- Jul 6, 2019
- Shop Management
- Article
If lean manufacturing was all about the technicalities, you could rule the shop with an iron fist and everyone would fall in line. But successful lean organizations understand that they must engage the entire workforce.
- From The Fabricator
How lean manufacturing focuses on both processes and outcomes
- By Jeff Sipes
- May 21, 2019
- Shop Management
- Article
How many orders did we ship? Did the job ship on time? By the time you ask these questions, it’s too late to prevent the problem.
- From The Fabricator
Get in front of the resistance
- By Jeff Sipes
- Apr 12, 2019
- Shop Management
- Article
Rest assured, people will resist change. How you deal with that resistance makes all the difference.
- Podcasting
- Podcast:
- The Fabricator Podcast
- Published:
- 05/14/2024
- Running Time:
- 62:12
Cameron Adams of Laser Precision, a contract metal fabricator in the Chicago area, joins the podcast to talk...
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