Guest Post: The MAKE Movement a.k.a. Do-It-Yourself (DIY)

Today’s guest blogger is Justin Tomac.  Justin is involved in the Maker movement that I thought it would be a nice follow to manufacturing week last week.  Justin is an immersive learner and maker, with an entrepreneurial mindset who’s diverse background and experiences tend to show in his passion for developing and improving people, processes and products.  When not plotting his next move, Justin resides in the greater Kansas City Metropolitan area with his continuously growing family of soon to be Seven children.  He sits on the Advisory Board for the Kansas City Manufacturing Network as well as the Board of Directors for Make KC and is leading the planning for the 2011 Kansas City Mini Maker Faire.

I would like to introduce the Beyond Lean readership to a trend that is rapidly growing commonly called the MAKE movement.  MAKE is actually the name of a magazine which provides stories and plans for Do-It-Yourselfers (DIY). MAKE is published by O’Reilly publishing and is an attempt to bring together science, art, craft, engineering and music.

This article will be referring to the MAKE Movement, which is about the intersection of Art & Technology.  The Movement consists primarily of Makers, i.e. those who create, invent, hack or re-purpose items for some useful function.  Some distinguishing charactericstics of a Maker are a DIY & Safety Third (i.e. Dream the Big Dream, Understand the Risks & Use Safety Precautions) mindset coupled with a boundaryless curiousity and strong desire to learn.  Most are self starters and would venture to say are entrepreneurs at heart.  In my opinion, the Maker epitomizes what the United States manufacturing was founded upon and has fostered for the past 225+ years, in some ways you can say it is the foundation that helped build the USA into a dominant World Power.

The MAKE movement is visible in several ways.  One way is through local DIY or MAKE groups, some of which are called HackerSpaces.  These spaces have grown from just a Dozen or so in 2006 to 100+ in 2010.  The growth is attributed to a Second way called a Maker Faire.  This is where Makers (both technology and craft) meet to show to any and all, what they have created, invented or re-purposed.  Shared Learnings and Immersive Interactions are typically what a Maker Faire attendee would expect.  This blends well with what most Makers believe and promote, which is ‘Open Source’ sharing and learning.  What is the sense of making or ‘hacking’ something if you cannot share what you have learned is a typical comment voiced.  It is the openness that most would agree is the Power of this grass roots movement. ‘Hacking’ here is referenced as a way Makers are learning, testing or using a product in different ways then the intended use.  Some may call it ‘tinkering’, irregardless of what you call it the outcome is usually interesting and most times an incremental improvement over what it was.  For most companies this may be seen as a threat (i.e. think reverse engineering), some companies are actually using this to their advantage by offering products that can be ‘hacked’.  In studying this you find these companies are really using the Makers and the Movement as a way of Rapid Prototyping and very cost effective forms of Product Development.  In my opinion, this is where most manufacturers may find some interest, along with some really cool ideas for product.  Since most Makers do this as a hobby in their spare time, primarily because their ‘cup’ at work is not being filled (think underutilized intellect), and for the love of learning they have and can offer their expertise for some ‘moonlighting’ fees.  In my opinion, this is a true win-win.

Becoming involved in this Movement is quite simple.  Here are two suggestions:

1)     Find your local MAKE or HackerSpace group and begin to make things either there or at home.  Use the imagination of a young child and then do it.  Once you begin, it is hard not to look at something without wondering how you can re-purpose it.  For ideas check out www.hackaday.com or www.instructables.com.  Along with MakeZine, these sites have a lot of low cost great ideas.

2)     Attend a Maker Faire (either one of the Three Main National Events or a local Mini Maker Faire), become inspired and do-it-yourself.  If you are a CEO/COO or Innovation Leader check out the Faire or local group and see what makes sense to your category or line then leverage it.  For example, within the next 5 – 10 years every household will own a 3-Dimensional Printer (i.e. a printer that has the ability to replicate a product in 3D using a material) for items that have broken and need to be re-made or for items that are dreamt of.  The Price Barrier has been significantly reduced from a 2006 price tag of $25,000+ to a 2010 tag of $750 (www.makerbot.com). With this type of technology the homemaker has now become the rapid prototyping queen of tomorrow.

My fascination with this Movement was re-kindled a year ago.  My kids and wife have enjoyed the time spent together making crafts and learning certain types of technology.  Talk about some low budget, quality family time!  I encourage each of you to explore this movement.  Chances are you will be surprised at what you learn!

Making Manufacturing Real in North Carolina

Last week North Carolina State University Industrial Extension Services hosted a Making it Real event across the state.  It was designed to show off all the manufacturing that takes place in North Carolina.  Gray Rinehart was kind enough to share some of it with me.  I wanted everyone to know the grass roots effort that is going on to promote the wonderful manufacturing that is taking place in the U.S.  I hope more states can follow in their footsteps for more events like this.

Because I’ve driven across the country several times, from one Air Force assignment to the next, I sometimes think in terms of the nation as a whole and forget just how big some states are. Last week I helped the NC State University Industrial Extension Service (IES) conduct the “Manufacturing Makes It Real” tour, covering over 1100 miles in 5 days, and trust me: North Carolina is a pretty big state.

The central message of the tour was that manufacturing — the actual production of durable and consumer goods — matters to all of us, because it is the source of almost everything we have and almost everything we do. As Dr. Terri Helmlinger Ratcliff, IES Executive Director, wrote before the tour, “Manufacturing makes the difference between imagination and reality in ways that make modern life possible.” Invention creates new products, but manufacturing brings them into all our lives.

To spread the message about how much manufacturing matters, we went to every region of North Carolina: the piedmont, the mountains, and along the coast. As we traveled, we held rallies where manufacturers showed off their products and praised their workers. The host sites made the rallies truly “local” events: some had employees sing the National Anthem, some invited Junior ROTC or other school groups to perform, and one invited the local area’s apple orchards to bring some of their products for attendees to sample. Local, State, and even Federal elected officials attended various events, which usually included plant tours to show off the host sites’ capabilities in more detail.

Our convoy included a tractor-trailer with dozens of different “Made in NC” items that showed off the diversity of products made throughout the state. At each rally, people lined up to walk through the trailer to see their handiwork as well as others’. Many people expressed surprise at the variety of products made in the state: “from tortilla chips to microchips,” as IES Deputy Director Dr. David Boulay said.

I like to think the individual rallies were like “county fairs” for manufacturing, and we were pleased at the number of companies that attended, even though we didn’t have blue ribbons to award. And considering the weather we had — record levels of rain along the coast, making us travel on nearly-flooded roads* — we were very fortunate to make it to each stop and hold each rally on time.

The most memorable rally for me was held at Scott Health & Safety in Monroe (east of Charlotte). The Monroe Fire Department had set up two ladder trucks and suspended a huge U.S. flag to help the companies demonstrate their “Made in the USA” pride. That pride-of-workmanship theme was repeated at every stop, but the Monroe event was special to me because I relied on Scott Air Pak breathing gear when I worked disaster response in the Air Force. Their workmanship can literally mean the difference between life and death in dangerous situations. (I wrote more about the Scott Health & Safety rally on the tour blog**).

All week long, from companies big and small and representing many different industry sectors, we heard stories of continuous improvement through lean and Six Sigma, expanded markets through ISO certification, and risk-taking through entrepreneurial ventures and new product development. Company leaders admitted to a lot of belt-tightening and uncertainty in the last couple of years, but seemed pleased that people were paying attention to the good work they do.

The tour ended with a final rally at the NC Legislative Building in Raleigh, where NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson symbolically presented the truckload of products to NC Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco. The speakers at the final rally, along with the companies that sponsored and participated in the “Manufacturing Makes It Real” tour, testified that manufacturing is alive and well in North Carolina. We are all committed to keeping it that way.

___

*Not complaining! We needed the rain to counteract the summer’s drought.

**For more from the tour blog, including pictures from most of the sites, see http://mfgmakesitreal.wordpress.com/.

Redbox Produced In the U.S. Using Lean

As I continue to focus on manufacturing here in the U.S. this week, I thought I would combine two of my favorite things…..Lean and movies.  An international company, Flextronics, has a manufacturing plant in Creedmoor, NC.  This plant produces the Redbox movie dispensing machines that are popping up all over the U.S.  It is a small facility that is using lean.

The 250 employees led by general manager John Mainey use the Six Sigma Lean manufacturing techniques designed to cut waste, reduce excess effort, address defects and keep the assembly line moving.

Mr. Mainey seems to be a believer in keeping manufacturing in the U.S.

He contends that American manufacturing declined as firms compared production costs in the United States with production costs in locales like China and Mexico, couldn’t see how to reduce spending — much of it related to labor — threw up their hands and said, “We’ll just send it overseas.”

Instead, manufacturers need to “apply Lean and eliminate waste. Recognize that labor is just one cost, and that they must be flexible. If we can do this, then manufacturing will stay here in the U.S.,” said Mainey.

I’m glad to see that Flextronics sees the total cost picture.  The most intriguing part of Flextronics is they are an international company so doing the manufacturing overseas can be done very easily.  Instead, they see the value in producing the product where the product is used.  Therefore, the manufacturing plant is in the U.S. in North Carolina.

I can’t claim to know this is what they are thinking by deciding to producing the redbox units in the U.S.  But it seems like at least part of the equation, since the Creedmoor plant’s parent company is based in Singapore.

The Creedmoor plant is one small part of Flextronics, a massive Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) firm based in Singapore with 160,000 employees in 30 countries.

The plant is focused on reducing waste with the production of each individual redbox unit.    The unit is produced on an assembly that moves at 4 inches per minute.

Workers use the supplies in the cart to assemble their portion of the kiosk, constantly referring to a station video monitor that details steps for that station. While steps may be memorized over time, the monitor is necessary because workers shift from station to station and the process changes, says Mainey.

“The monitor reinforces the steps for me,” said Sharon Estes, an assembly line worker. “I’ve worked at seven stations in the last year. I couldn’t possibly remember all the steps for each.”

It sounds like the cart is a kitting tool to make sure the kiosk gets all the right parts.  The assembly line worker also states another great reason for standardized work…job rotation.  The Creedmoor plant rotates employees and the standardized work is there as a reminder as to what tasks need to be performed at that station.

“We’ve been doing the redbox for five years. We still look at ways to improve. There’s no end state,” said Mainey.

Sounds like Mr. Mainey is driving the plant to continually improve.  I hope Flextronics keeps with this thinking and lets the Creedmoor plant prove you can reduce total costs while paying higher wages.

Milbank Manufacturing – An American Manufacturing Success Story

Company Background / History

Milbank Manufacturing is a 3^rd generation family owned and ran business.  It was founded in 1927 by Charles A. Milbank.  The 1920’s was a rough time to start a business but with the philosophy to provide their customers with high quality products at a fair price in a timely manner and Charles’ network of friends and determination, Milbank built a strong base of customers.  Today, Milbank is the industry leader in the manufacturing of electrical meter sockets.

Milbank provides wholesale electrical distributors with quality electrical products for the utility, contractor industrial and OEM markets.  Their products are divided into three platforms: Core Products (primarily meter mounting equipment and pedestals), Commercial and Industrial (electrical enclosures and commercial meter pedestals),  and Power Generation (standby generators and wind turbines).

Milbank has over 500 employees and four manufacturing facilities (Kansas City, MO; Concordia, MO; Kokomo, IN; and El Dorado, AR).  This post focuses on the lean efforts and success of the Kansas City, MO manufacturing facility and the Plant Manager that lead the transformation process during the last 6 years, Mr. Trace Tandy.

Trace Tandy’s Background in Lean

Mr. Tandy is currently the Vice President of Manufacturing for Milbank.  His first exposure to the concepts of Just-In-Time manufacturing ocurred in the late 1980’s while working for a Tier 1 automotive component supplier.  He joined Danaher in 1990 where he learned the Toyota Production System from the Shingijutsu Co.,Ltd. consulting company.  Later that decade he had the opportunity to receive further training and development in the Lean principles through the Toyota Supplier Support Center (TSSC).  Mr. Tandy has lead nine manufacturing sites through the Lean transformation process with the most recent site, Milbank’s Kansas City plant, winning the TBM Consulting Group’s 2010 Quest for the Perfect Engine Site Award.

How Millbank Started It’s Lean Journey

Elements of Lean manufacturing or similar philosophies had been attempted between 1998 and 2004 with little or no sustainment and with no evidence of a plan.  In 2004, Milbank re-engaged with a commitment to the Lean principles on an enterprise-wide level.  Milbank partnered with TBM in 2007 and began using Lean Sigma tools, including Shop Floor Kaizen Breakthrough (SKB) and Business Process Events (BPE) and later, the policy deployment x-matrix process. Employees at the shop floor level became more engaged in the improvement process and there was an unwavering commitment from top management to truly transform Milbank using the principles of Lean.

Results from Lean Efforts

Before the lean efforts, the manfacturing in Kansas City was spread across two buildings plus a third that was used for warehousing.  Now everything is done in one building.  Using the Lean Sigma methodology during the couse of 2007 – 2009 they were able to:

• Completed 38 SKB / BPE kaizen events
• Created a 3 year plan / vision for consolidation of the two Kansas City manufacturing sites
• Implemented a policy deployment process based on the TBM x-matrix
• Implemented a War Room / Managing for Daily Improvement (MDI) process
• Implemented visual management systems such as Leader Standard Work, Maintenance Scheduling, etc…
• Implemented U-shaped, one-piece-flow assembly and fabrication cells
• Implemented visual scheduling / shop-floor-control systems eliminating the use of MRP in many areas
• Reduced floor space utilized by over 47% (60,000 square feet of manufacturing space opened up for future expansion, no brick and motar required – eliminated the need for a 30,000 square foot remote storage facility – property was sold)
• Reduced lead time by almost 53% (reduction of 30 days)
• Improved stock availability from 90.6% to 95.6%
• Improved sales order on-time performance by nearly 50%
• Reduced FG inventory values by over 50% ($2.42 million in cash generated)
• Reduced WIP inventory by 83% ($1.14 million in cash generated)
• Improved FG Units / Employee by 12.3%
• Implemented annual cost reductions averaging $1.22 million

Milbank will not tell you they are done.  In fact, they have plans laid out to improve even more over the next few years.  Their mindset is to keep improving and never be satisfied.

As you can see Milbank Manufacturing is a great example of how lean is helping manufacturing in America not only stay viable but become the industry leader.

Next Week is Manufacturing in America Week

Tomorrow starts Manufacturing in America Week.  This week is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of manufacturing in America.

To support this grassroots effort, I will be blogging about manufacturing topics next week.  One post will be about a small, family-owned company that has had great success with lean over the last five years.

I am looking forward to it and I hope everyone helps to spread the word through Facebook and Twitter all week long.

Manufacturing Week in America Coming Soon

At the beginning of June, I posted a link to Evolving Excellence highlighting the Manufacturing Week in America.  It is Oct. 2 – 7, which is just around the corner.

I received a comment about that post from Gray Rinehart.  North Carolina State University is sponsoring a “Manufacturing Makes It Real Tour” the week before Manufacturing Week in America.  It is the week of Sept. 27 – Oct. 1, 2010.  The tour will be stopping at Thomas Built Buses, PolyChem Alloy, Elastic Therapy, as well as 7 or 8 other stops.

This sounds like a great two weeks for Manufacturing in the U.S.  Are there any other events like this going on this year?  If so, leave information about it in the comments.

I hope there is great participation as I believe manufacturing is foundational to our country and its strength.

Have a great weekend!

Manufacturing Week in America

Last week Bill Waddell posted a blog about over at Evolving Excellence about a “grass roots” movement to help raise awareness about manufacturing and it’s importance to America.  There will be a American Manufacturing Week.  It is the week of October 2-9.  I encourage everyone to take a look at Bill’s blog about it.

This is a subject that I have great passion around and will be blogging more about in the future.  I believe that manufacturing is the foundation that our country was built on and it is the foundation needed to keep this country strong.  We can’t lose sight of that.

I will pass along more information about American Manufacturing Week as I learn more.