In this the last of three parts, Will Sampson talks with Dustin Hunter of Hunter Trim & Cabinets in Fort Worth, Texas, about the amazing transformation of his shop through applying lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles. Will also shares thoughts on how language and terms can be a barrier to adopting lean manufacturing techniques.
This episode of the Woodworking Network podcast was sponsored by FDMC magazine. FDMC magazine is your vital source of information to improve your woodworking business. Whether it is keeping you apprised of the latest advances in manufacturing, helping you solve your wood technology problems with Gene Wengert, or inspiring you with case histories about successful businesses and best practices, FDMC magazine is there to be the sharpest business tool in your shop. Learn more and subscribe for free at woodworkingnetwork.com/fdmc.
Woodworking Network is a home for professional woodworkers, presenting technology, supplies, education, inspiration, and community, from small business entrepreneurs to corporate managers at large automated plants.
You can find all of our podcasts at WoodworkingNetwork.com/podcasts and in popular podcast channels. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Thanks again to today’s sponsor, FDMC magazine. If you have a comment or topic you’d like us to explore, contact me at will-dot-sampson @ woodworking network dot com. And we would really appreciate it if you fill out the survey at woodworking network.com/podcast-survey. Thanks for listening.
Intro music courtesy of Anthony Monson.
Welcome to the Woodworking Network Podcast where we explore the business of woodworking and what it takes to succeed. I’m Will Sampson.
This episode is sponsored by FDMC magazine.
Today, we’ll be continuing our interview with Dustin Hunter of Hunter Trim and Cabinets in Fort Worth, Texas, talking about the amazing transformation of his shop through applying lean manufacturing principles. But first, let’s talk about “A lean version of lean.”
Consultants love jargon and acronyms. I guess they figure that special language and alphabet soup shows that they are experts and helps them sell their skills and raise their fees. I played the consultant game for a while, and I do understand that you have to constantly prove to your clients that your advice is worth paying for, but I always figured results did that best.
Lean manufacturing continues to be a prime example of a good thing spoiled by buzz words. From my perspective these days, I think a lot of the terms we encounter in lean manufacturing are incredibly off-putting to the people who could use it most. It’s full of Japanese words like kaizen, gemba, muda and kanban all brought over by the Toyota Production System, one of the foundations of modern lean manufacturing.
I remember my first encounter with TPS (oh, oh, there’s one of those acronyms!) I was working as a newspaper reporter in California in 1984, and was told some famous Japanese efficiency expert was going to spend a day in a local factory. It sounded like it would be a good story, but I needed some background to cover it. The factory foreman dropped some books on my desk, including one by Shigeo Shingo, the man who was coming to visit. Mr. Shingo worked with Toshio Ohno to develop the Toyota Production System, but in 1984, most Americans had never heard of him or knew anything about what Toyota had done to revolutionize production.
The books were dense, partly from being translated from Japanese to English. It was very technical and academic. Not easy reading. The first acronym I tried to decipher was SMED, which stood for Single Minute Exchange of Dies. This was perhaps Mr. Shingo’s most important accomplishment at Toyota. As I read more, I started to understand. I had previously run a small manufacturing business that helped put me through college, so being able to minimize and change machine setups quickly made a lot of sense.
It made even more sense when I got to spend most of day with Mr. Shingo at the RCBS factory in Oroville, California. The company is one of the premier manufacturers of reloading equipment for firearms ammunition. Mr. Shingo didn’t know anything about that, but he had an amazing grasp of manufacturing processes. The foreman was flabbergasted at all of Mr. Shingo’s suggestions. Touring the factory and working through his granddaughter as an English translator, Mr. Shingo talked to workers and pointed out potential improvements right and left.
I’ll never forget when the foreman asked Mr. Shingo how he could see all these potential improvements. “Have you ever had a flat tire on your car,” Mr. Shingo asked. “If you changed the tire yourself, how long would it take?” The foreman guessed eight or ten minutes. Mr. Shingo smiled and asked, “Have you ever watched the Indianapolis 500? How long does it take them to change a tire?” Just seconds.
He explained that the difference is lots of little improvements, making every part of a process as efficient as possible. Then he asked, “How many 10-minute processes in your factory can you change to just seconds? What would that do for your production?”
Getting past all the special language, this is the fundamental thing about lean that can be applied by anyone. Take a fresh look at everything you do. How can it be made to work better, faster, with no failures, and mesh with other processes more effectively? You still might need another set of eyes to see the opportunities, but you can get started without having to learn a new language.
We also don’t need a translator to talk with our guest today, but before we get back to Dustin, let’s pause for a word from our sponsor. FDMC magazine is your vital source of information to improve your woodworking business. Whether it is keeping you apprised of the latest advances in manufacturing, helping you solve your wood technology problems with Gene Wengert, or inspiring you with case histories about successful businesses and best practices, FDMC magazine is there to be the sharpest business tool in your shop. Learn more and subscribe for free at woodworkingnetwork.com/fdmc.
Now, let’s talk some more with Dustin Hunter about his own lean journey.