In this the second 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.
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 “Taking the time to save time.”
I am afflicted with a terrible disease, but it’s not the coronavirus. It’s the disease of improvement. Whenever I see a process or a setup for a process, if I can see a better way of doing it, I can’t help myself. Of course, if it is somebody else’s process, and I helpfully suggest, “Wouldn’t it be better if you did it this way?”, the response is not always appreciated.
People get comfortable doing things “the way we’ve always done it.” Processes that have gone on a long time are highly resistant to change. The shear inertia of time adds credibility to the process that perhaps is not warranted. But most of all, people just don’t like to take the time to change.
Often my suggestions of change are met with a barrage of objections. “That won’t work. That’s not practical. How could that possibility be more efficient? If we did that, we’d have to change this whole other process. That would cost too much money to set up. That would require special training or skills.” And then there is my favorite: “We are so busy we don’t have the time to try something different.”
You don’t have time to figure out how to save time? Interesting. That’s kind of like, “We’re too busy to figure out how to do even more business.”
It is not unusual for businesses that first adopt lean manufacturing ideas to see 30-percent improvements in their operation just by cutting waste and organizing a bit. But you don’t have time to be 30 percent more efficient, do you?
Even the smallest of processes can benefit by taking time to think about them first. Are all the tools at hand and ready to work? Are the steps in the process as close together as is safe and practical? Are the materials the best choices for what we are trying to achieve? Do we have everything ready and at hand?
And sometimes, once we get going in a process, we can’t seem to stop to be more efficient. Too many times when I don’t think things through, I find tools and miscellaneous items piling up in the work area as I rush from one process to the next. I created a rule that two tools have to be put away for every new tool brought to the work.
Ironically, what is happening here is that we are classifying time to improve as wasted time. We are not seeing the value we can add by eliminating truly wasted time in production. Investing time to save more time is very hard to do or even understand, but it can transform your business.
That leads right into 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 lean journey.