02/09/2009 by Carol Hogg.

SMED - Single Minute Exchange of Dies - is a well-established method used to reduce how long it takes to set-up or changeover your machinery.  Did you know that when applying SMED techniques for the first time it’s often possible to halve the time taken?  Just think what that could mean for your business.

Is this something you’ve implemented?  Or perhaps you’ve considered using SMED but aren’t sure how to go about it?  We’ve been working hard on putting together a SMED training package, with a 13 minute video demonstrating the SMED process, step-by-step, to help you get the benefits of set-up reduction.  We’ve also included Excel spreadsheet templates so you’ll have everything you need to get started.

The whole package is available to download at £16.95 plus VAT and we’re so convinced of its value for money that we’re offering a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.  Take a look at our SMED video webpage for more information.

Posted in Lean, General | Print | 1 Comment »

27/07/2009 by Andrew Nicholson.

Most manufacturers are aware of the basic idea of Lean Thinking - “add value and eliminate waste” - but too many focus on the “eliminate waste” side of the equation and lose sight of the “add value” opportunities. In fact, one of the biggest hidden wastes is “unfulfilled customer needs” and a recession is the best time to tackle it.

Unfortunately - as many of you will have experienced - there’s often little point in actually asking customers what they need. There are two main reasons for this:

1. They don’t know what you could do for them. Henry Ford put it rather well - ”If I’d have asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have wanted a faster horse!”.
2. They don’t want to spend lots of their time and effort helping you to run your business better - they’ve enough work to do running their own business, thank you!

So you have to make the effort to make it easy for them - here are five pointers:

1. Don’t expect them to take time out to complete lengthy questionnaires - I never do. Ask them first and, whenever you can, speak to them direct. When you do, try the following:
2. Keep it brief. Keep it simple. It’s often better to know what 100 customers think about three things than what three customers think about 100 things.
3. Offer them choices - if we can turn around your order in less than 48 hours, would that be worth having? Would a Ten-Year Gurantee be of use to you? Would it help if all of the tests were automated?
4. Give them feedback - we’re planning to report on the survey results by the end of the month - would you like a copy?
5. And - most important of all - act on what they tell you (then ask what they think and improve it again).

Let me know how you get on…

Posted in Credit Crunch, Lean | Print | 5 Comments »

08/06/2009 by Carol Hogg.

How often has your organisation started the drive to improve; and how often has it dwindled away?  During this workshop we will look at the necessity of good leadership and focus on developing Leadership skills at all levels of the organisation in order to sustain the momentum of an improvement initiative.  If this is a topic you’re interested in, take a look at the full details on our website.

You may not be able to attend this particular event, but the good news is we can run this - and other workshops - in-house for you for a minimum of 8 participants, giving you a more tailored event, addressing your own particular issues.  Contact us for further information.

Posted in Events, Lean | Print | 2 Comments »

27/05/2009 by Carol Hogg.

We’ve introduced a new section on our website, where we’re adding downloadable documents covering various aspects of Lean.  So far we’ve added information on CANDO / 5S and the Seven Wastes.  We aim to add regularly to the information which you can download, and will be adding a SMED information page soon.

Let us know if there’s a particular Lean topic you’d like covered and we’ll try to include it.

Posted in Lean | Print | 2 Comments »

20/05/2009 by Carol Hogg.

Wednesday, 3 June, 9.00am to 12.30pm.

Analox Sensor Technology Ltd is hosting an Inside Industry visit, organised by MAS YH.  Analox is a company we have worked with for many years on its operational excellence programme, including developing employees’ skills in such improvement tools and techniques as Design for Manufacture, FMEA (Failure Mode and Effect Analysis), 5S / Workplace Organisation, Performance Monitoring, Process Layout, as well as helping to develop the Analox 5-year strategy for growth.  Based in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, the company specialises in the design and manufacture of gas sensors and analysers and currently employs 64 people.

If you’d like to see Analox in action, and hear the experiences of those who’ve undertaken improvement projects with us, call us on 0191 492 8200, or visit our website for more contact details.

Posted in Events, Lean | Print | 2 Comments »

08/05/2009 by Carol Hogg.

We’re pleased to advise that MAS YH are now offering 75% support to all manufacturers in Yorkshire & Humber for all new projects effective from 6 May.  This opportunity means that when you undertake an improvement project, for every £1.00 you commit, the government will commit £3.00.

As an approved MAS specialist, we have worked with many manufacturers in Yorkshire and the Humber on many varied projects:

• process improvement, both back office and on the production line
• developing employees’ skills in leadership, team working; performance management
• engaging the workforce in improvement activities
• training the workforce in lean techniques
• improving the factory layout
• restructuring
• relocation
• software systems
• management systems (ISO9001, ISO14001)
• developing a medium or long-term strategy

Typically, the companies we’ve worked with have benefited from:

• reduced lead times
• increased turnover
• increased productivity
• increased space utilisation
• improved leadership skills at all levels
• overall savings typically range from £25,000 to £500,000

There is no better time to go ahead with your MAS project than NOW.  Visit our website for more information on Lean Manufacturing and for our contact details.

Posted in Credit Crunch, Lean, General | Print | 1 Comment »

21/04/2009 by Carol Hogg.

RMS is looking to appoint a dynamic and talented individual as Production Engineer. RMS designs and manufactures specialist electrical connectors for use with Electrical Submersible Pumps used throughout the global oil industry.  The company is a subsidiary of James Fisher Group Plc.

The role is a largely hands-on position, reporting to the Production Manager.  The candidate must have skills/experience in mechanical design as well as knowledge of (or the ability to learn to use) CAD packages and it’s desirable to have good communication skills and good practical experience/knowledge.  It’s preferable for the candidate to hold an Honours degree in mechanical, production or similar engineering discipline.

For a copy of the full job description, contact the company directly, telephone 01653 690001, ext 259 and speak to James Coltman.  To find out more about RMS Ltd, visit their website at www.rmsltd.com.

Posted in Job Opportunities, General | Print | 1 Comment »

08/04/2009 by Carol Hogg.

We’re on the road again … to take part in “Ask the Expert”, a Business Surgery organised by the South Durham Business Network for organisations in South Durham.  The surgery is taking place on Tuesday, 28 April with representatives from a range of professional services from Accounting to Sales.  We’ll be offering advice on improvement activities you can implement in your business - simple, cost-effective techniques which you can take back to your organisation and put in place fairly easily, and will offer you quick results.  Sounds too good to be true … why not come along and have a chat with us?

The Business Surgery is being held at Spennymoor Town Hall, with sessions commencing at 3.00pm.  There’s more information on our website, www.nicholsonconsultancy.com.

Posted in Events | Print | 1 Comment »

14/03/2009 by Andrew Nicholson.

Back in 1999 Mike Rother and John Shook produced a guide to Value Stream Mapping, with the memorable title “Learning to See”. A more accurate title might have been “Learning to see manufacturing”, since manufacturing is where Value Stream Maps originated (at Toyota, like many of the Lean tools and techniques), and where they are most effective. For some years now people have been applying the Lean principles to many other non-manufacturing processes, with varying degrees of success. It’s not difficult to understand why… 

The world of operations and manufacturing deals largely with tangible items - materials, components, products that we can physically see, count and touch. When we need to look instead at information we quickly realise that we’re in a very different world - one where data can move at the speed of light and exist in more than one place simulaneously. It’s a bit like moving from the world of conventional physics to the world of quantum physics. We need a different approach when we want to see information.

 Before we do this, let’s take a step back and consider what it is that we’re trying to achieve…

 The starting point for many improvement programmes is to understand exactly how the current process works. We need the people who carry out the process to map it - “process mapping”. The idea is to create a visual model - a “cartoon” - so that everyone can see and understand what is going on. When we get together the right team - from all parts of the process - to map out the current way of doing things (the “current state” or “as is” situation) and then to study the process in detail, it’s usually very obvious to them where the problems lie. Given the right tools - and some expert help, of course - they can then improve or “re-engineer” the process, to create the “future state” or “to be” situation.

When it comes to manufacturing or other operations where we are processing tangible items - components, chemicals, food or other things that we can see, touch, count and measure - the preferred technique is Value Stream Mapping (VSM). VSM is a great tool to help the team visualise this type of operations. Unfortunately, it’s much less useful when it comes to the processing of information and data. We realise that we’re in a different world when we try to work with information - all of that intangible “stuff” that can move at the speed of light and be in more than one place at the same time. Then we realise that we’re using a hammer to drive a screw and that if we could find a screwdriver instead then maybe we’d find it a lot easier.

The first bit of good news is that the mapping tools are already out there, and have been for many years. They’re called Data Flow Diagrams (DFD’s). Put simply, people who work with products use Value Stream Maps and people who work with information use Data Flow Diagrams. The next bit of good news is that Data Flow Diagrams are much simpler and easier to use than Value Stream Maps. DFD’s can be drawn by using only four simple symbols.

So the next time you need to map out information-based processes, forget Value Stream Maps and instead use Data Flow Diagrams…

Posted in Lean | Print | 2 Comments »

05/03/2009 by Carol Hogg.

Thank you to everyone who attended our seminar at the North East Regional Business Fair and to those who came to visit our stand.

The seminar was well-attended with over 50 individuals, from both service and manufacturing sectors, interested  in “Improving Business Efficiency”.  Angela’s presentation was well-received, with good interaction during the “Questions and Answers” session.  She touched on the basic concept of “Lean” in the workplace; emphasised the importance of getting your staff on-board from the start of any improvement process; Angela then explained the definition of the Seven Visible Wastes, one of the tools we use to help identify where “waste” is occurring; and then finished with a demonstration of the “Ease and Effect” grid which helps you to plan the order improvements need to be made, once they’ve been identified.

If you’d like to have a copy of the presentation slides, just visit our website and complete the form.  It’s a quick and easy process.

Posted in Events, Lean | Print | 1 Comment »