Ellis Jones

#ThursdayThoughts is where we share our reflections on industry insights and trends. This week, we’re discussing an article from Manufacturing Tomorrow on continuous improvement tools for streamlining manufacturing processes. One tool that stands out is the Gemba Walk. It emphasizes leaders observing the production process firsthand and engaging with employees. At Interlink CFO, we’ve seen the power of Gemba Walks. They help uncover inefficiencies, foster collaboration, and drive real improvements. Read more about these impactful tools here: https://lnkd.in/esvT9HKE www.interlinkcfo.com #ManufacturingFinance #ProcessOptimization #GembaWalks #Manufacturing #FractionalCFO #InterlinkCFO

8

Please see my new blog on lean measurement. Measurement and targeting setting can be simple. Just go back to the basics. As always feedback is welcome and feel free to add to the topic. https://lnkd.in/gRuH3Kz

17

2 Comments

Do you have the soft skills to be a great manufacturing leader? Stephen Gold, President & CEO of Manufacturers Alliance, says executives must adopt the "21st-century model of leadership" to best lead their companies. #ExecutiveSearch #Leadership #Management #Manufacturing

7

Manufacturing fundamentals come first before any improvement initiative. A solid foundation in business fundamentals is key to sustaining improvement efforts in manufacturing. Before embarking on any change, organizations need to ensure these six crucial aspects are in order: 1. Are bills of materials (BOMs) 100% accurate? 2. Are routings 100% accurate? 3. Is inventory under control and accurate? 4. Do we have a formal planning and procurement system? 5. Do we operate with concise business rules? 6. Is there a formal training program for key employees? Answering "yes" to these questions sets the stage for successful change implementation, whether it's lean manufacturing or a planning strategy like S&OP. These fundamentals play a vital role in improving company culture and addressing process dysfunctions. Marino Associates LLC stands ready to support businesses on this transformative journey. #Manufacturing #BusinessFundamentals #ImprovementInitiatives

15

4 Comments

Are the economic indicators pointing in the right direction? The Sikich Manufacturing Pulse Survey results seem to show positive trends. "The optimism results from manufacturers are encouraging... I urge executives to capitalize on this momentum and consider implementing business transformation projects and other operational efficiency methods throughout 2024." Jerry Murphy, Sikich Manufacturing Lead "There is a growing trend to seek cost-effective expansion opportunities... Many states in the Midwest extend tax breaks and business incentives to attract companies and their associated jobs." Jenny Massey, Sikich Site Selection & Business Incentives Lead Check out the report. #accouting #audit #tax #manufacturing #business #economy

8

Still room for more members in our Virtual Lean Peer Group 30 (our 30th since 2012) which kicks off on June 18th. See the attached document where I jotted down a dozen reasons to consider joining (in no particular order). Here is the registration site which has the schedule and more information: https://lnkd.in/eM-G6AXM   The most critical requirement, regardless of current Lean maturity level, even if just starting on your Lean journey, is a commitment and passion to strengthen or develop a Lean culture of continuous improvement. If that sounds like you and your organization, or you can relate to anything in the attachment, it would be great to share and learn with you in Group 30. #lean #leanculture #leadership #culture #continuousimprovement

4

1 Comment

When it comes to communication on the shop floor, the issue isn't finding time to talk. The real issue is ensuring clear, concise communication that drives action. Daily Meetings are the solution! #ProVal-Insights: Schedule a 15-minute daily huddle at the start of each shift. Review key goals, identify roadblocks, and assign tasks. #ProVal #Manufacturing #DailyMeeting

3

❌ FIVE MANUFACTURING MYTHS❌ As I shared previously (https://lnkd.in/dVKMKi8r) I recently spoke at The City Club of Cleveland on the so-called demise of manufacturing and the myths that hold us back from reaching our full potential. (You can watch the speech here: https://lnkd.in/dQSsKpwQ). I’m sharing the five myths in a series of posts... Here's MYTH #2...Manufacturing jobs are dead-end jobs that we’re pushing all our black and brown kids into. This one hurts me when I hear it. There’s nothing dead-end about most manufacturing jobs. There’s enormous opportunity here. These are jobs with strong career progression that don’t require an expensive 4-year degree. And many companies will even train you for free in whatever job you want. It’s true not all manufacturing jobs are high-tech, clean, and sparkly. Some are boring and repetitive – but so are some jobs at Amazon and Target. It’s true all manufacturing jobs don’t start at high wages, but the average salary is still $70,000. And overall wages are getting much more competitive. Locally, entry level salaries have gone up an average of 18% over the past two years. This is great, but we know they need to go even higher. Manufacturing has always been a social elevator, lifting people from poverty to prosperity. But historically it’s white males who’ve benefited most from this. Our industry is over 80% white and over 70% male. Our factories should look more like our communities. We don’t push anyone into manufacturing – we simply try to ensure the opportunities of manufacturing are open to everyone. But there are barriers – many of them historic, systemic, race-based, and ingrained – they include everything from lack of childcare to lack of transportation, from lack of awareness to lack of trust that manufacturing is, in fact, a great career and not one that’s going to lay you off tomorrow. But you don’t have to take my word for this. Here’s a clip from Deonia Duncan, a graduate of one of MAGNET’s programs – Early College, Early Career. We provided mentorship, transportation and removed all the barriers so she could get a job at Lincoln Electric. Manufacturing wasn’t a dead end. It changed Deonia’s life. And this is something we hear from people every single day. MYTH #3 coming next! #smartmanufacturing #makeitbetterohio #industry40 #northeastohio MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network

11

1 Comment

❌ FIVE MANUFACTURING MYTHS❌ As I shared previously (https://lnkd.in/dVKMKi8r) I recently spoke at The City Club of Cleveland on the so-called demise of manufacturing and the myths that hold us back from reaching our full potential. (You can watch the speech here: https://lnkd.in/dQSsKpwQ) I’m sharing the five myths in a series of posts... Here's MYTH #4...There’s a silver bullet for Northeast Ohio. Something sitting just outside where we can see. If only we were San Francisco or Austin or my personal favorite – Pittsburgh – if we had done what they did, when they did it – then things would be better.  If only we focused on Health IT – tech eds and meds, that would do it. Or the biggie – if only we’d gotten Intel that would have saved us. Yes, Intel is the largest single private sector company investment in the history of Ohio. It’s going to create a lot of jobs and do a lot of good. But it’s still not a silver bullet. Systemic change and economic development are difficult, messy, and take a long time. We need a continuous string of base hits and even walks on issue after issue. We need sustained energy over decades. Think about Intel – to make that deal happen Les Wexner developed the communities around it 30 years ago. The journey will outlast every single one of us, and we must keep passing the baton. I wasn’t even born when community leaders came together to form MAGNET to grow manufacturing. And in 2024 we’re celebrating our 40th anniversary! We just keep reinventing ourselves and our impact. Back to the theme of my speech, even Superman has died and been reborn six times. He doesn’t give up and we don’t either. Here’s Kevin Johnson, a manufacturing tech leader, with his take on what reinventing manufacturing should look like. Our future is not one thing – it’s a unique combination of several things (with manufacturing as the foundation) that no other region can steal or duplicate. There is no silver bullet. The only "secret" is sustained focus on these engines of growth over decades. MYTH #5 coming next! #smartmanufacturing #makeitbetterohio #industry40 #northeastohio MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network

38

7 Comments

❌ FIVE MANUFACTURING MYTHS❌ As I shared previously (https://lnkd.in/dVKMKi8r) I recently spoke at The City Club of Cleveland on the so-called demise of manufacturing and the myths that hold us back from reaching our full potential. (You can watch the speech here: https://lnkd.in/dQSsKpwQ) MYTH #1...AI and robots are going to take all the manufacturing jobs. REALITY: AI and robots are going to keep our jobs here. MYTH #2...Manufacturing jobs are dead-end jobs that we’re pushing all our black and brown kids into. REALITY: Manufacturing jobs change lives. MYTH #3...Manufacturing is our past NOT our future. REALITY: Manufacturing is our future and that’s where we need to focus. MYTH #4...There’s a silver bullet for Northeast Ohio. REALITY: The only "silver bullet" is decades of reinvention, resilience, and really hard work. MYTH #5... Economic development agencies are going to save us. REALITY: Powerful partnerships will save us. And there you have it…five manufacturing myths BUSTED. I hope this also debunks the granddaddy of all myths: manufacturing is dead. For all you Hamilton fans out there…the death of manufacturing has indeed been greatly exaggerated. :-) It’s true, there’s been a cloud of suspicion hanging over the industry since the tough times decades ago. But it’s time to let that go. It’s time to trust manufacturing again. Four years ago, I spoke at the City Club just weeks before the pandemic hit. I made the case for why Northeast Ohio had earned the right to hope. Despite all we’ve been through, today I have even more hope for our future. WHY? Because we survived crisis after crisis. Because we continue to thrive. We’ve proved we have everything we need to lead in smart manufacturing, we just need to do more of it. But none of us can do it alone. There’s no superman here. And shooting just wrapped on the movie, so there’s not even a superman on the streets of Cleveland anymore. We are the heroes. We need to come together. Save our future. And refuse to let anything hold us back. As superman famously said… "There is a superhero in all of us, we just need the courage to put on the cape." It’s time for all of us to put on our metaphorical capes and get to work! Together, we can make manufacturing better. And that will make life better for everyone who lives here. (And big thanks to everyone who followed along with this series of posts! I appreciate all your comments and shares!) #smartmanufacturing #makeitbetterohio #industry40 #northeastohio MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network

4

2 Comments

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Vince Vlaminck, Director of Environment, Health & Safety at Kautex Textron, share some valuable insights on leadership. His words really resonated with me, particularly his thoughts on project delegation and coaching. To truly foster growth and achieve organizational goals, we need to go beyond simply assigning projects. We need to: 🔹 Clearly communicate expectations: Ensure team members understand the project's objectives, critical milestones, and potential roadblocks. 🔹 Provide regular feedback and support: Offer guidance, address challenges, and celebrate early wins to build confidence and momentum. 🔹 Empower, but don't abandon: Give individuals the autonomy to own their projects but remain available as a resource and mentor. By investing in coaching and support, we can set our teams up for success and drive greater organizational impact. #Leadership #ProjectManagement #Coaching #Mentorship #Delegation #Growth #AOPPodcast

21

I continue to learn this lesson again and again - listen to your customers to understand their pain points. Then, design the systems to cure those pain points. #leadershipcommitment #qualitysystems #teamwork #wheelofsustainability

5

❌ FIVE MANUFACTURING MYTHS❌ As I shared previously (https://lnkd.in/dVKMKi8r) I recently spoke at The City Club of Cleveland on the so-called demise of manufacturing and the myths that hold us back from our full potential. (You can watch the speech here: https://lnkd.in/dQSsKpwQ) I’m sharing the five myths in a series of posts... Here's MYTH #3...Manufacturing is our past NOT our future. Been there done that, we need something new. Really? Why are we so obsessed with new? Back to the Superman theme that inspired my City Club speech…. Superman was the first superhero, debuting in 1938. Hundreds of shiny new heroes have graced the big and small screens since then, but we haven’t thrown out Superman. 13 movies, 15 TV shows, thousands of comic books. Superman will never go extinct, and neither will manufacturing. Northeast Ohio was built on manufacturing. It’s in our DNA. For the past 100 years, even in the worst of times manufacturing has always been the single largest driver of Northeast Ohio’s economy. We don’t need a new “superhero" industry. We just need to invest in the one we have. And we can’t be constrained by what we THINK manufacturing is. Yes, we still make more airplane and truck parts than any other state. Yes, we do all the traditional things. But innovation is also in our DNA. We were the Silicon Valley of the steel age. And that’s who we can be again. The next medical marvel could be invented and made here. Water could be cleaner and safer because of technology we’re pioneering here. EVs could be more affordable because we make the parts more efficiently, right here. Virtually all the advances we need in our world right now involve manufacturing. Why would we want to move away from this? When you watch the news and see all the jobs and companies we’ve attracted and grown here with incentives…80% of all those incentives go to manufacturing and manufacturing-related companies. Manufacturing is very much our future. Here’s Lincoln Electric’s Past CEO and Executive Chairman Chris Mapes on the opportunity he sees in front of us. MYTH #4 coming next! #smartmanufacturing #makeitbetterohio #industry40 #northeastohio MAGNET: The Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network

25

1 Comment

In this episode, host Shayne Daughenbaugh and myself along with guest Royden Johnson discuss the global adaptability of Lean principles, emphasizing its core values of customer focus and respect for people. About the Guest: Royden Johnson is a distinguished manufacturing leader with extensive experience spanning diverse industries, including automotive sectors. As a Six Sigma Black Belt, he brings a robust expertise in operational excellence and continuous improvement. Royden has a proven track record of driving efficiency and innovation, enhancing performance, and delivering sustainable results across complex manufacturing environments. You can find this episode on your favorite podcast platform or check the comments for a link 👇🏼👇🏼 #podcast #findleansolutions #leanprinciples #corevalues

18

12 Comments

I recently came across this article that I thought was interesting. It’s about current conditions in the manufacturing industry, and predictions for months to come. I am really interested to hear your thoughts and opinions. https://lnkd.in/gCt_Umqi

3

Shout out to Iowa Lean Consortium/CIRAS, who helped Muscatine Power and Water on its lean and continuous improvement journey over the years. In my interview with Jennifer Peterson, PMP, MBA, she discusses the role they played in her personal journey and why she recommends attending one of their conferences You can watch the entire interview at https://lnkd.in/evaTV5cu #lean #sixsigma #continuousimprovement #processimprovement

5

🌟 Join the ASQ EDGE Partners for a Game-Changing Session! 🌟 📅 Event: Continuous Improvement is a Mobius Strip 🎤 Presenter: Grace Duffy 📆 Date: December 13, 2024 @ 13:00 ET As quality professionals, we often rely on PDCA and DMAIC for improvement. But what if we could go beyond the traditional cycles? Grace L. Duffy will explore how the Mobius Strip provides a model for continuous, integrated improvement—where feedback loops at every level drive agility and sustainability in organizations. Key Highlights: 🔄 Learn how the Mobius Strip metaphor shows continuous, non-stop improvement from the macro (strategic) to the micro (task) levels. 📊 Discover how advanced quality tools enable organizations to anticipate and respond to both internal and external changes. 🏢 Explore how government and corporate agencies can leverage feedback from every layer to meet the ever-changing needs of their constituents. 🛠️ Whether you lead at the strategic level or manage on the ground, this session will give you the tools to observe, orient, decide, and act more effectively. ✨ Bonus: A special model on Society and Active Citizenship with 10 critical elements for public service agencies will also be shared. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your organization's agility and long-term success. Register today for the last session of our EDGE Partnership for 2024! https://lnkd.in/e-uyFmAK #ASQGovernmentDivision #ASQEDGE #ContinuousImprovement #EDGEConference #PDCA #DMAIC #MobiusStrip #QualityImprovement #Agility #Leadership #FeedbackLoops

3

🌟 Join the ASQ EDGE Partners for a Game-Changing Session! 🌟 📅 Event: Continuous Improvement is a Mobius Strip 🎤 Presenter: Grace Duffy 📆 Date: December 13, 2024 @ 13:00 ET As quality professionals, we often rely on PDCA and DMAIC for improvement. But what if we could go beyond the traditional cycles? Grace L. Duffy will explore how the Mobius Strip provides a model for continuous, integrated improvement—where feedback loops at every level drive agility and sustainability in organizations. Key Highlights: 🔄 Learn how the Mobius Strip metaphor shows continuous, non-stop improvement from the macro (strategic) to the micro (task) levels. 📊 Discover how advanced quality tools enable organizations to anticipate and respond to both internal and external changes. 🏢 Explore how government and corporate agencies can leverage feedback from every layer to meet the ever-changing needs of their constituents. 🛠️ Whether you lead at the strategic level or manage on the ground, this session will give you the tools to observe, orient, decide, and act more effectively. ✨ Bonus: A special model on Society and Active Citizenship with 10 critical elements for public service agencies will also be shared. Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your organization's agility and long-term success. Register today for the last session of our EDGE Partnership for 2024! https://lnkd.in/e-uyFmAK #ASQGovernmentDivision #ASQEDGE #ContinuousImprovement #EDGEConference #PDCA #DMAIC #MobiusStrip #QualityImprovement #Agility #Leadership #FeedbackLoops https://lnkd.in/e867nfXH

4

📈 How much manufactures believe their workforce will grow in the next year? 🎯 What are key challenges leaders will have to get it right? 🔢 In the end of the day, what matters most to frontline workers? 📑Check out our report for other strategies as you think through your 💪 workforce strategy, specifically in the manufacturing field. 🛎️Would love to hear what you're currently going through and how this report resonates. DM me or comment, let's chat! 🔗https://pwc.to/3NtyB7T #Manufacturing #WorkforceGrowth #EmployeeEngagement #Leadership #MentoringPrograms #Compensation

16