Gary Schlosser

Becoming too important as a manufacturing manager or owner ironically makes you the weakest link! When you’re too critical to daily operations, the entire system relies heavily on you, making it vulnerable. If you can’t step away without everything falling apart, it’s a clear sign that processes and team autonomy need improvement. Empower your team, delegate responsibilities, and establish robust systems so the plant runs smoothly, even in your absence. True leadership ensures the business thrives without you being there 24/7. Need to implement a system that isn’t fully reliant on you? Download the Lean Manufacturing Starter Handbook —> https://lnkd.in/dqbWr4FH #Leadership #ManufacturingManagement #TeamEmpowerment #OperationalExcellence #WorkLifeBalance #LeanManufacturing #ManufacturingOperations

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🚀 Breaking the Mold: A Woman in Manufacturing 🚀 Being a woman in manufacturing often means navigating a world where traditional norms still hold sway. Recently, I've had a few experiences where I’ve been on the receiving end of some “mansplaining” about policies and procedures. Yes, even though I’ve been at the helm for a while now! 🙄 It’s all part of the territory, and honestly, it just makes me chuckle. Because here’s the thing: while some folks might think they need to “explain” things, I’m the one who’s been fine-tuning, optimizing, and leading the team day in and day out. Manufacturing is a field where everyone’s expertise should be valued, and I’m proud to contribute to that, bringing my own perspective and knowledge to the table. It’s all about pushing boundaries and proving that skill and dedication aren’t defined by gender. So, to everyone out there working hard and breaking barriers—keep doing your thing and showing the world what we’re really made of! 💪✨ #WomenInManufacturing #BreakingBarriers #Leadership #ManufacturingLife #Empowerment

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Sometimes finding an answer to what you think is a simple question that you don't want to ask out of fear of embarrassment can be hard. We have all heard (and repeatedly seen) "If you have a question, odds are someone else is wondering the same thing". I think Eli Macha and Macha PSM, LLC answer some of those questions and more in their ever-growing blog that you can find on linkedin and on their website! Check it out!

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Dear manufacturing leader, What would you add to the lists? Process improvement defined without process mapping: * No data, lots of emotions * Frustration from lots of starts and stops, * Random acts of improvement, “ I guess we are doing this now” * Teams not on the same page, turf wars Process improvement defined with process mapping: * Facts and flow visually displayed for all to see * “Ah-hahs” come to mind as you build the map * Teams that know where they fit and why they matter * Parking lot filled with more CI’s to come next

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May was an incredible month for manufacturing, and I'd like to share some standout moments. I also welcome your comments on other notable experiences you had this month. My month began with a trip to Milwaukee to meet my close friend Drew Crowe at the American Gear Manufacturers Association 2024 Strategic Networking & Leadership Forum. #NewAmericanManufacturingRenaissance While in Milwaukee, I heard about the TITANS of CNC MACHINING event in Texas, which provided over 1,000 attendees with hands-on access to their equipment. I had the privilege of experiencing his shop last year. The following week, I attended Automate Show 2024 in Chicago, where I connected with more amazing community members and witnessed impressive innovations in the automation sector. My favorite booth was NEURA Robotics which featured a large display area and numerous new items. Later in the month, I started my new job with KERN Precision, Inc. as a field service engineer. I'm honored to join a team known for its high quality and standards in the industry. I also reconnected with old friends Jason Zenger 🎤💥 and Nick Goellner to record an episode of their podcast, MakingChips. If you haven't checked it out yet, it's a great resource for unique industry perspectives. To end this one shoutout to Chris Luecke who hosts the best parties in the industry with Manufacturing Happy Hour 🍻. Had the privilege of attending 2 of his events last month and try to always attend if I’m available. As I continue my journey, I'll keep sharing my experiences and the interesting things I come across. And for a sneak peek at next month: I'm flying to Germany 🇩🇪! I'll be there for the entire month of June and can't wait to share more updates. (Being gone for 5 weeks is why I cut my hair 😂) #gamification #gamify #cnc #cncdojo #cncsamurai #machining #machinist #manufacturing #manufacturer #fabrication #fabricator #industry #industrial #maker #builder #sales #marketing #viral #programming #programmer #harware #software #entrepreneur #supplychain #engineering #engineer #robot #robotics #automate #automation

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Probably one of best thing happened in the last 30 years in injection moulding melt flow under understanding. it was like a treatment for Cancer. Every moulder face this problem, and every one had their own local medicine, nothing really worked well, but helped to control the "cancer" a little bit, with quite many side effects. But Beaumont guys really made it and without side effects.. A big salute to Beaumont team, and to the "original brain" behind it.... Your name will never be forgotten from the history of injection moulding. Never... I keep suggesting all my customers about this system. some go for it quickly, some have reservations due to the cost of adapting it. but those who have used it, they will continue to do with Beaumont in every mould they make new, when the cavitation is more than 4 and uses a cold runner. But may be after couple of years, when everyone get in to Hot runner system, Beaumont may not be relavent anymore.. So watch out guys.... for "who moved my cheese" ...condition... Why not Beamont and team starts to look in to Hot runner systems with precise flow. I think it is lagging in current Hot runner systems supplys. Recently I tried to test Yudo and Synventive Hot runner systems with 8 and 16 drops, but they are not having same melt flow. So there is a big feild out there to play..... "Great going Beamont Team..." May be someone already doing it?.... may be......

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"You do not have enough focus on your bottlenecks or core process" I often get to share this statement as I hear manufacturing leaders share about their struggle to improve the bottleneck operations. I ask "How long does a change-over take?" "About 2 hours". they say ✅ IF YOU ARE MEASURING IN HOURS INSTEAD OF MINUTES, YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOCUS! also MAKE IT VISUAL How about it takes us 115 minutes? Then if we miss by 20 minutes, that is a lot. If it takes us 2 hours and we only miss by 1/2 hour, that is not too bad. Urgency must be visually tracked and at divisible units. If you have 115 minute change-overs on a bottleneck operation, it is time to attack this with SMED, I have led many teams to bring change-overs down to less than 10 minutes! It is possible. I know you don't believe me and your process is special, but it is possible. You don't realize the downtime you are wasting in your operation. DM me to discuss and I can help you get started. ______________________________________________________ ✅ Lean Concepts work in the Office TOO! How about project managers? "A new product takes about 6-9 months, we try hard to improve but it usually takes a year."... this is what most product and engineering teams tell me. ✅ IF YOU ARE MEASURING IN MONTHS INSTEAD OF DAYS, YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOCUS! MAKE IT VISUAL How about a new product takes us 127 working days? Boom, now there is a target. Let's see the Gantt Charts, have our weekly updates; and when behind, add resources to hit our targets. This one change in how bottleneck operations and projects are measured, and visually represented, can often bring huge improvements. 👉 What units are you using to measure change-overs or projects? 👉 What do you think of this concept? Accountants. How about # of days to close a month? Ever considered measuring that in hours instead of days? 5 day target and we close in 7 days is not bad. But 37 working hour target and we close in 52 working hours is terrible. Same performance, way different perception. #SMED #leanmanufacturing #bottlenecks #minutesnothours #improvements P.S MEASURE WHAT MATTERS! PPS. Do not use common numbers 100, or 120 minutes, use 98 or 118 or 121. You will have greater focus.

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A few years ago, I wrote this article about #Millennials in the workforce and the opportunities available in manufacturing. ⭐️ Today, I still believe the information I share in this article remains relevant! https://lnkd.in/eZb6Jsgf   #generationz #manufacturingjobs #careeropportunities #skillsgap #workforce #innovation #manufacturingcareers 

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What sets exceptional leaders apart? A simple mindset shift. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬—𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. Manufacturing efficiency isn’t about how much you have. It’s about how well you use what you already have. So, think twice before saying you need more if you… ↳ Haven’t optimized your current processes. ↳ Avoid using data to improve decision-making. ↳ Overlook the potential of cross-training your workforce. ↳ Fail to engage your team in problem-solving. ↳ Ignore bottlenecks in your production flow. ↳ Dismiss small wins that lead to big improvements. ↳ Treat continuous improvement as optional. ↳ Invest in new tools without leveraging existing ones. When you focus on resourcefulness, You transition from managing scarcity to mastering efficiency. Connect with me if you want to know how to do it. I will show you some impressive case studies! Learn how to do more with less—and lead your team to breakthroughs. - ♻️ If this resonates with you, share this post.

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This will be interesting to see how this pans out. I know a few industries that hold this over the heads of their employees. https://lnkd.in/eSqpnETQ

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When was the last time you engaged with your employees or coworkers? In my latest Swarfcast interview, Matthew Rassi, manufacturing consultant and Lean manufacturing specialist at Twenty Helping Hands LLC, talks about how employee engagement is essential to eliminating waste in a manufacturing organization. In the interview we discussed: ⚙ How employees in all levels of a company have valuable insight to make a company better 🧠 How great ideas build upon other ideas 👂 The importance of people feeling as though they have been heard ⚙ The importance of continuous improvement when engaging employees To listen to the full interview there are links in the comments. Bill Berrien Bill Cox Damon Pistulka Steve Preda #leanmanufacturing #manufacturingconsultant #employeeengagment

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Don't Assume, Ask and Ignite Your Manufacturing Career Journey! In our latest episode, Malachi Greb and Matt McCarty sat down to dive deep into the art of asking questions and leaving assumptions at the door. 💡 These two incredible individuals have shared their own stories and the lessons they've learned along their career paths in the manufacturing industry. But here's the kicker: They didn't just tell their tales; they emphasized the importance of curiosity, seeking knowledge, and never, ever making assumptions. Their insights are pure gold, friends! 💰 Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting your journey in manufacturing, this episode will leave you with a fresh perspective and a thirst for more. #ManufacturingComeUp #AskDontAssume #CareerJourney #PodcastWisdom

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I’ve got something special for you today, even if I hit the wrong day when publishing. My bad for being a day late – but trust me, it’s worth the wait! This week on the Manufacturing Culture Podcast, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Keith Pfeifer, the President at Aerobotix. Keith's journey from a controls engineer to leading a company in the aerospace and defense industries is incredible. Aerobotix is about transforming the entire manufacturing culture. Keith shared how their cutting-edge robotic solutions drive cultural change, make work more fulfilling for employees, and ramp up production quality. It’s all about empowering people, embracing innovation, and shaping the future of manufacturing. Keith discussed the importance of hiring smart, passionate people and giving them the freedom to take ownership of their work. This leadership lesson is as practical as it is powerful. We also discussed how automation improves employee quality of life—something I know many of you care deeply about. You can catch the full episode wherever you listen to podcasts, on YouTube, or our website at https://lnkd.in/gnmDbCuu. If you’re passionate about manufacturing, leadership, and innovation, this episode is a must-listen. Give it a listen, share it with your friends, and let’s keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in our industry. #ManufacturingCulture #Leadership #Innovation #Automation #Robotics #Podcast #EmployeeEngagement

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Flying to Orlando for #NPE2024, I finally got the chance to fully read Zingermans Mail Order Inc journey. Microlearning - lean needs to be pulled, not pushed. For anyone struggling to implement lean or struggling to “make it stick”, this book is a great intro into another way. #kata #microlearning #zingermans

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