It's the new year and a time when many people make New Year's Resolutions--promises about what we'll do better on in the New Year. This is sort of like kaizen, except using kaizen means being open to "New year's Resolutions" every day of the year.

Kaizen is a process in which suggestions for improvements are used, on a continuous basis, to improve a business, cut costs, improve quality, and develop new products. Kaizen means a continuous search for ways to do things better, faster, with higher quality and more efficiently. It is a continual iteration of: implement an idea, see how the new idea works, come up with a new idea, and repeat the cycle. Each idea is a small change to a process, facility, product and work practice. By continually making small changes the effect compounds to quickly bring big results.

How you you learn about kaizen and determine whether it is the right approach to help your business? We offer a free guide that will introduce you to kaizen. We don't sell kaizen services, but we do offer a free copy of our kaizen guide to help our customers improve their business because we know that our success depends on your success.

Labels: kaizen, Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 12:38:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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Competition is getting tough. Profits are being squeezed, costs are going up and sales are declining. What is needed is to find ways to reduce costs, while increasing quality and becoming more competitive. A good first step is to start using 5S.

5S is a systematic approach to cleaning up and getting organized. That sounds rather simple, and it is. There is a lot more to 5S than cleaning up and getting organized. 5S goes beyond just cleaning up. For example, 5S says that at the end of the day (or shift) that all machines should be cleaned. Not only cleaned, but thoroughly inspected. With a clean machine spotting a fresh oil leak becomes easy, and that allows for preventive maintenance before the machine has more serious problems.

We have created an introductory guide about 5S. It describes 5S, how to implement 5S, and the benefits you can expect from 5S. It gives all the basic information needed to help you determine whether you want to pursue implementing 5S in your facility. The Introduction to 5S Guide is available free.

Your competition is tough. Isn't it time to start taking advantage of the power and benefits that lean manufacturing techniques can bring? 5S is a good place to start. It is relatively easy and not costly to implement. And the benefits can quickly be helping your bottom line.

Labels: 5S, Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 12:21:00 PM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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In tight times you need to find ways to make improvements throughout your business in order to remain competitive and survive. You need to find ways to cut costs while improving quality. You need to reduce production lead times and become more responsive to your customer's needs. And you need to do this without harming safety or employee moral.

Kaizen is a technique that will help you accomplish this... and more.

(Learn about Kaizen in our FREE Kaizen Quick Start Guide.)

Kaizen is a lean manufacturing technique that focuses on continuous improvement. Instead of searching for one big project, Kaizen produces a series of small, incremental changes that continually improve your business. That's what makes Kaizen such a great tool when business is slow. You can use Kaizen to lift your business above the competition without major capital expenditures. Of course, this isn't saying that Kaizen won't identify the need for a major capital project... if you are using old, worn out equipment you may need to upgrade or replace it. However, the fundamental way Kaizen works is to identify small changes, that can be implemented quickly. The effect of the continuous implementation of small changes builds up, resulting in a business that is more cost efficient, less wasteful, and more responsive to customer needs.

Find out more about kaizen, how it can be implemented, and the benefits of using kaizen in our free Kaizen Quick Start Guide.

Labels: kaizen, Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 7:27:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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Times are getting tough and everything you can do to get an edge on the competition will pay off on your bottom line. 5S is a lean manufacturing technique that will help you accomplish this.

(Get your FREE copy of our Introduction to 5S.)

5S is a systematic approach to cleaning up and getting organized. This may sound like something you are already doing, but by taking a systematic approach 5S goes deeper and provides bottom-line benefits for your company that you may have otherwise missed.

For example, by thoroughly cleaning up a machine, problems such as lubricant leaks become easier to spot. Having a specified storage location for each tool makes finding tools easier, and ensures tools receive proper care and maintenance. And 5S makes waste easier to identify and thus eliminate.

What's great about 5S is that it can be implemented at a relatively low cost and the benefits can be significant. With just a basic understanding of 5S you can get started at essentially no cost and expand your implementation of 5S as it proves its effectiveness.

Labels: 5S, Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 7:10:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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The principles of lean manufacturing such as 5S and kaizen are used to organize, improve and streamline our facilities and processes, but have you thought about applying lean techniques to the tools you use for implementing lean?

One of the most basic, must-have lean tools is a labeling system.

5S is about cleaning up and organizing. Labels and signs are an important part of 5S. Signs identify work areas. Labels provide machine and equipment operating and maintenance instructions. Storage areas are identified. Tools are marked and color coded. Labels and signs are a major part of implementing and sustaining (the fifth "s") a 5S system.

[A 5S cart created by a DuraLabel PRO user is shown to the right. It has the DuraLabel PRO, a computer, power supply and all the supplies needed for making 5S labels and signs.]

Kanban is about just-in-time delivery. In kanban labels and signs might be the actual kanban. They are used to identify work-in-progress, storage areas and work flow paths. Labels and signs identify work areas, labels identify machines and equipment, and help reduce training time and costs. The are used to create Kanban boards and identify areas used for "look-see" kanban". Kanban is a visual management system and the visual communication provided by labels and signs is an important part of kanban.

Kaizen is about change, and when there is change communication is critical. Kaizen involves using employee suggestions to drive continuous improvement throughout an organization. Visual communication is an important part of this process. Labels and signs are used to inform employees about changes. Labels applied to equipment provide information about changed procedures, maintenance schedules, shift-change processes, and equipment start-up requirements. Signs identify new or changed safety hazards. They are also used to encourage participation in the kaizen process and give recognition to those who have submitted suggestions.

[A kaizen cart created by a DuraLabel 4TTP user is shown to the right.]

We are finding the more and more of our DuraLabel PRO label and sign printer users are creating a cart that organizes the visual communication tools they need to support 5S, kaizen or kanban. The cart allows them to easily bring their DuraLabel PRO printer, a computer, and all the supplies they need to any location in their facility. It keeps everything organized (that's 5s) and allows to labels and signs to be quickly made and installed (that's kaizen). By applying lean manufacturing techniques to visual communication the result is an efficient, convenient and easy system for creating and maintaining labels and signs.

Learn more about the DuraLabel PRO printer and DuraLabel supplies.

Labels: Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 2:03:00 PM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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Graphic Products' latest lean manufacturing guide provides a quick introduction to Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).

Total Productive Maintenance is a lean manufacturing technique that places the responsibility for machine and equipment routine maintenance and servicing in the hands of the operators. It is also sometimes called Total Process Management. In both cases the acronym is TPM.

The goal of TPM is to have zero errors, zero work-related accidents and zero loses. By having the operators responsible to routine maintenance this creates a process that results in constant monitoring of machines and equipment that prevents downtime, costly repairs, and lost production, while improving employee job satisfaction.

TPM focuses on five objectives:

1. Improving equipment efficiency
2. Autonomous maintenance by equipment operators
3. Having major maintenance planned and scheduled in advance
4. A staff trained in redundant maintenance skills
5. Avoid downtime by practicing preventive maintenance

To learn more about TPM request your free Guide To TPM from Graphic Products.

Labels: Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 10:31:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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A visual workplace is one in which visual communication methods, such as labels and signs, are used to communicated needed information at the point of need. The visual workplace concept works hand-in-hand with lean manufacturing techniques to boost productivity, reduce waste, improve safety, cut costs and deliver improved customer satisfaction and greater profits.

Today Graphic Products introduced their latest web site suite. It is a group of web sites about visual communication, lean manufacturing techniques, and the value of proper labeling and signs. This visual communication suite has four web sites.

Label Printer (www.labelprinter.com) is the base, visual communication web site. It features "Five Steps To A Visual Workplace" and shows why the DuraLabel PRO is the label and sign printer industry chooses to provide visual communication. This site also hosts our new Lean Manufacturing blog with news and commentary on kaizen, kanban, 5s, visual communication, and TPM related topics.

Kaizen (kaizen.labelprinter.com) features information about kaizen and how labels and signs are used to support kaizen. This site answers questions such as: What is kaizen? What are the benefits of kaizen? Have other companies been successful in implementing kaizen?

Kanban (kanban.labelprinter.com) describes kanban and shows how a kanban system can be put in place. It illustrates the importance of labels and signs for the successful implementation of kanban.

5S (5s.labelprinter.com) shows the five steps of 5S, describing each step and what the benefits are. Using a label printer such as the DuraLabel PRO to establish a visual workplace is an important component of 5S. Since 5S involves getting the workplace cleaned up and organized, using visual communication (labels and signs) is key to establishing and maintaining an organized workplace.

The kaizen, kanban and 5S web sites include a short quiz you can use to test your knowledge of these lean methods.

Labels: 5S, kanban, Lean Manufacturing, visual workplace

posted by Steve Hudgik - 2:00:00 PM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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We have always been heavily involved with providing lean manufacturing information to help our customers' grow their businesses. Today we placed our second new lean manufacturing web site online. This new web site provides introductory information about kanban, and answers the question, what is kanban?

Our new kanban web site provides a concise overview of kanban, describing kanban and the benefits that result from kanban. It also provides a free online kanban quiz you can use to test your knowledge of kanban. When you complete the quiz you'll see a comparison showing how you did vs. everyone else who has taken the kanban quiz.

Labels: kanban, Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 12:23:00 PM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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Graphic Products is one of the sponsors of the Shingo Sweepstakes.

The Shingo Sweepstakes runs from November 6, 2007 until March 1, 2008 and will give away $25,000 in prizes.

The purpose of the Shingo sweepstakes is to promote the Shingo Prize and celebrate the key concepts of Lean manufacturing that Shingo brought to us. The Shingo Prize is regarded as the premier manufacturing award recognition program for North America. As part of the Shingo Prize mission and model, the Shingo Prize highlights the value of using lean/world-class manufacturing practices to attain world-class status.

Graphic Products has been involved in promoting lean manufacturing techniques as a way to improve business performance for over five years. They offer free lean manufacturing guides such as:

5S Quick Start Guide

5S Standard Color Coding Guide

Kanban Quick Start Guide

Kaizen Quick Start Guide

Labels: Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 6:15:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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The 5S system is a common sense approach to achieve a variety of benefits. It involves five steps that get work areas cleaned up and organized.

More Information About 5S (FREE)

Benefits that result from Five S include reduced waste, improved productivity (and associated improved profits), improved quality, improved safety and improved customer satisfaction.

A Brief Overview: Five S starts by cleaning up work areas; getting rid of materials and tools that are not used; and properly storing those that are needed. A major advantage of Five S is that it makes preventive maintenance easier. Once a work area is cleaned up, painted and organized, it become easy to spot problems such as oil or grease leaks--which are typically a sign of a need for maintenance.

A significant part of Five S is proper labeling. It is important to have needed information at the point of need. This includes labeling work areas and equipment so they can be easily identified. It also includes putting operating instructions, daily inspection punch lists, emergency procedures, and maintenance information directly on the equipment and panels where it is needed.

Graphic Products is a leading supplier of label printers and labeling supplies. They feature FAST, same-day shipping from a huge inventory.

More information about label printers from Graphic Products.

Labels: Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 7:30:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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Kanban is a system of continuous supply of components, parts and supplies, such that workers have what they need, where they need it, when they need it. It is a lean manufacturing technique developed as a part of the Toyota Production System and just in time (JIT) delivery.

Graphic Products is pleased to be able to provide a free introductory booklet to implementing Kanban. You'll get a quick overview of Kanban, what it is, what it can do for you, and how it works. Kanban can be used in any business, facility or organization that would like to eliminate waste, improve productivity and increase profits.

This booklet is available FREE, you just need to ask for it.

Graphic Products is a leading supplier of industrial labeling machines and supplies, including the complete line of Brady printers and supplies, as well as Kroy, Brother, K-Sun and many other brands. They feature FAST same-day shipping from their huge west coast warehouse.

Labels: Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 10:40:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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A new article about implementing Kaizen, reprinted from Wood & Wood Products Magazine, is available on the Graphic Products' web site. The article, titled "Getting Back to Basics - Find your mistakes and learn from them", shows how having a Kaizen mindset can result in significant payoff during just a brief tour of a manufacturing plant.

The article concludes: "The norm in industry today is to repair the damage or to remove the symptom. That’s what they were doing. The Kaizen way is to get to the cause and remove it, permanently. Putting it another way, we often are satisfied to say: “If it’s broken, fix it.” In a plant practicing continuous improvement, the question is: “Why did it break?”

Labels: Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 1:09:00 PM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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Faced with the unwelcome prospect of losing business, CGL Manufacturing set out to learn about lean manufacturing with an eye to driving out waste and reducing costs. After three years of lean initiatives, CGL has transformed its shop floor processes through the use of production cells, 5S, kanban visual signals, value stream mapping and a pull system. The work has paid off: The company has freed up 40 percent of its floor space, halved its machine set-up times, set up a lean supplier certification program, and won accolades from customers and industry groups.

Learn what CGL Manufacturing did and how they implemented lean manufacturing in this new lean manufacturing magazine article reprint that is now available online.

Labels: Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 7:44:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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This is a quick and easy way to learn about Kanban.

Kanban is a lean manufacturing technique that dramatically reduces waste. It is typically thought of as "just-in-time" delivery, but Kanban involves more than inventory and delivery management. It looks at entire processes to determine how they can be optimized so as to remove waste -- whether it is wasted materials, wasted motion or other wasted resources.

This introductory booklet summarizes Kanban and helps you get Kanban started in your facility.

Labels: Labeling and Sign Making News, Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 7:09:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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Two new case studies about lean manufacturing are available in the Graphic Products' magazine article reprint library.

One looks at how Kato Engineering created a lean office to complement their lean manufacturing. We commonly think about applying lean techniques only to manufacturing. This case study helps you to think outside the box and discover other ways lean business practices can improve your bottom line.

The second case study looks at Mathers Controls' need to expand their facility to provide additional room to manufacture a new product. They used lean manufacturing techniques to significantly reduce the capital costs and increase production.

Labels: Labeling and Sign Making News, Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 7:19:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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Do you know what Kanban is and how it works? Graphic Products has just introduced a free online tutorial that provides a quick introduction to Kanban. You'll quickly learn about Kanban and be able to determine whether Kanban might benefit your company.

Kanban is a system of requesting supplies and components so they arrive just as they are needed. We recognize this as Just-In-Time (JIT) delivery, but Kanban encompasses much more than JIT. It also includes communication, labeling, the design of production lines, logistics and more.

Kanban provides a variety of benefits, including reduced costs resulting from reduced inventories and more efficient production.

Labels: Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 6:28:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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What is Kaizen? What are the benefits of Kaizen? How has Kaizen worked at other corporations? The new online Kaizen Tutorial at Graphic Products answers these questions about Kaizen and more.

Kaizen is a system for continually improving profits, productivity, quality and safety, by decreasing waste and employee turn over. This new online tutorial provides an "executive summary" type overview of Kaizen. If you are interested in more detailed information, Graphic Products also offers a free printed booklet about Kaizen.

Labels: Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 8:22:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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Fleetwood's Plant 77 found a way to re-energize production when Operations Director Steve Hulft discovered kaizen--the Japanese methodology for promoting continuous improvement by reducing waste.

Read how Kaizen improved quality and reduced waste at Fleetwood in this article reprinted from Quality Digest. You'll learn about the benefits of Kaizen, as well as get an introduction to how one company implemented Kaizen in one of their facilities. This article serves as a good introduction to Kaizen and a case study showing how Kaizen can be implemented successfully.

Labels: Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 8:11:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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This free booklet provides an introduction to the Japanese 5S system for improving quality, productivity, profits and employee attitudes.

The 5S system involves cleaning, sorting and organizing in a logical way such that the overall workflow is improved. This free booklet introduces the basics of the 5S system, allowing you to try out your own 5S program.

Labels: 5S, Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 9:59:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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A FREE guide to the Kaizen System of continual improvement is available from Graphic Products.

"Kaizen" means "continuous improvement". It comes from the Japanese words "Kai" meaning school and "Zen" meaning wisdom. It focuses on total quality management using a method of continuously making small improvements in processes.

Labels: Labeling and Sign Making News, Lean Manufacturing

posted by Steve Hudgik - 6:32:00 AM - - Permanent Link to This Article

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