To expand further on my previous blog about quality, I wanted to brazenly delve into what I would suggest in how to implement the “ownership” mindset within your team. But, different circumstances (a.k.a age and size of the manufacturer/company) will demand different strategies in order to be successful. Since my gills are still a wee […]
I had a lecture in my Production and Operations class with Dr. Ron Lembke this past week on Quality. When the topic was introduced, (shamefully) I groaned. I reacted this way because my current job is within the Quality department for a dietary supplements company and they’re planning on making some massive improvements throughout the […]
So I have to apologize: I got so excited with the experience I had earlier this week with brewing my first beer batch and how helpful Matt was that I forgot to mention my thoughts on manufacturing concepts from that experience! Once you’ve forgiven me, I have to tell you that not only was I […]
As mentioned previously, I am very thankful for people with servant leadership skills that look to help others without expecting anything in return. People with this mindset are set up to have incredibly loyal followers, which seems to be lacking in some industries, including manufacturing. I am NOT by any means saying that ALL manufacturers […]
I have many people to thank for helping me toward getting my Chemical Engineering degree chief among them is my chemistry teacher from high school, Dr. Al Evans. Not only was he my chemistry teacher for two years, he was my soccer coach for all four years and my mentor for getting me into the […]
In my undergrad, I had one of the best experiences on learning to be a global citizen. For three out of my four years at Georgia Tech, I was a resident of the International House, or more commonly known as the iHouse. While there I got to meet some of the most brilliant, young, and […]
With any manufacturing team, one major key performance indicator (or KPI for all you fancy-speaking folks out there) that is commonly used to determine the effectiveness of a facility is using Operating Equipment Efficiency, (or O.E.E.). This measurement is a percentage of the amount of time a machine or process line is running and producing […]
The distinction between being managed and directed by a boss versus cultivated and nurtured by a leader is extremely critical both for the mindset of the boss/leader and the employee/follower. Like mentioned in a previous post (Manufacturing Integrity into Trust), managers, especially C-suite or higher-level ones, need to be mindful of how the decisions they […]
To continue my introductory series on product design (see my first two posts: Product Overdesign and Harmony with Manufacturing), I wanted to delve into the question I find most difficult to answer when it comes to creating something new: how do you get the idea for a great-selling product? Obviously, a new product should satisfy […]
Adding more to my previous post on avoiding product overdesign, new products need to also be prepared for manufacturing appropriately or are manufacture-able, (yes, I made up a word). Or, better said: you got the idea, got the manual, got the parts, but do you have the engineering in place in order to make your […]
Kait Cook 
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