The POD - Part 1

The company was a medium-sized tool and die shop that manufactured stamping dies for the automotive industry. The basic process to build a die is as follows:

1. Engineer the part forming process (blank, blank, form, form, trim, trim, ...etc.)

2. Design the die using 3D Computer Aided Design software (CAD)

3. Order the components from the Bill of Material (blocks of steel, cylinders, etc.)

4. Mill the blocks of steel so they are square on all sides

5. Drill bolt and dowel holes in the blocks of steel

6. Build sub-assemblies by bolting the blocks to steel plates

7. 3D machine sub-assemblies

8. Build the die by bolting sub-assemblies onto die-sets (Upper and Lower)

9. Try-out the tool in a press, adjust until it creates a “quality” part that fits the fixture

During a trade mission to Mexico I had the opportunity to visit several automotive plants where I saw first hand and for the first time just how powerful LEAN manufacturing could be. I am not talking about taking a few steps out of a process here and there. I am talking about entire organizations committed to continually driving waste out of their companies. In one case a seat manufacturer was using approximately a third of their one million square foot facility. And on the floor the proud general manager showed us the series of ever shrinking lines on the floor that marked the continuous reduction in used floor space.

At their customer's plant I next watched in amazement as nine different vehicle models rolled past me in no particular order off the same assembly line. I thought to myself “if they can get thousands of parts to line up like that and turn them into so many variations of vehicle there has to be a way we could do the same thing back home.”

When I got back from that particular trip I knew I wanted to implement LEAN manufacturing into this 75 year old job shop but I did not know where to start. I decided to use an extended Shift Change meeting to bring everyone together. When they were all seated I enthusiastically explained that I was going to read a chapter out of a book that talked about the Porsche motor company. I told them to substitute the name of our company every time they heard the name “Porsche.” I figured this was high praise indeed for a tool and die shop. And sure to win my audience over.

The chapter I read talked about how Porsche had transformed itself from a grossly inefficient organization building one-off, hand-crafted cars, into a LEAN company producing a consistent product by taking variation out of their processes. Every example they cited, from parts that never fit properly, to a complete lack of flow on the shop floor exactly matched, in my opinion, the issues we faced.

When I finished reading I looked up expectantly and asked for people’s reactions. I could not have been more wrong about my audience’s reaction. Instead of general agreement and a unanimous desire to immediately embrace a new LEAN culture, I was faced with people yelling at me about how I “obviously did not understand our process.”

“Sure,” then cried “anyone can figure out how to make the same car over and over again. That’s easy! But here” they explained “we never make the same tool twice. Every tool is a unique work of art that has never before and will never again be created.” I'm paraphrasing of course. But in other words as far as they were concerned no two manufacturing processes were ever the same for us.

Stunned and disappointed at their reaction I humbly thanked everyone for their time and feedback and adjourned the meeting. “Well that didn’t go exactly as you planned” my executive assistant joked.

But just then a strange thing happened. Amid the continued grumbling from many of the employees as they walked out, I was privately approached by a couple of individuals who told me “you know, there is a lot about that story that makes sense here.”