Equipment failure is a known evil in the manufacturing world. But unplanned downtime carries a significant cost and hurts overall performance. This week Brian sits down with Alek Zelnins, a Maintenance Manager at Gay Lea Foods, to share his tactics and tools to improve performance and prevent equipment failure on the frontline.

In this episode, learn:

• How to adapt material from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to create training and maintenance programs for new machines
• The three most common sources of equipment failure
• How operators are essential to good preventative maintenance (PM) programs 
• Why employee training is so important for preventative maintenance 
• How technology will impact the future of machine maintenance (spoiler: people are still essential)

Dozuki is a frontline work training platform for industrial companies who depend on operators to meet production standards.

Most manufacturing companies don't have people dedicated to evaluating and deploying modern tools. At best, IT or HR takes responsibility for new technology and doesn't have the resources to implement them effectively.

Michael Muilenburg is the Director of Operational Technology at 3M and has learned how to leverage key personnel to create a team that successfully evaluates, deploys, and scales digital technology across the frontline operational workforce.  

Join our conversation with Michael and learn how you can create your own team, no matter the company size, and have a major impact on operational success and improvements. 

People are the most overlooked aspect of digital transformation —

Today's manufacturing facilities are clean and modern workplaces that offer a variety of unique and exciting career opportunities.

Join our conversation with Joe Renaud from Amazon Robotics, as he shares his fascinating story of professional growth.

Even with advancements in technology and automation, the frontline workforce remains essential to modern manufacturing operations. In fact, 72% of factory work is still performed by people.

Chad Nelson is a Lean Six-Sigma Operations Manager at 3M and has a wealth of knowledge about standardized work and engaging frontline workers with improvement efforts.

Change management is a crucial part of any digital transformation or improvement efforts on the plant floor. But how do you deal with stubborn employees or older workers that resist new technology? In this The Voices of Manufacturing episode, we talk with Taylor Harlin, Change and Development Coach at Johnsonville, about effective strategies for gaining employee buy-in and unique ways to communicate changes with your frontline workforce.

Demand-side challenges accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic are driving adoption of frontline-focused training platforms in manufacturing.

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We are pleased to announce a strategic growth investment from Marlin Equity Partners (“Marlin”). This transaction enables Dozuki to further expand its leadership position in the manufacturing software market by accelerating product innovation and supporting the company’s continued growth.

In the past, manufacturing technology was focused on improving equipment and tools. Now, the industry is shifting its priorities towards workforce enablement. How will the shift impact the future of industrial business? 

I was recently on a trip to visit a manufacturing facility for one of our clients. My connecting flight didn’t arrive on time, which delayed my arrival and put me on a tight schedule.

Is audit anxiety holding your company back from ISO 9001 compliance? While it may seem like a daunting task, many businesses are closer to certification (and re-certification) than they realize.

Manufacturers are faced with a much different workforce than they've traditionally dealt with. Whereas previous generations had more foundational knowledge, incoming generations need guidance and skill development programs to make them feel comfortable and successful in the industrial work environment.

Welcome to the first episode of The Voices of Manufacturing! Join us in conversation with Jim Vinoski, a Forbes Author who specializes in all things manufacturing.

Here’s the reality, many industrial environments lack wireless internet.

It’s not for a lack of trying.

However, there are real, pragmatic reasons that some companies can’t benefit from the “Industrial Internet of Things” (IIoT) — it’s the ‘Internet’ part.

Amid the Silver Tsunami, HR departments are hustling to onboard and fill personnel gaps, but they can’t predict the evolving demands of your operations.

Implicit (tacit) knowledge is difficult to communicate and often remains isolated in the heads of employees. However, this accumulation of operational skills and insights has an immense organizational value that is simply waiting to be tapped.

The podcast space is growing rapidly and the shows for manufacturing and industrial professionals are no exception. Podcasts in this genre can range from broad industry analysis, to strategic business advice. 

Many industrial businesses rely on generic document management tools, like Microsoft Sharepoint, to store and share files.

Understanding the distinction between document management and knowledge management is vital to operational excellence. While the terms can sometimes be used interchangeably, understanding their differences couldn’t be more relevant to the shifting industrial workforce.

Unprecedented. There probably isn’t a better word to describe 2020 as a whole.

Deloitte research suggests that "smart factory" initiatives have yielded an average of 10-12% increase in labor productivity gains. Despite this success, a majority of manufacturers are still hesitant to move forward. On average, the industry only sees an increase of 0.7% in labor productivity each year. This represents a lack of investment in workforce performance and new technologies.

Early smart factory adopters reap twice as many benefits—reporting a 20% increase in labor productivity. 

Manufacturing businesses need a succession plan. Not for people, but for knowledge.

Quality checklists or inspections are a routine part of production. While they are a crucial part of quality management and control, checklists only catch errors, rather than preventing them.

Instead of reacting to mistakes, consider taking a proactive approach to quality management. This allows you to focus on preventative measures and boost employee performance.

As the most commonly used standard for quality management systems (QMS), the ISO 9001:2015 standard implements a preventative, risk-based approach that puts documentation at the core of quality management. Dozuki allows you to improve quality standards and meet ISO requirements through visual procedures, better training, and streamlined communication.

Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures are some of the most common in industrial and manufacturing environments. Despite this, failure to adequately train employees on LOTO procedures continues to be one of OSHA's top 10 most frequently cited violations during federal inspections.

The ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies of all types to rapidly update policies and procedures governing how they share information in response to a world that is constantly changing around them. For the manufacturing sector in particular, their workforce is more spread out than it has ever been.

It’s no secret. Manufacturers are coping with a massive wave of retirements. With over a quarter of the workforce over the age of 55, many workers are leaving their jobs with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Safety managers have a multitude of safety strategies to protect the health and safety of their workforce.  From PPE guidelines, LOTO programs, fire exit signage, the list is endless. However, in order to get the most out of your employees and resources, companies must look at all aspects of the organization that impact safety. Indirect ways of improving safety on the plant floor are often overlooked, and a missed opportunity.

Food and beverage companies are among the most resilient and adaptive businesses in the world. With inherent health and safety risks, volatility of perishables, and strict compliance regulations, these companies understand how to maintain high standards and adapt to the challenges ahead.

When leveraged properly, standardized work instructions can transform operational efficiency, quality management, employee performance, and more. 

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, 3M has been integral in maintaining domestic and international supplies of essential PPE. These production and supply chain challenges required innovation in order to train new employees faster and leverage a culture of continuous improvement.

Workforce safety is non-negotiable for any industrial business. When mistakes can cause serious harm or bring operations to a halt, companies can’t afford to take safety lightly.

Dozuki is the leading digital work instruction tool for industrial businesses all over the world. Our platform enables better employee performance by improving how you create, control, and communicate procedures.

Investing in technology is a key part of any company's digital transformation strategy. It's impossible to hit digital goals without the right hardware — and software — to achieve results. By modernizing your workforce for Industry 4.0, you are giving them the tools they need to meaningfully contribute to digital transformation goals, an essential tool for them is no longer a wrench, but a tablet.

In industrial companies, workplace safety is the #1 driver behind many key decisions. Not only is safety essential for protecting workers, it’s also essential for consistent production. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was a 39% increase in fatal injuries resulting from machinery between 2017 and 2018. In addition to fatal injuries, 2018 saw 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries reported in the U.S. alone.

Whether your team is on site, or working remotely, we know that your time is taxed by demanding workloads and new safety procedures. In an effort to take one task off your docket during COVID-19, we'd like to share some signage geared towards improving the sanitation efficiency of your workplace.

Cross-training is an essential component of any successful manufacturing company. The flexibility it creates enables your operations to continue regardless of what operators are on the line. Cross-training adds more skills to the factory floor and enables companies to better leverage the skills of its workforce. It also gives expert workers the opportunity to mentor new employees and pass along valuable knowledge.

While many industrial businesses are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, good news for U.S. manufacturers may be on the horizon. In the recent April industry report by ThomasNet, "COVID-19 Impact on North American Manufacturing," two out of three manufacturers are looking to re-shore as production begins to pick back up. This may lead to a domestic manufacturing boom here in the United States, as companies revaluate their supply chain.

Many industrial businesses have heard of the dangers of relying on tribal knowledge. But what exactly does tribal knowledge mean? How does tribal knowledge impact my organization? How do I capture tribal knowledge?

We are hearing a lot of great advice from our audience and customers about how to keep manufacturing and industrial operations running smoothly in the midst of a global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This article is intended to centralize a lot of this information so others can continue to operate while protecting the health and safety of their workforce.

As the skills gap widens and more employees retire, decades of experience and company investment is predicted to walk out the door. With nearly ten thousand people turning retirement age daily, manufacturers will need to look towards proactive solutions to capture tribal knowledge and transfer it to the incoming workforce.

Manufacturing Institute estimated that 2.4 million job openings in manufacturing—accounting for half of all open positions—will go unfilled between 2018 and 2028 as a direct consequence of the skills gap. 

For those in the manufacturing and industrial sector, what’s commonly known as the skills gap is a well-documented issue. As a growing number of Americans retire, they take their decades of experience with them, resulting in a noticeable skills shortage.

Many manufacturers see reducing changeover time as a golden opportunity to improve operational efficiency and reduce waste. For good reason, a simple reduction in changeover time can increase output, reduce inventory/WIP, and improve responsiveness to customer demand.

Today we are happy to announce our collaboration with 3M, through an investment by 3M Ventures, to bring our standard work and work instruction training software to manufacturers of all sizes to help them achieve digital transformation goals. 

66% of companies fail in their attempts at Standard Work.

When Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, was interviewed on NPR’s “How I Built This,” he revealed a valuable insight  — sharing and improving knowledge is hard work. 

Standard operating procedure (SOP) and work instruction templates help standardize processes and present information consistently. We’ve seen thousands of examples of these templates and the only consistency is their shortcomings. 

Recently, I had a chance to visit one of our larger manufacturing clients. Of the many insights gained on that trip, one stood above the rest — tribal knowledge used to actually work. 

At Dozuki, we’ve made it our mission to make Standard Work an industry standard.  We envision documented standards and worker knowledge continuously improving alongside one another—finally removing them from their respective silos. 

While on-the-job training is practical for certain applications, manufacturers rely on it too heavily as a method for on-boarding and training employees.

After thousands of discussions with manufacturing companies, it’s clear to me that the industry is suffering. Due to outdated notions of the software industry, manufacturers aren’t evaluating their digital transformation properly. 

The conveyor belt on line one stopped running and production came to a halt. It was the second time in a week that this happened. The maintenance team and engineers spend the next 48 hours trying to determine what caused the issue. As it turns out, the downtime was due to a frayed wire that caused the conveyor to lose power.

Lean operations and manufacturers have used Standard Work for decades, yet many companies lack clarity when it comes to this fundamental lean methodology.

If Santa Claus ran a toy company, he’d have the best lean manufacturing operations in the industry. A lean analysis shows that he delivers custom tailored products to every one of his clients; providing immense value. He is also able to accomplish this with minimal waste and able to adapt to shifting demands of the market, every, single year.

When properly applied, lean manufacturing principles cut costs by reducing waste and focusing on value. But many companies make the vital mistake of confusing cost cutting with lean thinking. To better understand the relationships between costs, waste, and value, we sat down with one of the foremost experts of lean, Dr. James Womack, to discuss the foundational elements of what makes lean thinking, lean.

If a proper culture of knowledge sharing is in place, the skills that experienced employees possess can be leveraged to improve your business and culture. Every manager knows that experienced employees are relied on more often than not. These are your go-to people, the rainmakers, the skilled superstars of your business. When you have a problem, they have the skills and experience to step to the challenge.

Knowing when to make the transition to a better documentation tool is a tough question to answer. The short answer is there is no short answer. In Industry 4.0, a strategic approach to any digital transformation project will need to consider:

Chipotle, the Mexican food chain, has been in the spotlight recently for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, not all coverage has been “good press.” A string of food safety scares has caused customers to lose trust and stock prices to fall. The missing ingredient?

Dozuki will be exhibiting at the AME San Diego International Conference. The event takes place from October 29 - November 1 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, CA.

How do electronic work instructions factor into Industry 4.0 and your digital transformation strategy? With advancements in technology, it’s time to reevaluate how these digital systems can improve your manufacturing operations.

In the past, we put together a dream team of manufacturing icons and their contributions. In celebration of Manufacturing Day 2018, we’d like to share key statistics to highlight contributions manufacturing has made over history, and upcoming industry challenges.

Dozuki is back in Chicago for the 2018 Assembly Show. The event takes place from October 23 - 25 at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

An effective lean culture aims to reduce waste and inefficiency while improving the value delivered to customers. The lean organization is a model that’s been historically applied to manufacturing, but many of the principles have something to offer businesses across a wide range of industries.

We spoke with Dr. Robert Maurer, author of “Spirit of Kaizen,” a leading expert in the field of psychology and organizational change, about Kaizen and the role of standardization in improving processes and creating an efficient culture of continuous improvement.

Dozuki will be exhibiting at the 2018 International Manufacturing & Technology Show (IMTS). The event takes place from September 10 - 15 at the McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

Six Sigma, Lean, and Quality Management are distinct approaches to reducing waste, defects, and providing value to the customer.

Today, we are proud to announce the official launch of Dozuki OnPrem. Host Dozuki on your local servers, meet ITAR and FDA CFR compliance, and maintain full control over security protocols.

Taiichi Ohno, a founder of the Toyota Production System (TPS), had this to say about Standard Work, “without standards, there can be no Kaizen.” As the foundation for all lean, six sigma, and continuous improvement efforts, the benefits of Standard Work are endless. Ohno's wisdom speaks volumes to the importance of Standard Work, yet many companies aren’t fully practicing it.

Employee on-boarding is often overlooked in the business world. We spoke with Karen Martin, author of "Value Stream Mapping" about why all supportive processes are equally important and how leaders can distinguish between process-level improvements and strategic, value stream improvements. 

Implementing and sustaining quality in your organization is no small feat. However, as the U.S. discovered when Japanese companies like Toyota used Deming's lessons to surpass their competition - quality matters. Effective quality management not only creates customer trust and loyalty, but drives continuous improvement and innovation.

The Dozuki book club is your go-to place for industry books and resources. Our team curates knowledge from industry experts, letting you identify key takeaways and start implementing solutions quickly.

There is a pending manufacturing skills gap impacting the United States workforce. Millions of positions are expected to go unfilled in the coming years, with reports estimating over 2 million positions will need to be filled by 2025.

Getting inside the mind of an ISO 9001 auditor is crucial to a successful ISO audit. Think of it like a gift — even the best of presents can be unappealing when wrapped in crumpled messy newspaper and duct tape.  

These days, waste gets a bad rap.

‘Eliminating waste’ is such a common phrase among lean and six sigma practitioners, the two words are practically inseparable. The problem with this marriage is that it causes us to conflate all types of waste as equally harmful.

Traditional quality management system (QMS) software does exactly what it’s supposed to do. Like file cabinets for the digital world, they organize and control your company standards.

The Dozuki book club is your go-to place for industry books and resources. Our team curates knowledge from industry experts, letting you identify key takeaways and start implementing solutions quickly.

The Dozuki team will be at the 20th annual Food Safety Summit, May 7 - 10 at the Donald  Stephens Convention in Rosemont, IL.

Dozuki is proud to be an exhibitor at this year's Hannover Messe, the world’s leading trade show for Industrial technology.

The Dozuki book club is your go-to place for industry books and resources. Our team curates knowledge from industry experts, letting you identify key takeaways and start implementing solutions quickly.

Imagine that you lost the ability to make your key product.

What if your core revenue driver was suddenly different...

And you didn't know why.

We recently came across a radio segment that outlined a similar problem that Chicago-based Vienna Beef had with their hot dog production. After the company made the transition to a new production facility, their staple product changed — and nobody knew why.

Without Standard Work, documented processes are often not used, or so out of date, that following them could become problematic. Standard Work is the foundation for any continuous improvement or Lean program, and time observations are the starting point. They are the foundation for which improvements are based on.

ISO 9001 is the world’s most commonly used standard for quality management systems (QMS). 

Shigeo Singo: The Ambassador of Lean

Shigeo Shingo was an industry leader of Lean manufacturing principles and philosophies. Originally brought on by Toyota to update their Training within Industry (TWI) coursework and later assisting in improving changeover times, Shigeo used his experience with the Toyota Production System to write several books, both in Japan and the United States. His work promoting Lean principles in the West is what he is most known for today.

The manufacturing industry is a professional arena with an overwhelming variety of industry terms and acronyms. We’ve tried to make a list of the most common Lean terms before… we didn’t get very far.

The Dozuki book club is your go-to place for industry books and resources. Our team curates knowledge from industry experts, letting you identify key takeaways and start implementing solutions quickly.

We recently wrote a popular article about a major mistake at a nuclear waste facility. In short, we cited poor standard revision processes as the root cause of the mistake, costing the company $500 million to remediate.

Is your company interested in reaping the benefits of continuous improvement (transparency, efficiency, cost reductions, etc.) but aren't sure where to begin? Dozuki has you covered.

Apparently, it was a simple mistake that caused the false missile alert to be sent to phones across the state of Hawaii. And while citizens were still recovering from the disorienting news, media outlets were quick to place blame. 

Fostering a culture of continuous improvement is a complex challenge that varies across industries. In the digital age, software solutions are starting to have a real impact on company culture. Yet it’s important to keep the advantages of software solutions in perspective.

Travelers and build books are intimately related, however, with traditional methods they often function independently.

Henry Ford was a very quotable man. His timeless insights range from practical business tips to clairvoyant-esque predictions about the dairy industry.

In identifying what makes a continuous improvement team successful, it’s most helpful to look at where they fail. Anyone can retroactively attribute key factors to success, however, real learning comes from understanding the shortcomings. Below, we’ve identified five common reasons continuous improvement teams fail to succeed.

About the Dozuki Book Club: Your go-to place for industry books and resources. Our team works hard to curate knowledge from industry experts, letting you quickly identify key takeaways and start implementing solutions.

The world of Lean Manufacturing is full of acronyms and industry buzzwords. No glossary could encompass the full breadth of terminology, but it’s always helpful to have a consolidated resource to use as a reference.

Wise quotes can inspire. Insightful sayings have the power to spark change and foster a culture of creativity and quality.

Maine based Oakhurst Dairy was recently sued by a handful of truck drivers seeking more than four years worth of overtime pay—but the suit wasn’t about milk distribution at all. Rather, the legal battle revolved around the use (or lack thereof) of a single comma. But grammar wasn’t the problem—standards were.

Whether you’re implementing new software or a new machine on the factory floor, continuous improvement projects take time to get set up before they, well…improve things.

In 2016 OSHA reported 2.8 million workplace injuries, with 440,000 of them occurring in the manufacturing industry alone. For manufacturers, that means for every 100 workers, 3-4 are guaranteed injuries. Not necessarily a stat you should share on orientation days.

Many of us know Amelia Bedelia from our childhood (or parenthood) as the goofy maid who is constantly misunderstanding directions. For those who aren’t familiar, Amelia is a hard-working maid who all too often misinterpreted her employer’s commands. Typically, she would interpret common figures of speech or idioms quite literally.

Here at Dozuki, we see a lot of technical documents. In all of this written work, we inevitably come across some mistakes. But hey, pobody’s nerfect. That said, when you see as many technical documents as we do, you start to notice trends. Trends in technical documents can be dangerous because they create systemic inefficiencies in your procedures and impact the overall quality of work.

To help you avoid these issues in your organization, we’ve compiled five common tech writing mistakes to avoid, based on our experiences helping companies create instructions.

As part of our mission to bring manufacturing excellence and standards to our audience, we are proud to announce our educational webinar highlighting the journey to ISO certification.

Books are a great way to learn new techniques to train and connect with your employees.

For years, Patagonia has set a high standard for product lifespan with their Ironclad Guarantee and unparalleled customer service. They’ve been providing free repair services for garments that have been ripped, torn, or otherwise damaged since 1973.

For startups that have begun to establish themselves as a sustainable business, growing pains are only a matter of time.

In 2014 a nuclear Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, NM was the victim of poor revision control practices that lead to a half-billion dollar mistake; shutting down the facility for three years and sending six workers to the hospital.

Modern documentation practices are becoming increasingly essential to achieving FDA compliance with the recent updates in the FDA’s approach to safety. While the importance of product quality and safety isn’t news, updated documentation standards outlined in the FSMA and the CGMP are.

Many companies implement formal versions of Lean or Agile methods, but others have grown with the flexibility that continuous improvement provides, giving them the freedom to deviate from the formal approaches of Lean/Agile methods when needed.

Unlike other digital transformation projects, making the simple switch from paper-based work instructions, SOPs, and other documentation to digital work instructions provides instant benefits for your workforce and bottom line.

Here at Dozuki, we emphasize the importance of creating visual work instructions, because we believe visual is always better.

Historically, internal systems for work instructions have been used solely for distributing procedures, with entirely separate systems for data collection and reporting. These disconnected systems are holding companies back.

When you regard continuous improvement as a mindset, rather than just a procedural practice, you realize it has a much wider set of applications.

For most of us, it’s clear that improvements to standard operating procedures (SOPs) directly improve efficiency. However, all too often we focus on what’s being said and not how we’re saying it. But there’s no reason that you shouldn’t eliminate written waste and become lean with your instructions as well.

A great user manual educates people about a product, while also teaching them how to use product features effectively. As an author, your ultimate goal is comprehension—you want readers to easily be able to read, reference, and absorb information.

Many years ago while managing the final inspection, packaging and shipping areas of a production plant, I was looking for a person to promote to line leader. I was having a difficult time finding a candidate well suited for the role.

As we were plotting our celebration for 2016's Manufacturing Day, the Dozuki team got into a few squabbles about who the 'best manufacturing mind of all time' would be. (Spoiler alert: we couldn't settle on a favorite).

Paper is viewed as a necessity in the workplace.

In the fast-paced world of product research and development, lean methodology can help reduce waste and shorten delivery times. This guide outlines five quick steps to bring lean principles to your new product development (NPD), improve the bottom line, and create sustainable development practices for years to come.

Whether you’re in aerospace or automotive, medical device or dairy—it’s important that your manufacturing company grows while keeping up with the latest innovations. In honor of Manufacturing Day 2015, here are 5 easy ways you can quickly and easily give your operations a boost—today!

Who is Improve International?

Founded in 1998, Improve International recognizes that education—even for the most accomplished, professional veterinarians—doesn’t end when graduates pass the boards. It’s a process that should continue throughout any professional’s lifetime. Improve International connects veterinary professionals with the resources and experts they need to make education a lifelong commitment.

A technician is asked to write instructions for his company’s most frequently performed processes. Pulling out his laptop, he starts to document a procedure as he does it. He spends hours going back and forth between the procedure and his computer, writing down every step. Occasionally, he’ll stop to take a photo or sketch a diagram of the more complicated steps. But even though all the directions are correct, our technician made a critical error—before he even started writing down the steps.

You may have heard of the recently discovered computer security issue—“Heartbleed”—that has affected many sites across the Internet. Rest assured, Dozuki has not been affected by Heartbleed.