Toyota Cost & Labor Reduction Method

TPS Manual - Chapter 1, Section 1

Here is some great history on the development and documentation of LEAN by Toyota starting in the early 70's.  The link provides access to the very beginning.  Neat way to clear your head and think about LEAN all over again from the foundation.  The publisher promises more in the future.  But great stuff for you thinkers.      Click   here. 

What We've Learned In 70 Years
of Manufacturing Parts

This is very concise white paper from United Scientific.  It is very concise and well written.  A lot of excellent tribal knowledge in a concise form. It traces their tool and die business through several levels of changing technology and growth and has some excellent bottom line conclusions on navigating this course. Staying current with innovation and upgrading the skills of your workforce are obviously critical.  But the bottom line is building trust and anticipating the needs of your customers.  Well worth the ten minute read.  Click here. 

The Price of Perfection

Here's a very interesting Ted.com video you and your staff can benefit from.  Is perfection your goal?  Should it be?  Is perfection actually possible?  Sustainable?  Or, does the push for perfection cause undue pressure, damage your self-esteem and kill your ego when not achieved and lead to inefficiencies?  What happens or can happen when your product is out of spec by .001 mm?  Catastrophic failure?  

We are not perfect and will fail.  But failure is needed to drive change.  The key is not settling for good enough.  "Good enough" is an acceptance of continuing failure and the stakes are too high for "good enough".  You can't simply reward effort without focusing on actual results.  Today there is pressure to preach that an overemphasis on perfection is a destructive intolerance for failure.  So is the answer tolerating failure?  We need to think of perfection as the willingness to do what is difficult and achieve what is right! Want to get better at consistently doing what is right.  Spend 10 minutes listening to this .  Want to take it further contact Jerry Custin and get in touch with one of our subject matter experts.  Can you afford not too be perfect? 

What The GOP Tax Plan Means For Distributors & Manufacturers

We all know it ain't over until the fat lady sings but here's an interesting Q&A with a Washington tax insider.   Bottom line, tax breaks in and of themselves may be useful but are far from a panacea.  You need to take at your own business model.  There remains a lot of uncertainty on the final version so keep your eye (and your CPA's) on the ball.

Additionally, if tax legislation passes Congress this year, tax rates will most likely be lower for companies in 2018, while some deductions will be eliminated. Therefore, manufacturers and distributors may want to consider taking full advantage of deductions in 2017 and also look for any opportunities to defer income to 2018 to capitalize on the change in tax rates. Manufacturers and distributors should work closely with their tax advisers to assess opportunities and plan their approach for the current and future tax years.

Tour de Trump 

Here's a collection of five or so articles on President's Trump Asian tour that contain some things you may have missed.  Click here. 

Jobs Corner and Marketplace

Mosaic Career  Fair

Mosaic will be laying off workers at their Plant City facility.  This will include highly skilled and experienced professionals. The Fair will be held December 11.  Details here!  

Millenial Interview Technique

Here's a quick video on what to expect...just for fun 

Hiring

• Assembler.  Medical, surgical, photonics 
• Manufacturing Technician Part Time Cardio Command 

Seeking

• Added some great new job seekers this month some highly experienced. 
• Patrick Morgan British National excellent background in project management, regulatory process. Performed at multi-national level. 
• Andrea Morgan British National over 20 years experience experience within the Parcels, Pallets, Logistics & Warehousing industry, for National Key Accounts / Customer Contract Management, New Business Sales and
  People Management, within Sales and Operational Environments.
• Abe Brown Ministries offers a tax credit if $2400 per hire and up to $5000 bonding at no cost to the employer.  The following candidates are covered by this program. 
• Three year welding experience, Oxy and Plasma, trainer, OSHA trained 
• Accomplished machinist over 14 years in team environment, extensive CNC background
•  Experienced Project Manager with Fraud Protection Experience (Nov)
• IT professional understand cyber security extensive senior corporate background.  Leader! 
• Senior Executive/Program Manager.  Strong defense and aerospace background.  Has security clearances. 
• Need an experienced trainer with manufacturing experience?  Rare find and current member SME and NIMS
• Organized self-starter with outside sales, business development and management experience. 

We Do Round Tuits 

Association Update

 

We appreciate those of you that have joined either the Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce or the Florida Suncoast Manufacturers Association.  We request that you consider formal membership at this point.  We are attaching a brochure outlining the service activities we provide as well as an application form.  We appreciate your consideration and support and look forward to advancing the cause of manufacturing in the Upper Tampa Bay in 2017 and beyond!