Lean Built: Manufacturing Freedom Henry Holsters and Pierson Workholding

Jay and Andrew talk the eclipse, the joys of 3d printing, and the thought process behind what machines they own.

This episode starts on a somber note as Jay and Andrew both had deaths of people they loved. This leads to a discussion of legacy and what they want to leave behind as shop owners and men. They also discuss Andrew's new idea of dedicated "improvement time", hiring and onboarding remote workers, and Jay's idea for a Gordon Ramsey like show about improving shops (it would be awesome).

How do you avoid decision fatigue? How many good decisions can you make in one day? How can you make your decisions ahead of time? How can you brainstorm effectively? These are a few of the important issues Jay and Andrew tackle in this episode of "Lean Built."

From discussing the merits of expanding quickly versus gradually to exploring the pivotal role of the shop floor in fostering career development, Andrew and Jay have a lot to talk about in this episode. 
They tackle the idea that anything repetitive should be automatable and ponder what it takes to build a company where employees aspire to retire from. They also examine the importance of assembling a diverse team with varied skills and preferences and the potential of gamification in enhancing productivity.
But it's not all about speed. Andrew and Jay emphasize the significance of being careful with aligning incentives within the shop environment. They shed light on the concept of "sooner, not faster" and the utility of tools like Gantt charts in managing workflows effectively.
Books mentioned: 
New Shop Floor Management: Empowering People for Continuous Improvement by Kiyoshi Suzaki
Henry Ford: My Life and Work by Henry Ford

In this episode of Lean Built,  Andrew and Jay dive into the world of machining mishaps and shop space dreams. Andrew recounts the story of a wild thing that happened during vacuum workholding, which leads to some tips for safe vacuum hold-down machining—plus a discussion of other downright scary machine malfunctions.
Plus Jay and Andrew begin to delve into the topic of planning for future shop expansion.

First up, Jay and Andrew dive into the art  of effectively documenting workflows. How do you avoid the pitfall of keeping everything in your head?
Next, they explore the world of AI and how it can be used to address frequently asked customer queries.

Then Jay shares a story of transitioning a process from digital to analog, prompting a discussion on the pros and cons of both digital and analog methods. When do you embrace digital tools and when do you stick to the tried-and-true analog methods?
All that and more in this episode of Lean Built.