Humans are competitive and resilient by nature and it is in these traits that we find the basic driving elements of survival and innovation. They say that “necessity is the mother of invention” but competition is the fuel that drives innovation. We are driven by a desire to be the best and in contrast are we also motivated by the fear of not surviving.
Innovation is the common thread at the core of every company that desires to compete, survive and flourish.
Innovation is the common thread at the core of every company that desires to compete, survive and flourish. With this in mind, companies that manufacture products must not only look at how to improve their products functionality and appearance, but also how quickly they can be produced. When we look at the entire manufacturing process chain from the concept to the finished product, can we identify the non-productive and non-value added operations in the manufacturing process? If the product is not in the physical state of value-add or waiting for the next operation, then this is non-value added time (cost) that is being added to the part; and time as we all know is money. Companies need to look at the entire process chain and create maximum value-add time and also create consistency in the process.
By Frank Arteaga, Head of Product Marketing, NAFTA Region
Bystronic Inc., Elgin, IL – Voice.bystronic@bystronic.com