http://blog.setpointusa.com Automation Integration using Lean Principles Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:00:48 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en A view from an assembly shop manager...   At Setpoint we follow the 5 S's system, as the shop manager here is my take on how we are able to implement this in our assembly shop. Sort - This is the hardest part for me.  I have a hard time throwing things away ... http://blog.setpointusa.com/five-s-system/ We have had some questions lately as to what types of industrial automation Setpoint is capable of so below I have listed some of the capabilities that Setpoint has. Filmless X-Ray Inspection Machine We developed a non-destructive test and inspection machine using filmless x-ray technology.  This automated testing system was integrated on ... http://blog.setpointusa.com/industrial-automation-examples/ A few months ago Setpoint moved to a 4 day work week.  The plan was to run it as an experiment for 90 days and see how things worked out.  I'm pleased to report the experiment has been a rousing success and that we intend to continue on with virtually ... http://blog.setpointusa.com/four-day-work-week-is-here-to-stay/ It's Tuesday and your payroll clerk needs to enter payroll to make sure all employees are paid by Friday.  The dreaded phone call comes.  Your payroll clerk can't come in because her father has had a heart attack and is in ICU.  It will be several days before she can ... http://blog.setpointusa.com/importance-of-cross-training-employees/ Over the years I have been involved in many different businesses in many different industries.  Over this journey I have consistently been a reader of business books, The Wall Street Journal, and Harvard Business Review.  When I was younger I would try and assimilate into practice what I was learning ... http://blog.setpointusa.com/what-really-matters/ Joe did a great set of videos explaining the financial crisis including what led up to it and who is to blame.  We filmed this one before but I hear it was pretty boring and had bad lighting.  So we refilmed it and here it is.  We got some professional ... http://blog.setpointusa.com/the-financial-crisis-events-leading-up-to-it-and-who-is-to-blame/ Recently I was asked what Rich Internet Applications (RIA) were and whether they were good or bad, useful or something that we might be able to see in the future. Rich Internet Applications have been used on the web for many years. They are great for engaging the customer and ... http://blog.setpointusa.com/rich-internet-applications-ria/ The following YouTube is my quick take on the financial crisis.  I think that a lot of the problems in our financial system come from a lack of understanding of the numbers.  I find this problem throughout the country when I am training.  We do not train our managers in ... http://blog.setpointusa.com/financial-bailout/ Previously in my career I worked as a Project Manager for a large project-based business.  Our product was amusement rides, and we had the tallest, fastest and coolest roller coasters on the planet!  Each of these projects were multi-million dollar in value, and they would generally last between 8 and 18 ... http://blog.setpointusa.com/keeping-a-watchful-eye-on-your-project-gauges/ Setpoint Systems, Inc. is an open book company, which means we open our books to our employees.  Every Monday at 1:00 pm we gather together to see how the prior week went financially.  It's been that way at Setpoint pretty much from the beginnings of the company in 1992. After arguing with ... http://blog.setpointusa.com/open-book-management-at-setpoint/