Shipulski On Design

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The DoD wants to save money, but they can’t do it alone. But can they possibly succeed? Do they have fighting a chance? Can they get it done? Wrong pronouns. Can we possibly succeed? Do we have a fighting chance? Can we get it done? In difficult times it’s easy to be critical of  others, […]

The DoD wants to do the right thing. Secretary Gates wants to save $20B per year over the next five years and he’s tasked Dr. Ash Carter to get it done. In Carter’s September 14th memo titled: “Better Buying Power: Guidance for Obtaining Greater Efficiency and Productivity in Defense Spending” he writes strongly: …we have […]

Focus, focus, focus. Measure, measure, measure. We draw organizational boxes, control volumes, and measure ins and outs. Cost, quality, delivery. Control volumes? Open a Ziploc bag and pour water in it. The bag is the control volume and the water is the organizational ooze. Feel free to swim around in the bag, but don’t slip […]

What happened to Vacation? It used to be a time to let go, to separate from work, to engage with family and friends, to work hard on something else. A time to refresh, to recharge, to renew. Not anymore – a shadow of its former self – paler, thinner, hunched over. We still stay out […]

I’ve heard product cost is designed in; I’ve heard it happens at the early stages of product development; And, I’ve heard, once designed in, cost is difficult get out. I’m sure you’ve heard this before. Nothing new here. But, is it true? Is cost really designed in? Why do I ask? Because we don’t behave […]

Lean is all about parts. Don’t think so? What do your manufacturing processes make? Parts. What do your suppliers ship you? Parts. What do you put into inventory? Parts. What do your shelves hold? Parts. What is your supply chain all about? Parts. Still not convinced parts are the key? Take a look at the […]

Assembly Magazine Column – Shipulski On Design Robots and factories are no longer differentiators Simplicity Isn’t Simple Cost of Spending Too Little The Yin and Yang of Standard Work No At The Expense Of Yes Bet On The Solvers What’s Your Perspective? When Best Practices Aren’t Best Build To Learn Product Before Process Solving The […]

(This post was published as an article.  View the article as a .pdf or .htm.) Have we read enough, talked enough, circled, and delayed the issue enough to finally do something about the decline in US manufacturing?  Are we afraid enough yet, after each quarterly government trade report, to undertake what is obvious as far […]

What is a DFMA Culture?  (.pdf, 1 page) John Gilligan of Boothroyd Dewhurst, Inc. asked me to describe a DFMA culture.   Here is my description: At the highest level, a strong DFMA culture is founded on the understanding that The Product strongly governs most everything in a company. Product function governs what customers will pay […]