The Times Are Changing... Are You?

Things aren't like they used to be. Business has gotten tough. Things are changing and your business needs to change if it is to survive. But what needs to be changed?

Kaizen answers that question. Kaizen is a system that creates a continuous flow of small changes... always improving, always getting better. These small changes add up to produce significant improvements in sales, quality, customer satisfaction, safety and productivity. And these all improve your bottom line and keep your business profitable.

Kaizen is a lean manufacturing technique that uses employee suggestions to make improvements. Generally these are small, low-cost improvements that can be quickly implemented. You can learn more about kaizen and how it can benefit your business from a free copy of our Introduction To Kaizen. This is a free guide we have created to help our customers improve their business.

What Is 5S?

In these hard economic times that's a good question to ask: what is 5s?

5S is a lean manufacturing method that organizes a work area, building and entire facility. The object is to have a place for everything, and have everything in its place. Sound simplistic? Yes it is a simple concept, but no it is not simplistic.

The way to learn more about 5S is by getting a free booklet put out by Graphic Products. It explains what 5S is, how it works, and the benefits of using 5S. You'll see how, with very little investment, you can get big results from 5S. Your competitors may be using lean techniques such as 5S, so now is the time to learn how to get lean.

What does this have to do with labeling. A fundamental component of 5S is visual communication. 5S involves signs and labels to identify work areas, storage locations, and to identify tools and equipment. Signs and labels deliver the needed information right at the point where it is needed. That eliminates confusion and saves time... two of the benefits of implementing 5S.

Kanban & Labeling

Free Introduction To Kanban

What is kanban? That is a question many people are asking. What can kanban do for me? What are the befits of kanban? What are the downside risks of using kanban? These are more great questions.

Kanban is a system for managing materials, people and other resources such that the right resources are at the right location at the right time. It reduces overproduction, helps eliminate waste, improves delivery times, and results in more efficient operations.

What does labeling have to do with kanban?

Kanban depends on visual communication. Visual cues are used to start and stop production, for example. Labels and signs are a part of providing the visual cues used in a kanban system. Labels and signs identify work areas, equipment and machines. They are used to track work in progress and track kanbans.

For more information about kanban and labeling, visit kanban label printer.

Learn About TPM

Graphic Products has just announced a new lean manufacturing guide that covers Total Productive Maintenance (TPM). This is a lean method that aims to improve production machine efficiency by having the machine operators be responsible to daily maintenance and service. The plant maintenance staff only handles major repairs and overhauls. The objective to to put the care of the machine in the hands of the person who is most familiar with it, the machine operator.

The new TPM guide is available free from Graphic Products.

5S Standard Colors

5S is a lean manufacturing technique that involves getting organized. A powerful tool that helps things stay organized is color coding. Color coding allows us to quickly recognize which group an object belongs with. For example, tools can be color coded to show the work area where they are used.

There is no 5S standards organization, however over time a set of standard colors has developed. A free guide is now available that shows the color standards typically used with 5S. This guide is available to businesses with 20 or more employees, government agencies, the military, schools and nonprofits.

Request your free 5s standard colors guide.

New Lean Manufacturing Guide

The makers of the DuraLabel, and DuraLabel supplies, are offering a new lean manufacturing guide. This guide can be particularly helpful because there are no official standards established. The defacto standards have come into existance through common use in the workplace.

The new guide, called 5S Standard Color Code Guide, was created by the makers of the DuraLabel in response to requests from their customers. The DuraLabel label and sign printer is commonly used to make 5S labels and using a standard color code system is important.

Why is it important?

As new employees are hired, or employees are move from one work area to another, they need to be able to quickly understand the color coding used for 5S. This reduces training and retraining time and results in more productive employees.

The 5S Standard Color Code Guide is available FREE.