Today’s highly volatile environment of the factory floor demands quick and well-informed decision-making. That hinges on information being exceedingly clear and presented in a way that does not leave too much room for interpretation. Nor should it require processing time in the mind of the person “reading” it. With that in mind, the aim of visual management is to communicate at the pace of manufacturing. While there is a variety of well-established tools and methods, the most important thing is to develop the skill to develop one’s own tools and methods. That is, to be able to communicate about your shop to your shop about all of the unique challenges and parameters that define it. The goal is to change the way we think about the visual fields that our people encounter in the process of their work. In this session, learn how Hiab Streetsboro uses visual management to spur quick and well-informed decision-making on its factory floor, and engage in robust discussion about how to build your own visual management system.

Just like a catcher telling the pitcher to throw a curveball, getting business-critical information and data to the right people at the right time is key for boosting productivity and engagement. Yet, finding effective and reliable hardware and software solutions for displaying such content at scale can be challenging. 

Follow Fresh Mark – the local, family-owned company behind quality meats provider Sugardale – to discover how they leverage digital signage to efficiently manage the flow of information across their production facilities and corporate offices. (Are you a baseball fan? If you attended a Cleveland Guardians game over the summer, you likely enjoyed a Sugardale hot dog at their Dollar Dog Nights).

Attend this session to learn how Vitamix reduces waste in its work environment by capturing and implementing small improvement ideas from the workforce. This is one of the manufacturer's "go to" methodologies for creating a mindset of continuous improvement and fostering employee engagement. Vitamix's Tim Stasko will share the process, challenges encountered and lessons learned, and he'll take your questions. Don't miss an opportunity to gain insights from what Vitamix considers one of its best continuous improvement methods for engaging the hearts and minds of its workforce.