
You are not logged in. Consider these WOODWEB Member advantages:
A personal "member history" that displays your posts at WOODWEB
Your forms at WOODWEB will be filled in automatically
Create your personal "My Favorites" page
Numerous automatic notification options
Learn more about WOODWEB Member benefits ...
Good Article by Tim's brother -- 0 -- 
3/15

Good Article
Good Article
3/16 #2: Good Article by Tim's brother ...

That was an interesting article Pat.
It's been a long time since I've read anything by Ed Shultz. He's always had something useful to say.
I am curious, however, about one part of his blog. He wrote: "No matter how you go to market; make sure your distribution channel is precisely aimed at your target customer."
He also wrote: "There are a number of ways in which industry companies bring their products to market........Some sell through third parties like general contractors........."
So who is the customer in this transaction? Do you do everything you can to protect the interests of the contractor or do you consider instead the interests of the end user. Sometimes these are not the same interests.
We sell all of our work directly to the end user because it's easier to understand what motivates them. For the most part they want to get the job wrapped up so they can move back out of the basement. The contractor sometimes is a bit ambivalent about how much the project costs or how long it takes.
3/16 #3: Good Article by Tim's brother ...

I don't know, I was just interested in the point about selling.
3/17 #4: Good Article by Tim's brother ...

You would definitely be most interested in the needs of the end customer, the actual user of your finished product. The contractor is just a middle-man and will dump you like a high school girl with acne the moment he finds someone to underbid you. I'm not saying contractors are bad, but their agenda is not to make you money or help build your brand.
3/18 #5: Good Article by Tim's brother ...

It depends on whether your company is wholesale oriented or retail oriented. "Cabinetmaker" is retail oriented, and markets himself as such. Therefore, the end user is the customer. Their perception of your performance is important because they talk to their friends, who are also your potential customers.
My company is wholesale oriented. The end user in my case is a 1 time customer, perhaps 2 time over a 20 year span. Pleasing them is emotionally satisfying for me but is only important in as much as it makes the contractors life easier. They want happy customers which means I need to make the customer happy. But more importantly, I want to make MY customer happy, which is the contractor. He's the one who is going to give me job after job after job for year after year after year. Whatever his agenda is my agenda.
3/20 #6: Good Article by Tim's brother ...

We rarely see the end user. Making him happy helps the middle man make more sales and therefore us too. There are different things that drive to two.
3/20 #7: Good Article by Tim's brother ...

Tangent to the OP, I have noticed that the people who seem to benefit from Paul Akers Lean tenets do repetitive work. This does not get mentioned but is, seemingly the most obvious thing, that one can do about efficiency is to make a repetitive product.
Paul has a video of a guy who makes store fixtures. I thought ok cool I can see how Lean applies to a store fixture shop. But the guy appears to make stock items.
IOW Lean does not apply as much to custom.
Paul or others would say I'm being negative but I say I'm thinking critically.
I don't see that Lean resonates as much with somebody like Larry or Alan because of this.
IOW it is something that gets assumed but is not openly stated similar to Paul stating that you don't let everyone on the bus.
Video of store fixture company.
3/20 #8: Good Article by Tim's brother ...

It never ceases to amaze me how cathartic videos like this seem to be. Under the guise of Lean they spent 17 minutes covering one minute of nutrition.
I would have like to seen a bit more on those Andon boards or maybe how the color was used in task management. There was also some kind of a Gantt chart looking deal on a video display that looked useful. Would like to see more discussion about things like that.
3/20 #9: Good Article by Tim's brother ...

Let me offer something constructive for these videos. Rather than spending the all bandwidth on the rah-rah part how about maybe delving more into the mechanics of how the baton was passed?
What is the mechanism that's used to limit work in process? How do they signal when to start the next phase or update the world about how far they got? It seems to me that 100% of strategy is based on status. How do they update status?
The use of color for establishing priority or assigning tasks was touched on but not a minute was spent showing how this worked. These videos seem to consist of the boss walking around asking "How does this make you feel?" Color is the management tool we use to drive down the freeway six feet away from total strangers at sixty miles an hour. How about some video minutes on that topic?
As I understand Lean it's about adding value. The first step in adding value is to free up some resources by eliminating waste.
3/22 #10: Good Article by Tim's brother ...

This article, from Shultz just came out.
"Shipments per Establishment, Shipments per Employee and Shipments per $ of Payroll moved the other way. Shipments per Employee are the most conspicuous gain, improving by nearly 34% to $195,168 in annual revenue per employee, indicating significant productivity gains. This is the best I’ve seen in nearly 20 years of watching this particular measurement."
New Article
3/28 #11: Good Article by Tim's brother ...

Website: vermonthardwoods.com
"The contractor is just a middle-man and will dump you like a high school girl with acne the moment he finds someone to underbid you."
I would suggest maybe you aren't
1. Finding the right customer.
2. Treating them right.
Sure, anyone will get into the situation where price is the only object. If you allow yourself to be sucked into that hole be sure you are able to keep up with the never ending downward spiral.
We have two entirely different markets - picture frames and flooring.
In picture frames we only sell wholesale. Our customers are extremely loyal. Very rarely will we have one of our customers talk about price. Most of them, when needing something new, just order it without even asking for a price. This is because from experience they know that we are in it together for the long haul. They know that they will get the quality they expect, when we tell them it will arrive, and the price will be fair.
Our flooring business is maybe half and half retail and wholesale. Again, with our wholesale customers, they are mostly loyal. Once in a while they will go outside the fold because their customer is very budget conscious. But we court our wholesale customers carefully, only putting lots of effort into the ones that themselves tend to find customers who care more about quality than price.
While it's not quite as simple as the old adage "Quality, service or price - pick two", in a general way it is. We've chosen to leave out price. Not that we ignore it (we're not irresponsible about costs and we don't deliberately gouge* just because we can), we just don't let it make the decisions for us.
*in fact, if a job comes out much better than expected I will give the customer a break.
0 -- 
Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Other Resources | Site Map
Buy and Sell Exchanges
Job Opportunities and Services Exchange
Employment opportunities and services within the woodworking industry
Lumber Exchange
A worldwide buy/sell exchange for lumber and wood products
Machinery Exchange
A worldwide buyer and seller exchange for woodworking machinery and equipment.
Classified Ad Exchange
Classified advertising for the woodworking industry (for advertisements that do not include machinery, lumber products and employment listings)
Forums
Adhesives Forum
Discussing topics related to adhesives within the woodworking industry
Architectural Woodworking Forum
Discussing quality standards and production of architectural wood products
Business and Management Forum
A forum for the discussion of business topics: from sales and marketing to dealing with difficult customers.
Cabinet and Millwork Installation Forum
Discussing all aspects of installation issues encountered by cabinet and millwork installers.
Cabinetmaking Forum
Discussing 32mm and face frame cabinet construction including fabrication, casegoods design, and installation.
CAD Forum
Shedding light on the all-too-often shadowy world of CAD.
CNC Forum
Discussing CNC (computer numerically controlled) woodworking equipment, software, and automated product manufacturing.
Dust Collection, Safety and Plant Operation Forum
Discussing topics related to maintaining a safe and productive working environment.
Professional Finishing Forum
Finishing issues for the production environment
Forestry Forum
The science and art of forest cultivation and timber management, planting, surveying, tree diseases, silviculture and timber harvesting
Professional Furniture Making Forum
Helping professional furniture makers improve quality, save time, and increase profits
Laminating and Solid Surfacing Forum
Issues related to laminating and solid surface materials and processes
Commercial Kiln Drying Forum
Discussions covering issues faced be commercial drying operations that process at least 750,000 bd. ft. of lumber per year
Sawing and Drying Forum
Discussing topics related to primary processing and drying of lumber
Solid Wood Machining Forum
Discussing topics related to the machining of solid wood
Value Added Wood Products Forum
Learn how to improve your output, find new markets, and boost sales of your lumber products
Veneer Forum
Discussing topics related to veneer processing, manufacturing, and fabrication
WOODnetWORK
An electronic discussion group for woodworkers throughout the world
Galleries
Project Gallery
Where professional woodworkers can post examples of their work
Sawmill Gallery
Professional primary processing companies display and describe their sawmill facilities
Shop Gallery
Professional woodworkers display and describe their shop facilities, products and equipment
Shopbuilt Equipment Gallery
Professional woodworker's jigs, rigs, and shopbuilt equipment
Other Resources
Industry News
Late-breaking news from all sectors of the wood industry
Video Library
Index of industrial woodworking related digital videos on the web
Auctions, Sales and Special Offers
Advertisers offering woodworkers discounted prices on good and services, and announcements of upcoming auctions
FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)
WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
A valid email return address must be included with each message.
Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
"Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
(return to top).
Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.
You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.
WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.
Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).
Libel: Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.
Improper Decorum: Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).
Advertising: The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).
Repeated Forum Abuse:
Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.
There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).
The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)
Forum Posting Form Guidelines
|
Your Name
|
The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
|
Your Website
|
Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
|
E-Mail Address
|
Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
|
Subject
|
Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
|
Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines
|
Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
|
Thread Related File Uploads
|
Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .FLV .MP4 (Image Upload Tips) If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
|
|
|
|