Television: Reality is Still In.... the shows keep getting better too!

I haven't posted in a long time, so I thought it was time to come back and share some "newer" (to me that is) shows that I have thoroughly enjoyed. Most of my old favorites are still around, so I won't bother relisting there here.

The great thing for people in search of knowledge/content is that as time goes on, Youtube continues improving with an ever growing user base.... I'm not sure the networks are benefiting much, but that's a separate issue...

General
Ultimate Factories - A show truly dedicated to the documentation of world's Ultimate Factories! If I could choose but one show to watch this would be the one. - National Geographic
How Do They Do It? - A Broad Range of Topics (This is a British show, but they have a surprising amount of US content.) - Discovery Channel
Man Made - Covers everything from factories to Construction - National Geographic
Factory Made - A Broad Range of Topics - Discovery Channel
Some Assembly Required - Plant Tours - Discovery Channel
How'd That Get On My Plate? - This show is more friendly for average viewers who may not normally watch a factory specific show. - Food Network
CEO - A monthly show that focuses on an interview with a current CEO. It looks similar in style to History's Business (I haven't actually watched the show yet, but it looks interesting) - PBS


Military
GI Factory - Military specific Factory Tours; There aren't many episodes, but the ones that were made are very comprehensive. - Military Channel
Weaponology - This show covers the history of many different military organizations, and educates about a broad range of weapons, strategies, cultures. - Military Channel

Kanban in the Kitchen: a Recipe for Supply Chain Education

I saved this article a while back from Hawkeye Planner, but I can't even remember when I first received it. Long story short, it's a great example that everyone can relate to that demonstrates Supply Chain Management in a nutshell.

Kanban in the Kitchen: a Recipe for Supply Chain Education
The supply chain is for smart people. Not too many people understand the basic concepts, let alone the more sophisticated approaches and ideas. Supply chain professionals always try to promote and share what they are doing, but their presentations are usually met with glossy-eyed stares. What we are trying to do is extremely complicated, so unfortunately people just don’t get it. HOGWASH!

The supply chain is one of the most simple, easy-to-explain functions around. The supply chain has one simple goal—to fulfill product and service demand effectively and efficiently. And the activities are not some theoretical construct; the supply chain always ends up with physical products that are bought, made, moved, and stored. Yes, some of the strategies and processes become complicated. Still, they can always be tied back to the real world. For a broad audience to understand (and support) supply chain management, they need a very practical education with tangible example. For that, all you have to do is go to the kitchen.

I tried this education with someone who is probably the furthest away from supply chain management—my mother. My mother has been a homemaker for over 30 years; she is a smart woman who runs the household (and my father) like a business. Would she understand supply chain concepts?

I started with her shopping list. What was she planning on getting from the supermarket? Bread, turkey, cheese, potatoes, chicken breast, one quart milk, Cheerios, asparagus, tomato soup. How did she decide what to get? Well, she was planning on serving leftovers tonight because they would be out all afternoon. Dinner the following evening would be chicken with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Lunch tomorrow would be sandwiches and soup. And of course, father has cereal for breakfast each morning. And why go today? Well, it was going to rain tomorrow, so she didn’t want to drive in wet weather.

“Mom,” I said, “You are a supply chain expert.” She looked at me as if I was ten years old. “Seriously, you are. Let’s look at all of the things that you did. First, you figured what the demand for food would be—that’s forecasting. Fortunately, your customer, Dad and yourself, will consume whatever you make. Then you decided how and when you were going to your meal—that’s production scheduling. You knew that today wouldn’t be a day to cook, but you already planned out tomorrow’s menu.”

“Then, you figured out the ingredients that you needed—that’s material requirements planning. You mentally went through your meal plan and figured out what ingredients went into each. We call that a Bill of Materials explosion. I noticed that you didn’t put mustard or mayonnaise on your list. I am guessing that you already have enough in the refrigerator to last you a while, so no need to buy more. And you are buying tomato soup, although I see that you already have one in the cupboard. I know what you always say; it’s always good to have an extra can for a rainy day. In my world, that’s inventory management with safety stock rules built in.”

My mother thought for a moment, then laughed and messed my hair. “I’m glad that we are both supply chain experts, even if you do need a lot of fancy names for all of the things that I do normally. Will any of these fancy ideas actually help me to do anything better?”

We talked for a few more minutes about where she could improve. I looked through the cupboards and found a lot of extra cans of soup and other goods. I rearranged the cabinets to have a spot for each item and threw out some of the old (obsolete) products. Then we talked about how many cans of tomato soup she needed at any one time. We wrote a card under each can that said “Buy 1 can of tomato soup”. As she used that can, she would pull the card as use it as part of her shopping list.“

I like this little setup, son,” my mother said as she smiled. “What do you call this?”

“It’s called Kanban, Mom. It a Japanese inventory and replenishment technique.”

“Can-Ban: got it, works great for cans. I can’t wait to tell my friends down at the gym about how my son is so smart.” She gave me a big hug.

“I’m sure they will appreciate it,” I replied. “Oh, and Mom, about Sunday dinner this week. You know that I love meatloaf, but maybe Dad would appreciate something different. Maybe we should talk about managing New Product Introductions.”

My mother smiled and shook her head. “That time you almost got me. Your father wants something different than meatloaf? Now you’re dreaming.”

Oh well, I guess that some things don’t change.

Copyright © 2006-2007 Hawkeye Planner LLC. All rights reserved.

Once you know, You Newegg! (Warehousing)

Being a computer hardware enthusiast I have been a longtime supporter of Newegg for their great selection and fantastic service levels for all things technology. Additionally, you don't see too many companies opening their doors for warehouse tours, and from both my experience as a customer and the Newegg Warehouse Tour reported by Anandtech the organization looks as solid as my service has been consistent.

Newegg is focused on high customer service levels, and it can be seen by their quick warehouse picking, operational flexibility, and many shipping methods. I truly appreciate the newegg option to make the order a Rush order by paying a few additional dollars .... Many retailers only give buyers the option to shorten their order leadtime by changing shipping methods, which gets expensive very quickly when you go from ground shipping to airfreight (usually at least 2x the cost).

The other problematic issue with shipping being the only user controlled variable is that I have purchased items (from other vendors) in the past that I upgraded to Fedex 2day shipping only to have the order take so long to pick that the order pushed out beyond the weekend anyway! I really wanted my order before the weekend for a computer build, so if I had known that the order would take forever to pick, stage, and package then I would have just saved the money and waited the additional week. Therefore, I find the Rush order option to be perfect for many people who need additional expediting control; it also allows Newegg to offer a service level somewhere between the cost of ground and 2nd day Air. This pricing point is a price many people are more than willing to pay, and Newegg earns the additional money rather than passing it on to the shippers!

Newegg's operations look very consistent with other warehouses I have visited (random item locations powered by a picking system, pick to light (PTL) conveyors with totes, manual and automatic boxing, etc.), but if you spent time really looking at the detailed processes I bet you might find a few innovative things that give Newegg a competitive advantage. The reason I believe this to be the case is that Newegg runs a very powerful, organized website and many of their products are high value, yet are also low weight. Newegg runs warehouses in CA and TN, so that gives them good access to both the east coast and west coast markets with adequate service to the middle of the country. The article mentions Newegg's target delivery goal twice, and I think it is an admirable one.
"Newegg's goal is to be able to have your shipment to you within 2 days of ordering it regardless of shipping method. It's not a guarantee, but rather an internal goal that they've been striving for ever since their inception. "

"We put great effort into building a bulletproof infrastructure because we are committed to ensuring our customers have the best service. Sure, you can find smaller companies that may be a dollar or so cheaper, but at Newegg we decided we wanted to give our customer the best experience every time, and that is why we must invest into advanced systems that other companies do not have. We built all this with the customer specifically in mind."

-Howard Tong, former Newegg VP

Television: Reality is In....

With all of the everyday-life television programming out there and many networks becoming niche markets for things (Food, News, Sports, Education [TLC, Discovery, History Channel, etc.]) it should come as no surprise that there is even a market for plant tours and manufacturing, especially when it allows manufacturers to enhance their presence in the marketplace and show off their latest and greatest products. Not all of the shows are of the same caliber, but there are several TV shows that I have found to be both entertaining and educational (my wife even likes a few!).

I record several shows because you never know what tidbit you will learn (even if the plant tour/subject has already been covered). And since it is recorded I can always fast forward or stop watching if the content isn't up to par. So, here is a list that may be worth investigating further if you are looking for more media to view. Many shows will provide company/product history in addition to showing you how things are made.

If you search YouTube and elsewhere some of the shows are even available.

How Its Made - Paintballs

General
How Its Made (US, Canada I actually prefer the Canadian version...) - Plant Tours for many products - Discovery & Science Channel
Modern Marvels - A Broad Range of Topics - History Channel
Unwrapped - Food Product Plant Tours - Food Network
History's Business - Interviews with company CEOs - History Channel
Made in America - American Plant Tours - Travel Channel

Automotive
Fifth Gear - Automotive reviews and information - Formerly on Speed; This is a British show
Top Gear - Automotive reviews and information - Formerly on Discovery; This is a British show

Military
Mail Call - Military history with some discussion of development/manufacturing - History Channel
Modern Marvels - A Broad Range of Topics - History Channel
Shooting USA - Coverage of the shooting sports with Plant Tours and other good technical information - Outdoor Channel
Shooting Gallery - Information about the firearms industry, related products and services. There have been several good Plant Tours on this show as well.
Sighting In with Shooting USA - I think this one got cancelled, but it was also good. - Outdoor Channel


Websites
How Stuff Works
How Products are Made