Welcome to Manufacturing Minute!

I'm glad you're here.

Let's get to it.

But first, a word about doing more with less:

Are you stuck missing the production targets from 2 years ago while your budget hasn’t adjusted since COVID?

Most plant managers are sitting on 15-30% (maybe even 50%) untapped capacity, they just don't know where to look. At Axiom, we help you find it without buying new equipment, hiring more people, or waiting for next year's capital budget.

Ready to unlock what you already have?

Book Your (free) 30-Minute Strategy Call →

🚨In the News

Manufacturing PMI just hit 53.3 - strongest since May 2022.

I definitely think this is real based on customer movement. New orders are coming in.

But am I the only one who thinks we're setting ourselves up for the same old boom-bust cycle?

• Rising input costs ✓

• Tariff pressures ✓

• Scrambling to meet demand ✓

• Ignoring infrastructure investment ✓

We've seen this movie before.

And the smart money is using this momentum to build resilience for the next downturn. Energy efficiency, automation, workforce development. The boring stuff that matters when the party ends.

Anyone else thinking past this quarter?

🏭 Manufacturing Minute: Lean Supply Chain Ecosystem

We spend months mapping value streams inside our four walls... then hand off to suppliers like it's 1995.

I'm genuinely surprised how few manufacturers think to extend their lean exercises beyond their own operations.

You'll see companies obsess over eliminating 30 seconds of waste in their assembly line, then tolerate weeks of inventory buffers because "that's just how suppliers work."

But what if your top 3 suppliers joined your kaizen events? What if you mapped the ACTUAL value stream from their raw materials to your customer's dock?

Here’s a tactical fix:

Step 1: Pick Your Top 3 Critical Suppliers

• Focus on highest volume or longest lead times

• Choose partners already open to collaboration

Step 2: Joint Value Stream Mapping Session

• Map the ACTUAL flow from their raw materials to your customer

• Include both companies' teams in the same room

• Identify handoff points where waste accumulates

Step 3: Shared Kaizen Events

• Target the biggest gaps revealed in mapping

• Create joint improvement projects with shared metrics

• Meet monthly to review progress

Real Results I've Seen:

• 40-60% inventory reduction across the extended chain

• Lead time compression measured in weeks, not days

• Supplier issues get solved in hours instead of email chains

For a quick win, pick one supplier. Schedule a joint value stream mapping session for next month. Start with just mapping, no solutions yet. You'll be shocked what you discover.

Most supply chains aren't lean. They're just internally optimized silos connected by buffer inventory. Time to fix that.

As promised, tactical manufacturing in a minute,

Ryan

P.S., if you are a nerd (like me), the next installment of my Manufacturing-themed D&D comic is out! See it here: