Look back at all of the great mentors who have influenced you—bosses, coaches, professors. Though sometimes challenging, they teach us to achieve higher, go further, and surpass our goals. True team leaders inspire us throughout our careers and throughout our lives. Anthony Griggs learned from some demanding coaches as an NFL professional. And it was these high standards that inspired him to become a leader as a Director of Player Development for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now Griggs shares his most important lessons learned in leadership—foundations that apply everywhere from the playing field to the board room. Here he discusses some of his most inspiring mentors, the lessons he’s learned, and how business leaders can apply them. Inspiration: Coach Dick Vermeil, Philadelphia Eagles Lesson: Being a leader is about more than just working hard. When I was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, all of the team members were gathered at training camp. As we were seated in a room, theatre style, Coach Dick Vermeil entered the room and began to speak to us. I certainly anticipated a motivational speech filled with Coach Vermeil’s high expectations.  Notepad in hand, I was ready to jot down the list of things that I needed to do to stay on the team.  But I was unaware that I was about to learn a skill I would draw upon through my entire career. Vermeil began his speech by recognizing all of the past players. He painted a picture of their characters—their devotion to the fans and dedication to hard work. He highlighted plays that team members made and what their efforts meant to the team as a whole.  I remember him speaking of Bill Bergey, the great Philadelphia Eagles linebacker and, as we learned, a great inspiration to the team as well. Bill had a knack for communicating with people, Vermeil described. He was able to say things to the players that resonated with them. He could make that personal connection that rallied their spirits and motivated them to succeed.  Coach Vermeil talked for over an hour about former Eagles. The other players and I listened intently to so many uplifting stories, so many glorious moments. Then it hit me. All I needed to write down on that pad of paper was this one phrase: “Be a Leader in Every Way.”  That was just as important as me working hard, learning plays, and performing well on the field.  How can you be a positive influence? Look at each of your team members as an individual with their own different motivations. Recognize individual employee contributions and how each has benefitted your company. Determine what drives a person and use that drive to help them reach their...

With rapid technological advances in recent years, we in the graphic arts industry are all trying to adapt to a changing market. Today it’s all about the customer experience. Clients demand accurate work and fast turnaround. Thanks to many new technologies, companies are able to differentiate themselves with the efficiency and high quality attainable only through automation solutions. “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” This idea, in a nutshell, is what automated job management allows. You need to measure key metrics like throughput, inventory, expenses, and customer satisfaction to better manage and control your operations. Progressive companies, like our speakers from Classic in Charlotte, NC, and DME in Daytona Beach, Florida, have systems to track these metrics and quantify their impact on performance, production workflow changes, and the effectiveness of the messaging they are providing their customers. Automated systems provide the most reliable data. So how do you begin improving your process and embracing an automated system? Here are answers to some of the common questions about implementing new automated technology in the production workflow. My company wants to optimize our job workflow to cut costs and increase production and quality. How do we get started? To get the greatest ROI, first take the time to look at each individual step in your workflow, from how your company acquires customers to how products are delivered and invoiced, and assess how an automated system will fit in. Go for low-hanging fruit—those areas that cause the most issues or bottlenecks. Once we have studied our current workflow, what automated solutions are available to track jobs throughout our facility? Tracking and connectivity can include JDF and JMF messaging, shop floor data collection, or a direct machine interface. These selections may be fully integrated into an MIS or a standalone third-party system where you decide how integrated it is with your existing production workflow. How do we choose between a fully integrated MIS vs. a third-party automated solution? Each choice offers its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the specific needs of your facility. The important factors you need to consider when choosing are 1) the workflow circumstances within your shop, 2) any existing automated workflow systems, and 3) the greatest waste origins like production facility bottlenecks. What benefits does an MIS offer? The benefits are limitless, but mainly it increases efficiency and profitability for your entire operation when well implemented. As the sophistication of the MIS increases, the ability to collect and track job data becomes more refined. What are some of the biggest advantages of embracing automation? There are multiple advantages of using automation, and some of them are summarized below: Tracking job performance metrics allows you to better manage...

With rapid technological advances in recent years, we in the graphic arts industry are all trying to adapt to a changing market. Today it’s all about the customer experience. Clients demand accurate work and fast turnaround. Thanks to many new technologies, companies are able to differentiate themselves with the efficiency and high quality attainable only through automation solutions. “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” This idea, in a nutshell, is what automated job management allows. You need to measure key metrics like throughput, inventory, expenses, and customer satisfaction to better manage and control your operations. Progressive companies, like our speakers from Classic in Charlotte, NC, and DME in Daytona Beach, Florida, have systems to track these metrics and quantify their impact on performance, production workflow changes, and the effectiveness of the messaging they are providing their customers. Automated systems provide the most reliable data. So how do you begin improving your process and embracing an automated system? Here are answers to some of the common questions about implementing new automated technology in the production workflow. My company wants to optimize our job workflow to cut costs and increase production and quality. How do we get started? To get the greatest ROI, first take the time to look at each individual step in your workflow, from how your company acquires customers to how products are delivered and invoiced, and assess how an automated system will fit in. Go for low-hanging fruit—those areas that cause the most issues or bottlenecks. Once we have studied our current workflow, what automated solutions are available to track jobs throughout our facility? Tracking and connectivity can include JDF and JMF messaging, shop floor data collection, or a direct machine interface. These selections may be fully integrated into an MIS or a standalone third-party system where you decide how integrated it is with your existing production workflow. How do we choose between a fully integrated MIS vs. a third-party automated solution? Each choice offers its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the specific needs of your facility. The important factors you need to consider when choosing are 1) the workflow circumstances within your shop, 2) any existing automated workflow systems, and 3) the greatest waste origins like production facility bottlenecks. What benefits does an MIS offer? The benefits are limitless, but mainly it increases efficiency and profitability for your entire operation when well implemented. As the sophistication of the MIS increases, the ability to collect and track job data becomes more refined. What are some of the biggest advantages of embracing automation? There are multiple advantages of using automation, and some of them are summarized below: Tracking job performance metrics allows you to better manage...

What do lipstick, and sheet metal, have in common? No, it’s not some college hazing stunt gone bad. It is all included in the range of exciting tours you can experience as part of the 2014 Continuous Improvement Conference in Dallas, TX. This year’s tours at Mary Kay Manufacturing and KARLEE  get you in to see award-winning Lean manufacturing management and quality practices in progress. They will leave you so impressed you’ll be ready to “throw your hat over the windmill!” Although you may be familiar with these facilities (as well as some Texas colloquialisms) but you may be surprised by some of their most remarkable quality and manufacturing features. To give you a better look at what you can expect from these tours, we’ve put together this short quiz. So if you think you’re “as bright as a new penny,” take a shot at these stumpers. (Answers included below—but don’t peek!) 1.     On average, Mary Kay Manufacturing’s 25 packaging lines produce how many tubes of lipstick?           A. 7,000          B. 100,000          C. 25,000          D. 15,000 2.     Recognized as an FDA-registered drug manufacturing plant, how many TimeWise®Day Solution Sunscreen SPF 22 can the facility produce in a typical 10-hour shift?                  A. 13,500          B. 25,500          C. 72,500          D. 18,500 3.     Mary Kay’s commitment to consistent quality is evident in the number of different product and product component tests performed each year. With 100,000 analytical measurements of products, how many measurements of packaging components are performed each year?           A. 50,000          B. 100,000          C. 250,000          D. 350,000 4.     In what year did the President of the United States present KARLEE with the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for their “best in class” quality?           A. 2000          B. 2003          C. 2010          D. 2012 5.     In this same year, KARLEE employed more than 500 team members who helped the company reach a revenue of:           A. $500,000          B. $10 million          C. $50 million          D. $80 million 6.     KARLEE uses ISO 9001-2000, TL 9000, and AS 9100 registrations to develop, optimize, and improve processes by following this approach:           A. The Precision Sheet Metal Benchmarking Standards          B. The Total Quality Management trilogy          C. The KARLEE Quality Standards          D. The Quality manufacturing Standards of Texas Answers: 1: c—The Mary Kay Manufacturing plant can produce a whopping 25,000 tubes of lipstick in a normal shift, in addition to 35,000 trays of cheek color and 50,000 bottles of body wash. 2: d— Mary Kay produces and distributes products classified as over-the-counter drugs, such as about 18,500 bottle of sunscreen. 3: c— 250,000 measurements of packaging components are performed each year at Mary Kay plus more than 1,000 stability studies on products and 300,000 tests on...

What do lipstick, and sheet metal, have in common? No, it’s not some college hazing stunt gone bad. It is all included in the range of exciting tours you can experience as part of the 2014 Continuous Improvement Conference in Dallas, TX. This year’s tours at Mary Kay Manufacturing and KARLEE  get you in to see award-winning Lean manufacturing management and quality practices in progress. They will leave you so impressed you’ll be ready to “throw your hat over the windmill!” Although you may be familiar with these facilities (as well as some Texas colloquialisms) but you may be surprised by some of their most remarkable quality and manufacturing features. To give you a better look at what you can expect from these tours, we’ve put together this short quiz. So if you think you’re “as bright as a new penny,” take a shot at these stumpers. (Answers included below—but don’t peek!) 1.     On average, Mary Kay Manufacturing’s 25 packaging lines produce how many tubes of lipstick?           A. 7,000          B. 100,000          C. 25,000          D. 15,000 2.     Recognized as an FDA-registered drug manufacturing plant, how many TimeWise®Day Solution Sunscreen SPF 22 can the facility produce in a typical 10-hour shift?                  A. 13,500          B. 25,500          C. 72,500          D. 18,500 3.     Mary Kay’s commitment to consistent quality is evident in the number of different product and product component tests performed each year. With 100,000 analytical measurements of products, how many measurements of packaging components are performed each year?           A. 50,000          B. 100,000          C. 250,000          D. 350,000 4.     In what year did the President of the United States present KARLEE with the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for their “best in class” quality?           A. 2000          B. 2003          C. 2010          D. 2012 5.     In this same year, KARLEE employed more than 500 team members who helped the company reach a revenue of:           A. $500,000          B. $10 million          C. $50 million          D. $80 million 6.     KARLEE uses ISO 9001-2000, TL 9000, and AS 9100 registrations to develop, optimize, and improve processes by following this approach:           A. The Precision Sheet Metal Benchmarking Standards          B. The Total Quality Management trilogy          C. The KARLEE Quality Standards          D. The Quality manufacturing Standards of Texas Answers: 1: c—The Mary Kay Manufacturing plant can produce a whopping 25,000 tubes of lipstick in a normal shift, in addition to 35,000 trays of cheek color and 50,000 bottles of body wash. 2: d— Mary Kay produces and distributes products classified as over-the-counter drugs, such as about 18,500 bottle of sunscreen. 3: c— 250,000 measurements of packaging components are performed each year at Mary Kay plus more than 1,000 stability studies on products and 300,000 tests on...