Efficiency lies in the details. Delivering jobs with reduced turn times and fewer resources requires being intensely focused on the details. As more companies realize the benefits of automation, they’re looking closer at each piece of equipment and each process to find out how to maximize efficiency. And one of the standout industry players in automation today is Think Patented. This is the site for the 2015 Automation Solutions Network Meeting, February 25–26, in Miamisburg, Ohio. What makes this facility so impressive? Every square inch of Think Patented is designed for automation.  Before you go, we wanted to give you a preview of Think Patented’s facility, what makes them successful, and what you’ll see on the tour! How They Got Here A “marketing execution company,” Think Patented thinks beyond ink on paper. Founded more than 35 years ago, they recently moved their operation into a new facility created to meet their customers’ every need. With keen attention to detail, it is designed top to bottom from an automation and lean manufacturing perspective. They’ve incorporated optimized delivery and material flow with a just-in-time mindset. Designed also with an eye to the future, Think Patented has allowed room for expansion in this already massive facility. Any aspects that should be automated are automated. Not one detail was spared within the entire operation, and cleanliness and efficiency is evident in every corner of the facility. How They Work While some operations may look at a job as an order-in/order-out process, Think Patented looks at it from the perspective of both a printer and a marketer—the whole process. From Web development services to fulfillment, their goal is to create custom solutions for their clients. Therefore, as the customer moves, the jobs—and the profits—stay with them! What You Will Experience Go inside the Think Patented facility and get a full sense of this meticulously designed plant built to maximize throughput and minimize transportation and motion waste. They’ve invested millions of dollars in software and equipment to enhance every automation aspect. Equipment—The facility houses an impressive collection of some of the most efficient technologies in digital and offset printing equipment. Attendees get to see these giants in action, including Sheetfed Offset presses, digital presses, wide-format printing and finishing. Think Patented employs software to measure metrics and monitor performance on all of their jobs. Value-added Services—Integrated, full-service solutions add greater value for Think Patented’s customers, like marketing portals, campaign tracking and reporting, and augmented reality. One particular service they’ve perfected is automated marketing. By working with their customers to improve their marketing efforts, they allow them to easily contact and analyze responses to mail, email, websites, social media, and other channels saving them time and money....

Efficiency lies in the details. Delivering jobs with reduced turn times and fewer resources requires being intensely focused on the details. As more companies realize the benefits of automation, they’re looking closer at each piece of equipment and each process to find out how to maximize efficiency. And one of the standout industry players in automation today is Think Patented. This is the site for the 2015 Automation Solutions Network Meeting, February 25–26, in Miamisburg, Ohio. What makes this facility so impressive? Every square inch of Think Patented is designed for automation.  Before you go, we wanted to give you a preview of Think Patented’s facility, what makes them successful, and what you’ll see on the tour! How They Got Here A “marketing execution company,” Think Patented thinks beyond ink on paper. Founded more than 35 years ago, they recently moved their operation into a new facility created to meet their customers’ every need. With keen attention to detail, it is designed top to bottom from an automation and lean manufacturing perspective. They’ve incorporated optimized delivery and material flow with a just-in-time mindset. Designed also with an eye to the future, Think Patented has allowed room for expansion in this already massive facility. Any aspects that should be automated are automated. Not one detail was spared within the entire operation, and cleanliness and efficiency is evident in every corner of the facility. How They Work While some operations may look at a job as an order-in/order-out process, Think Patented looks at it from the perspective of both a printer and a marketer—the whole process. From Web development services to fulfillment, their goal is to create custom solutions for their clients. Therefore, as the customer moves, the jobs—and the profits—stay with them! What You Will Experience Go inside the Think Patented facility and get a full sense of this meticulously designed plant built to maximize throughput and minimize transportation and motion waste. They’ve invested millions of dollars in software and equipment to enhance every automation aspect. Equipment—The facility houses an impressive collection of some of the most efficient technologies in digital and offset printing equipment. Attendees get to see these giants in action, including Sheetfed Offset presses, digital presses, wide-format printing and finishing. Think Patented employs software to measure metrics and monitor performance on all of their jobs. Value-added Services—Integrated, full-service solutions add greater value for Think Patented’s customers, like marketing portals, campaign tracking and reporting, and augmented reality. One particular service they’ve perfected is automated marketing. By working with their customers to improve their marketing efforts, they allow them to easily contact and analyze responses to mail, email, websites, social media, and other channels saving them time and money....

If you asked your employees right now what it’s like to work at your company each day, how would they respond? Do they feel like they work in an environment that supports their goals and ideas? Are they provided the appropriate resources to excel at their jobs? How would they rate their managers? You may wonder why company culture is so important. Only three out of ten U.S. workers are involved in and enthusiastic about their workplace, according to Gallup’s 2013 State of the American Workplace report. That means that 70% of workers are not fully engaged in their workplace. This lack of commitment leads to decreased productivity and lower overall profits. If this is a reality check for your company, take a moment now to get an honest look at your organizational culture. If you haven’t tried the new Culture Audit Tool, it’s a free member resource that allows you to examine the fine details of your culture and compare your answers to other companies. The survey contains 33 precise questions based on how employees assess your company. The areas include: Mission, Purpose, and Success Communication, Respect, and Trust Team and Empowerment Training, Development, and Support Corporate Behavior and Ethics Compensation and Benefits This survey is 100% confidential and helps you get to the root of your company culture and provide a vision of which areas you need to focus your continuous improvement efforts. So just how important is a healthy company culture? Research says it not only impacts your employees but also your bottom line. We’ve laid out four reasons to invest in your organization’s culture along with key ways to measure it. Why invest in culture? It’s connected to financial performance—An 11-year study by John Kotter and James Heskett looked at the effects of culture in 207 companies from 22 industries. The results, published in their book Corporate Culture and Performance (Free Press, 2011), showed that companies that managed their corporate culture significantly outperformed similar companies that did not. The right corporate culture can be one of a business’s most critical assets. There’s a high ROI—Cultivating a great culture is a financially low-cost endeavor that can yield high economic returns. Best of all, it is an advantage that competitors cannot duplicate. (“How Intangible Corporate Culture Creates Tangible Profits”) Ignorance can lead to serious consequences—While culture may not seem like a top priority, a weak one will reveal itself when you try to implement a new strategy. You may find that your employees’ current thinking and behaviors are incompatible with new corporate initiatives. The conflict can make for an unsustainable strategy (“How Healthy is Your Culture?”). Managers have influence—At the organizational level, managers can help improve key...

If you asked your employees right now what it’s like to work at your company each day, how would they respond? Do they feel like they work in an environment that supports their goals and ideas? Are they provided the appropriate resources to excel at their jobs? How would they rate their managers? You may wonder why company culture is so important. Only three out of ten U.S. workers are involved in and enthusiastic about their workplace, according to Gallup’s 2013 State of the American Workplace report. That means that 70% of workers are not fully engaged in their workplace. This lack of commitment leads to decreased productivity and lower overall profits. If this is a reality check for your company, take a moment now to get an honest look at your organizational culture. If you haven’t tried the new Culture Audit Tool, it’s a free member resource that allows you to examine the fine details of your culture and compare your answers to other companies. The survey contains 33 precise questions based on how employees assess your company. The areas include: Mission, Purpose, and Success Communication, Respect, and Trust Team and Empowerment Training, Development, and Support Corporate Behavior and Ethics Compensation and Benefits This survey is 100% confidential and helps you get to the root of your company culture and provide a vision of which areas you need to focus your continuous improvement efforts. So just how important is a healthy company culture? Research says it not only impacts your employees but also your bottom line. We’ve laid out four reasons to invest in your organization’s culture along with key ways to measure it. Why invest in culture? It’s connected to financial performance—An 11-year study by John Kotter and James Heskett looked at the effects of culture in 207 companies from 22 industries. The results, published in their book Corporate Culture and Performance (Free Press, 2011), showed that companies that managed their corporate culture significantly outperformed similar companies that did not. The right corporate culture can be one of a business’s most critical assets. There’s a high ROI—Cultivating a great culture is a financially low-cost endeavor that can yield high economic returns. Best of all, it is an advantage that competitors cannot duplicate. (“How Intangible Corporate Culture Creates Tangible Profits”) Ignorance can lead to serious consequences—While culture may not seem like a top priority, a weak one will reveal itself when you try to implement a new strategy. You may find that your employees’ current thinking and behaviors are incompatible with new corporate initiatives. The conflict can make for an unsustainable strategy (“How Healthy is Your Culture?”). Managers have influence—At the organizational level, managers can help improve key...

Looking for another great resource for Lean and continuous improvement solutions? We found a helpful tool at FastCap.com. Check out the variety of blogs, videos, and more from Paul Akers, founder and president of FastCap and keynoter at the 2015 Continuous Improvement Conference! Time and money—two things most of us don’t have in excess. And if you’re thinking of using a continuous improvement strategy to reduce costs and boost customer satisfaction, the task can feel like an overwhelming use of your resources! But as the experts know, your journey to operational excellence is not an all-at-once undertaking. Rather it is the accumulation of small improvements by many employees that add up to a strategic advantage for your company. When you can inspire workers to make small-yet-frequent improvements rather than just focus on a few big ones, you are ready to join the ranks of Lean thinkers. What is a Lean thinker? Someone who has been conditioned to look at processes, spot the waste (and teach others to do the same), and apply tools to make the processes more efficient. Lean thinkers can’t avoid thinking that way—that same mindset kicks in when examining processes at home, at restaurants, and when visiting other companies. Take it from Paul Akers, founder and president of FastCap, an international woodworking supply company with distribution in 40 countries. As the “American Innovator,” he publishes a series of videos, blogs, and other resources on his website, including this one, “Becoming a Lean Thinker”. In this blog, Paul breaks down the continuous improvement nature of Lean into three steps, borrowing from the world-class concepts practiced by leading firms like Toyota, Harley-Davidson, and Porsche. Three steps to becoming a Lean thinker: 1. Learn the eight wastes and how to recognize them within your own facility. 2. Take small, consistent steps each day to removing the waste for good. 3. Network and share your company’s Lean journey. Document your improvements. FastCap documents many of them with short videos shared with employees. Continuous improvement is an ongoing process, so listen to the best practices of other companies and keep increasing your efficiency and profitability! Watch Paul Akers’ Video on Becoming a Lean Thinker. When you’re ready to learn new improvement strategies, start at the Continuous Improvement Conference. Here you can learn and network with some of the most innovative thinkers in the field. Paul Akers will also be there to dive deeper into this topic with his keynote presentation, Seeing Waste Like You’ve Never Seen It Before. Becoming a Lean thinker means that you can recognize the opportunities for improvement within your facility and be on your way to greater efficiency and profitability. For more information and to register for...

Looking for another great resource for Lean and continuous improvement solutions? We found a helpful tool at FastCap.com. Check out the variety of blogs, videos, and more from Paul Akers, founder and president of FastCap and keynoter at the 2015 Continuous Improvement Conference! Time and money—two things most of us don’t have in excess. And if you’re thinking of using a continuous improvement strategy to reduce costs and boost customer satisfaction, the task can feel like an overwhelming use of your resources! But as the experts know, your journey to operational excellence is not an all-at-once undertaking. Rather it is the accumulation of small improvements by many employees that add up to a strategic advantage for your company. When you can inspire workers to make small-yet-frequent improvements rather than just focus on a few big ones, you are ready to join the ranks of Lean thinkers. What is a Lean thinker? Someone who has been conditioned to look at processes, spot the waste (and teach others to do the same), and apply tools to make the processes more efficient. Lean thinkers can’t avoid thinking that way—that same mindset kicks in when examining processes at home, at restaurants, and when visiting other companies. Take it from Paul Akers, founder and president of FastCap, an international woodworking supply company with distribution in 40 countries. As the “American Innovator,” he publishes a series of videos, blogs, and other resources on his website, including this one, “Becoming a Lean Thinker”. In this blog, Paul breaks down the continuous improvement nature of Lean into three steps, borrowing from the world-class concepts practiced by leading firms like Toyota, Harley-Davidson, and Porsche. Three steps to becoming a Lean thinker: 1. Learn the eight wastes and how to recognize them within your own facility. 2. Take small, consistent steps each day to removing the waste for good. 3. Network and share your company’s Lean journey. Document your improvements. FastCap documents many of them with short videos shared with employees. Continuous improvement is an ongoing process, so listen to the best practices of other companies and keep increasing your efficiency and profitability! Watch Paul Akers’ Video on Becoming a Lean Thinker. When you’re ready to learn new improvement strategies, start at the Continuous Improvement Conference. Here you can learn and network with some of the most innovative thinkers in the field. Paul Akers will also be there to dive deeper into this topic with his keynote presentation, Seeing Waste Like You’ve Never Seen It Before. Becoming a Lean thinker means that you can recognize the opportunities for improvement within your facility and be on your way to greater efficiency and profitability. For more information and to register for...