I don’t usually talk about myself in blog posts. The purpose of the posts is to provide solutions and further the understanding of the readers about manufacturing and manufacturing related issues but focus on me personally. Typically, the topics are on macro level challenges that manufacturers face or micro level solutions for common issues. These are impersonal topics that are drawn from my experience and that of our team yet are not about us.
Here I want to do something a little different in honor of Veteran’s Day. For those who do not know the origins, Veteran’s Day was created in the United States after World War 1 to honor the people who fought in that war. The same day is honored in Commonwealth countries as Armistice Day. I am a veteran myself having served in the U.S. Army during the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and 20024. Many of the skills that I learned from my military experience have helped me in my working career and continue to guide me now.
Here are four things that I learned from my time in the military that are applicable to manufacturing.
Take Care of Your People
There is a general rule in the military that leaders eat last. While this is often meant literally (officers are expected to let enlisted soldiers eat first), the fuller meaning is that leader needs to look out for his or her people. The most valuable people are those doing the actual work. No matter how brilliant the product or strategy is, it is worthless without people who can implement it. Those people in manufacturing are the people on the line. It is irrelevant to the size or automation of the facility. Take care of your people and they will take care of you.
Take Care of Your Equipment
Almost as important as people is the equipment. All equipment needs to be well maintained and kept clean and operational. When I was a soldier, we had to check the vehicles every time we went “outside the wire” (i.e. leave the base). Check the tires, check the fluids, etc. Weapons were cleaned constantly to ensure that they were in working order. The same for manufacturing equipment. You may be surprised how little attention is paid to proper maintenance in many factories. Machines are not cleaned and are often run until they break. Proper care will extend their life and effectiveness.
Respect for Proper Procedures
The military is full of procedures from dress codes, weapon safety, and documentation. At times it could seem overly bureaucratic and unnecessary; however, the procedures served their purpose. It creates semblance of order among the chaos. Manufacturing is similar. It has a chaotic endeavor with lots of moving parts, but proper procedures make it manageable. Procedures often exist for a reason.
In Iraq, I was in a vehicle with 3 other soldiers and 2 civilians. One of the civilians was a Spanish national. All of us were armed. When you enter a base, everyone was expected to leave the vehicle and unload their weapons and dry fire them to ensure that there was no round in the chamber. We did not follow the procedure and unloaded our weapons in the vehicle. The Spaniard did not do it correctly and shot around through the seat in front of him. The weapon was facing downwards so no one was hurt but they could have been. We were lucky and learned our lesson to not do that again.
Focus on Practical Solutions to Immediate Problems
Procedures are important but being a soldier also involves being able to adapt and find practical solutions to immediate problems. We are trained to quickly take initiative and find solutions. Usually this takes the form of quickly analyzing a situation and relocating resources to solve the problem. A soldier this meant, when not in combat, moving material quickly by forming a chain with every hand involved. In manufacturing that can mean training your staff to fill multiple roles so people can move to support other functions as needed such as working on a packing line to ensure an order gets out on time.
My experience in the military left a lasting impression on me and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. There are lessons from that experience that shape how I approach manufacturing and delivering value to my clients.
Has anyone here served in the military? How has it informed your post service career?
What can MTG do to help you improve your operations?
