You Don't Have To Be An Engineer To Appreciate This Story

[Howard 538]

A toothpaste factory had a problem. They sometimes shipped empty boxes without the tube inside. This challenged their perceived quality with the buyers and distributors. Understanding how important the relationship with them was, the CEO of the company assembled his top people. They decided to hire an external engineering company to solve their empty boxes problem. The project followed the usual process: budget and project sponsor allocated, RFP, and third-parties selected. Six months (and $8 million) later they had a fantastic solution - on time, on budget, and high quality. Everyone in the project was pleased.

 

They solved the problem by using a high-tech precision scale that would sound a bell and flash lights whenever a toothpaste box weighed less than it should. The line would stop, someone would walk over, remove the defective box, and then press another button to re-start the line. As a result of the new package monitoring process, no empty boxes were being shipped out of the factory.

 

With no more customer complaints, the CEO felt the $8 million was well spent. He then reviewed the line statistics report and discovered the number of empty boxes picked up by the scale in the first week was consistent with projections, however, the next three weeks were zero! The estimated rate should have been at least a dozen boxes a day. He had the engineers check the equipment, they verified the report as accurate.

 

Puzzled, the CEO traveled down to the factory, viewed the part of the line where the precision scale was installed, and observed just ahead of the new $8 million dollar solution sat a $20 desk fan blowing the empty boxes off the belt and into a bin. He asked the line supervisor what that was about.

 

"Oh, that," the supervisor replied, "Bert, the kid from maintenance, put it there because he was tired of walking over, removing the box and re-starting the line every time the bell rang.?

[BleedingOrange36 0]

Haha!!

Lucky for my factory, I usually come up a with a solution before they have to spend the money.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Blacksmythe 71]

Thats a good one.

[Malsua 1,422]

See, I would have put a thru-beam in front of the box and watch for a tube to drop. If a tube didn't drop, the boxes wouldn't advance. This would save scrapping boxes that were empty (most assembly lines fold and glue boxes in line so you can't easily reuse an empty box) and make sure all the boxes were filled.

[BarkNBite 15]

Nice 1..................

[BleedingOrange36 0]

See, I would have put a thru-beam in front of the box and watch for a tube to drop. If a tube didn't drop, the boxes wouldn't advance. This would save scrapping boxes that were empty (most assembly lines fold and glue boxes in line so you can't easily reuse an empty box) and make sure all the boxes were filled.

+1

If you catch the problem at the beginning, you can usually rectify it and save waste.

I wish my factory would want to invest 8mil in some more process improvements....I'm the automation integrator, they don't like when I come back with the numbers.....

You can't change cheap....

[1LtCAP 4,264]

A toothpaste factory had a problem. They sometimes shipped empty boxes without the tube inside. This challenged their perceived quality with the buyers and distributors. Understanding how important the relationship with them was, the CEO of the company assembled his top people. They decided to hire an external engineering company to solve their empty boxes problem. The project followed the usual process: budget and project sponsor allocated, RFP, and third-parties selected. Six months (and $8 million) later they had a fantastic solution - on time, on budget, and high quality. Everyone in the project was pleased.

 

They solved the problem by using a high-tech precision scale that would sound a bell and flash lights whenever a toothpaste box weighed less than it should. The line would stop, someone would walk over, remove the defective box, and then press another button to re-start the line. As a result of the new package monitoring process, no empty boxes were being shipped out of the factory.

 

With no more customer complaints, the CEO felt the $8 million was well spent. He then reviewed the line statistics report and discovered the number of empty boxes picked up by the scale in the first week was consistent with projections, however, the next three weeks were zero! The estimated rate should have been at least a dozen boxes a day. He had the engineers check the equipment, they verified the report as accurate.

 

Puzzled, the CEO traveled down to the factory, viewed the part of the line where the precision scale was installed, and observed just ahead of the new $8 million dollar solution sat a $20 desk fan blowing the empty boxes off the belt and into a bin. He asked the line supervisor what that was about.

 

"Oh, that," the supervisor replied, "Bert, the kid from maintenance, put it there because he was tired of walking over, removing the box and re-starting the line every time the bell rang.?

 

and THAT is the difference between engineers, and someone with true common sense.

[Spartiati 63]

Funny, but unfrtunately indicative of problem solving these days. Fix the symptom rather than the cause, similar to the fiearms debate. Why were the boxes empty to begin with....

[djg0770 481]

and THAT is the difference between engineers, and someone with true common sense.

 

Nope - that's the difference between a 1st Lt and a Sergeant.

[tuktuk 16]

 

 

Nope - that's the difference between a 1st Lt and a Sergeant.

 

LOL

Amen brother

[1LtCAP 4,264]

Nope - that's the difference between a 1st Lt and a Sergeant.

 

that too.....although i'm 1LT in civil air patrol. and i fix cars for a living. thus i am an lt with common sense.

[RS1200XL 4]

and THAT is the difference between engineers, and someone with true common sense.

 

As an engineer, I agree with this statement!

[bhunted 887]

And as a technician... So can I....

 

 

As an engineer, I agree with this statement!

 

 

Sent from John's iPad 2 via Tapatalk HD

Typos courtesy Apple...

[coldsolderjoint 84]

Sounds like my job.. and I'm the asshole removing the "boxes".

[tony357 386]

HAHA.. That is a good one..

 

Sounds like my job.. and I'm the asshole removing the "boxes".

 

We are proud that you fanned up..

[mrlew 0]

This is like the Fisher Space Pen story. During the space race of the 60s NASA awarded a $1,000,000 contact to a company that could invent a pen that would write in zero gravity. The Fisher Pen company won.

 

The Russians, meanwhile, used pencils.

[djg0770 481]

Engineer w common sense checks snopes before posting urban legend re Fisher Space Pen story...

[1LtCAP 4,264]

just so you guys know.....i don't complain about all engineers....just the ones that design crap that they think will never break, thus putting it into an impossible to reach place, so that when it breaks it's impossible to reach.

 

then there's the rubber booties that they used to put on the ford dists. to keep the water out. they kept the water in, lololol

[blksheep 466]

Nicely done.

[Qel Hoth 33]

just so you guys know.....i don't complain about all engineers....just the ones that design crap that they think will never break, thus putting it into an impossible to reach place, so that when it breaks it's impossible to reach.

 

then there's the rubber booties that they used to put on the ford dists. to keep the water out. they kept the water in, lololol

 

Sounds like the little catches they put at the end of the drain hoses for my Saturn's sunroof. Supposed to keep the dirt out... After messing around for 2 months trying to find the leak, 2 seconds per corner with my knife and all is well.

[bhunted 887]

One thing we use to argue and/or agree on is, a technician cannot tell an engineer anything. When I was a tech, we had to fix what the engineers failed to create properly. Try to tell them they screwed up was impossible. They were always right... Hmmm, where have I heard that before... (ouch, just got smacked in the back of the head by wife)...

 

just so you guys know.....i don't complain about all engineers....just the ones that design crap that they think will never break, thus putting it into an impossible to reach place, so that when it breaks it's impossible to reach.

 

then there's the rubber booties that they used to put on the ford dists. to keep the water out. they kept the water in, lololol

[djg0770 481]

Engineer who doesn't listen to technician is not much of an engineer.

 

Technician who doesn't understand rubber boot around distributor never drove 70's era Buick 350 thru rain puddle.

[Texas Shooter 35]

just so you guys know.....i don't complain about all engineers....just the ones that design crap that they think will never break, thus putting it into an impossible to reach place, so that when it breaks it's impossible to reach.

 

then there's the rubber booties that they used to put on the ford dists. to keep the water out. they kept the water in, lololol

 

It's not that they don't it will break. It's that they design the engine just thinking about engineering efficiency and perfection. They don't consider maintenance. Yup, I'm an engineer (software).

[raz-0 1,259]

This is like the Fisher Space Pen story. During the space race of the 60s NASA awarded a $1,000,000 contact to a company that could invent a pen that would write in zero gravity. The Fisher Pen company won.

 

The Russians, meanwhile, used pencils.

 

God I wish people would stop repeating that. NASA paid NOTHING for the space pen fisher developed it on his own dime because he thought it would be cool (and profitable) to have his company associated with the space program.

[alec.mc 180]

just so you guys know.....i don't complain about all engineers....just the ones that design crap that they think will never break, thus putting it into an impossible to reach place, so that when it breaks it's impossible to reach.

 

then there's the rubber booties that they used to put on the ford dists. to keep the water out. they kept the water in, lololol

 

This I can agree with, I deal with units and machines all the time that were installed with their access panel up against a wall, pipe, or some other obstruction. What may be convinent for the guy installing it, may not be the best for the guy who has to service it for the rest of it's existence.

[djg0770 481]

So, is it the engineer's fault when the installer (technician, union duct fitter, what have you) installs the vav box, electric heater, or ATC panel in such a way that the access door can never be opened?

[alec.mc 180]

So, is it the engineer's fault when the installer (technician, union duct fitter, what have you) installs the vav box, electric heater, or ATC panel in such a way that the access door can never be opened?

 

Yes.

[alec.mc 180]

Yes.

 

 

You know what I mean, Engineer, installer, whatever ! Somebody else making my job harder.

[1LtCAP 4,264]

It's not that they don't it will break. It's that they design the engine just thinking about engineering efficiency and perfection. They don't consider maintenance. Yup, I'm an engineer (software).

 

well, considering i know just enough about my computer to eff it up if i start meddling around in it....i have respect for you guys. not for automotive engineers though. i see too much crap.

there is ZERO perfection/effeciency excuses that can explain off having coolant flow through the alternator bracket.

[1LtCAP 4,264]

Engineer who doesn't listen to technician is not much of an engineer.

 

Technician who doesn't understand rubber boot around distributor never drove 70's era Buick 350 thru rain puddle.

 

i've driven 60's mustangs, and cougers, 70's ford and chevy pickups, and ford station wagons 80's mustangs and crown vics through all sorts of nasty weather. the only time i ever had any of my vehicles stall due to water, was when i landed in the puddle that was a little deeper than i though. like 4 feet deeper, lololololol. had to get towed out of that one by a ford.