In regulated industries where projects "take a village," the most crucial skill is not raw engineering talent, but communication. The ability to align a team, share ideas, and ensure mutual understanding is paramount, as a single dropped ball in communication can derail an entire product launch.
A key principle of lean management is "Genba" (go and see). To truly improve a process, leaders must be physically present, observing and talking with the people who perform the tasks daily. Speculating from an office based on data alone leads to ineffective or out-of-touch changes.
Design for Excellence goes beyond just manufacturing costs. Consider the entire product lifecycle, including serviceability. A design that's easy to assemble but difficult to service in the field (like using a blind screw on a replaceable part) increases the total cost of ownership and harms the customer experience.
Kaizen, typically associated with manufacturing lines, is a powerful change system for any business process. By mapping the flow and identifying wasted time or communication, it can dramatically improve efficiency in areas like sales, accounting, or finance, as demonstrated by a two-week quote time being reduced to 48 hours.
A genetic diagnostics machine was built to speed up patient diagnosis in hospitals. However, its biggest market turned out to be pharmaceutical companies needing to prove drug efficacy. This highlights how true product-market fit can be discovered accidentally in an adjacent, more lucrative market.
Unlike purely theoretical coursework, programs sponsoring real industry problems allow students to build applicable skills. An engineer designed a fuel cell test station for a senior project, which directly led to an internship where his first task was to recreate that same project, proving the value of practical experience.
When an employee isn't meeting expectations, it's rarely due to lack of effort. It's typically because they don't know *what* to do, *why* it's important to the larger picture, or *how* to do it. Addressing these three points provides clarity and removes roadblocks before assuming a performance issue.
To accurately reduce cost of goods sold (COGS), analyze total cost, including assembly labor, not just individual component prices. A more expensive prefabricated part, like a $1,500 wiring harness, can slash total costs by eliminating $6,000 worth of manual labor time, but requires looking beyond departmental budgets.