For Manufacturing: Are you still running your business on memory? Thinking in terms of records to transform into a factory that can make informed decisions

■ Is that work still being done based on someone's memory?

"Wait, what did we do last time?"

"I think it was like this before."

"So-and-so will remember."

These kinds of conversations are common in factories.

How it was made last time.
Types of materials.
Points to note during processing.
How to pack.
Small differences for each client.

Someone remembers these things, and the work proceeds by relying on that memory.

At first glance, this seems normal.
In fact, it might even look like a strong workplace with experienced people.

However, I think this state is a bit dangerous.

This is because the work is not run by company systems, but
is run by someone's memory.

■ A factory run on memory stops when people change

Long-experienced craftsmen are strong.

They remember how it was finished last time.
They remember where they struggled.
They remember which materials were used.
They remember where mistakes are likely to happen.

This is undoubtedly an asset to the workplace.

However, if that information only exists in their heads, it has not become a company asset.

If that person is absent, no one knows.
If the person in charge changes, no one knows.
If they retire, it disappears.
If there is a lapse in memory, the same mistakes are repeated.

In other words, a factory run on memory only functions while veterans are present.

The moment people change, past experience is lost all at once.

This is quite dangerous.

■ A factory with people who remember things looks strong

If you ask that person, you'll get the answer.

This is common on the shop floor.

It's true that asking that person is faster.
They know about the last time.
They make decisions quickly.
Things move forward.

But is that really a strong state for a factory to be in?

I don't think so.

A truly strong factory is not one that has people who remember everything.

It is a factory where you can understand things even if you don't remember them.

You can reach past information without having to search through someone's head.
You can check the details of the previous production.
Photos remain.
Points of caution remain.
Change history remains.

Only when you reach this state can a factory break free from individual memory.

■ Recording is not about creating neat documents

When people hear 'recording,' they inevitably think of documents.

• Daily work reports

• Inspection records

• Check sheets

• Reports

• Red-lined drawings

Of course, those are important too.

However, I don't believe that is the purpose of recording.

Recording is not about creating neat documents.

It is about leaving behind a state where you won't be lost when you do the same job next time.

How was it made last time?
What did you pay attention to?
What were the issues?
Where did you make improvements?
In what condition was it shipped?

If this is saved in a form that can be used next time, it is a valuable record.

■ Photos and videos are now also records

In the past, someone had to remember it.

Writing notes on drawings.
Craftsmen memorizing it.
Keeping notes in a notebook.
Searching through paper files.

There was a time when that was the only way.

But it is different now.
Everyone has a smartphone.

You can take photos.
You can save videos.
You can search past data.
You can save production history.
You can save the finished state.
You can save the packaging state.

Records are not just paper documents.

There are things you can understand with a single photo.
There are things you can convey in a 10-second video.
Often, seeing it is faster than explaining it at length in text.

• Finished state

• Fit

• Processing orientation

• How to use jigs

• Assembly sequence

• How to pack

• Pre-shipment condition

For things like these, photos and videos are more powerful than text.

We are in an era where we can save on-site memories in a visible form.

■ Our factory also used to rely on memory

Our factory also used to rely heavily on the memories of those on the shop floor.

When rework or repeat orders came in,

“How did we make it last time?”
“Who did it?”
“What did we need to be careful about?”

we would ask people.

If you asked, you would find out.
If someone remembered, it was fast.

But that was a method based on the assumption that those people would always be there.

If the person wasn't there, work would stop.
If memories were vague, things would go off track.
If past points of caution weren't recorded, we would get stuck in the same places again.

This does not make a factory stronger.

Things have started to change little by little now.

Even craftsmen who couldn't use PCs before have become able to utilize past data through ongoing training.

Rework and repeat orders are no longer made based on memory alone; we now produce them by looking at the data.

This is not just simple digitization.

It is the process of turning a craftsman's experience into company assets.

■ Digitization does not negate the craftsman

On the shop floor, there can sometimes be resistance to digitization and record-keeping.

“It's a hassle.”
“We don't have time for that.”
“The shop floor isn't for computer work.”
“We should just rely on a craftsman's intuition.”

I understand those feelings.

However, digitization is not meant to negate the craftsman.

It is actually the opposite.

It exists to ensure that the experience craftsmen have built up is not lost.

Points of caution not written on the drawings.
Quirks only understood after processing.
Points where failures occurred last time.
Subtle differences for each client.
Parts to be careful about during packaging.

This kind of information is the value accumulated on the shop floor.

It is a waste to keep that value only inside an individual's head.

If you record it, the next person can use it.
Younger staff can also see it.
It can be handed over even if the person in charge changes.
You can reduce the same mistakes.

Digitizing data does not mean taking a craftsman's work lightly.

It means transforming a craftsman's experience into a form that can be used next time.

■ Use your brain for judgment, not memory

I believe that the brain is not meant for memory.

Of course, this does not mean you should not remember anything.

However, it does not mean you should stuff everything into your head.

The human brain is not a storage device.

Originally, it should be used for:

Why did this happen?
Can it be done more easily?
What can I do next time so I don't get lost?
Where should I change to reduce mistakes?
How can I make it so that even young staff can produce the same quality?

You should use it to think about these things.

Rather than using your brain to recall what you did last time, it is better to use your brain to think about how to improve next time.

Memory can be offloaded.
It can be saved in photos.
It can be saved in videos.
It can be saved as data.
It can be checked in past history.

What can be offloaded should be offloaded.

In return, people can use their brains for judgment and improvement.

I believe this way of thinking is important.

■ Material unit costs are the same

I was once taught this by a salesperson.

“Memorize the material prices.”
“Make sure you can answer immediately when asked by a client.”

Admittedly, at first glance, it makes you look capable.

You can answer as soon as you are asked.
You have a sense of the market.
Things move quickly.

However, I felt uncomfortable with this way of thinking.

Material prices change.

There is little point in memorizing things that fluctuate in price in detail.

In fact, it is dangerous.

Numbers that were correct at that time might be different now.
If you answer based on old memories, your estimates will be off.
If your estimates are off, your profits will be off.
If your profits are off, the factory ends up bearing the difference.

It is not like the stock market; there is no need to make decisions on the spot.
There is almost no benefit to answering material unit prices immediately on the spot.

What is truly important is not answering quickly.

It is making decisions based on accurate numbers.

■ Verification skills over immediate response skills

It is convenient to be able to answer immediately when asked by a client.

But if the number you answered immediately is outdated, it is meaningless.

In that case,

“I will check and get back to you”

is fine.

This is not an excuse.
It is accurate work.

You should never answer based solely on memory, especially for numbers that fluctuate.

If you do enough quotes, you will naturally develop a sense for market rates.
Expensive.
Cheap.
Risky.
Needs verification.

This intuition is important.

However, you must verify the final numbers.

Do not answer from memory; make decisions based on current figures.

The person who can answer immediately is not necessarily the most impressive.
In quoting, the person who does not answer with outdated figures is more reliable.

■ Create a state where you can verify rather than memorize

What factories need from now on is not the ability to memorize everything.

It is the ability to create a state where you can verify things immediately.

You can see past production information.
You can check photos from the previous time.
You can watch videos of work procedures.
You can check material unit prices.
You can search past quotes.
You can track change history.
Points of caution are documented.

By creating this kind of environment, you don't have to rely too much on people's heads.

If asked, just look it up.
If you are unsure, just look at past information.
If a decision is needed, just check the latest information.

Being able to verify is better than remembering.

From now on, that approach will be stronger.

■ With records, young staff can also make decisions

In a factory without records, young staff have no choice but to ask someone every time.

"What did we do last time?"
"Is this the right way to do this?"
"Are there any points of caution for this client?"

Asking questions itself is not bad.

But if work cannot proceed without asking someone every time, that is not training—it is dependency.

If there are records, young staff can first verify things for themselves.

Look at past production details.
Look at photos.
Read points of caution.
Check previous failures.
Think based on that.

Only after reaching this point can you tell the shop floor to "think for yourselves."

It is unreasonable to tell them to think when nothing has been left behind.

To make decisions, you need materials.
Those materials are records.

■ From a factory run on memory to a factory that decides based on records

What a factory needs is not the ability to make something well once.

It is the ability to make it repeatedly with the same quality.

For that, relying on memory alone is weak.

Previous information remains.
Points of caution remain.
Photos remain.
Videos remain.
Change history remains.
The basis for estimates remains.

Only when in this state does a factory possess reproducibility.

In a factory run on memory, quality changes depending on the person.
In a factory that decides based on records, anyone can see the same direction to move in.

Shop floor memory is important.

However, a factory that relies only on memory is dangerous.

It runs while veterans are present.
But it collapses the moment people change.

What truly needs to be preserved is not the information inside an individual's head.

It is turning past work into a form that can be used for the next job.

Use your head for thinking, not for memorizing.

From a factory run on memory to a factory that decides based on records.

When this change is achieved, a craftsman's experience does not end as an individual's ability,
but transforms into the strength of the entire factory.