Engineering Marvel

Jules · 18th September 2013, 22:11

This one is well worth the time to read it.......It made my day, I hope it makes yours too !! You don't have to be an engineer to appreciate this story.

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 every time the bell rang."

chipsceola · 18th September 2013, 23:07

Nice one Jules, enjoyed that.

zero2 · 18th September 2013, 23:13

Haha. I like it

maintenanceman · 19th September 2013, 18:12

Excellent! Throwing money at problems often isn't the best solution.

Astraeus · 19th September 2013, 18:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by maintenanceman

Excellent! Throwing money at problems often isn't the best solution.

Probably pretty true to life....

Chris

Phil63 · 19th September 2013, 19:48

And did Bert get sacked or promoted???

Dorset Bob · 19th September 2013, 21:50

I like it

Quote:
To the optimist, the glass is half full.
To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.
To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

jackatesme · 20th September 2013, 14:25

I have worked in a few places like that.

Mark2000cc · 21st September 2013, 23:07

I bet that fan had your gold resistor!

muey · 22nd September 2013, 13:00

Hi Jules
Just seen that and it is Quality. As you know, I AM an engineer and a more fitting story , at work, at this moment in time is so near the truth, its untrue, Brilliant !

18th September 2013, 22:11	#1
Jules This is my second home ZT 260 SE Twilight and 10 other 75 ZT's :O Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Conwy NORTH WALES Posts: 11,094 Thanks: 512 Thanked 1,116 Times in 763 Posts	Engineering Marvel This one is well worth the time to read it.......It made my day, I hope it makes yours too !! You don't have to be an engineer to appreciate this story. 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 every time the bell rang." __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Newbies do now!! 1. Plenum drains..all 3 or 4 year dependent 2. Cooling fan..All speeds functioning 3. Bonnet cable divider block

18th September 2013, 23:07	#2
chipsceola This is my second home Jaguar XF 3.0D Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Southampton Posts: 4,364 Thanks: 119 Thanked 509 Times in 426 Posts	Nice one Jules, enjoyed that. __________________ Chips

19th September 2013, 19:48	#6
Phil63 Posted a thing or two 04 75 tourer cdt auto. Two tone grey. X-Power over Tempest. 04 75 V8 Chatsworth Bronze.. Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Devizes Posts: 1,615 Thanks: 392 Thanked 402 Times in 244 Posts	And did Bert get sacked or promoted??? __________________ This vehicle was the 26,209th 75 Tourer to run off the production line, out of 27,407 This vehicle was the 1,673rd 75 Tourer CDT Connoisseur SE (135) to be made out of 2,074 This vehicle was the 487th 75 Tourer in XPower Grey (code: LEF) to be made out of 670 XPower Grey 75 Tourers [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

19th September 2013, 21:50	#7
Dorset Bob Senior Citizen Rover 75 2.5 Connoisseur SE,Chrysler 300C,124 Spider, Daytona 955i,Honda XL250 & Royal Enfield 650GT Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: The Kingdom of Wessex Posts: 6,976 Thanks: 2,391 Thanked 2,685 Times in 1,686 Posts	I like it Quote: To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. __________________ Let the good times roll............

21st September 2013, 23:07	#9
Mark2000cc This is my second home MG ZT CDTI Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Sutton in ashfield Posts: 6,751 Thanks: 1,017 Thanked 699 Times in 501 Posts	I bet that fan had your gold resistor! __________________ http://i1151.photobucket.com/albums/...b595c11ba6.jpgStill going strong!

18th September 2013, 23:13	#3
zero2 Posted a thing or two MG ZT 190+ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Stoke-On-Trent Posts: 1,391 Thanks: 131 Thanked 99 Times in 92 Posts	Haha. I like it

19th September 2013, 18:12	#4
maintenanceman Gets stuck in 75 CDTi Connoisseur SE Tourer, MGF vvc, 1963 MGB Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Cheltenham Posts: 658 Thanks: 38 Thanked 20 Times in 16 Posts	Excellent! Throwing money at problems often isn't the best solution.

20th September 2013, 14:25	#8
jackatesme This is my second home rover 75 saloon.Renault Captur 1.5 diesel. Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: rhymney Posts: 3,661 Thanks: 2,269 Thanked 1,242 Times in 702 Posts	I have worked in a few places like that.

22nd September 2013, 13:00	#10
muey Loves to post 75 connoiseur se hi-line tourer cdt Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: nelson,lancs Posts: 299 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Quality Hi Jules Just seen that and it is Quality. As you know, I AM an engineer and a more fitting story , at work, at this moment in time is so near the truth, its untrue, Brilliant !