“We have a scrap problem we are not happy with, and a backlog of orders we cannot ship. We just formed a task force and I would like your opinion.” I would rather he ask for my help than my opinion. He told me the cost of scrap and the value of backlog. Add them … Continue reading Grounds for Success
This case study gives us a chance to review the fundamentals of functional decomposition, and why it made this project, which had lingered like so many, a quick one. Like many projects, the starting point, dictated by those other than the technical group, led to a poor starting point. Often, hefty sums are paid to … Continue reading Case of the Run-Out Rotors
“We have been working on this for years and not been able to figure it out. Why do you think this guy from The New Science of Fixing Things can do it?” The plant manager had faith in his managers, one of whom we had worked for in the past, thus allowed him to engage … Continue reading Fast Work
“The truth is, the Science of Nature has been already too long made only a work of the Brain and the Fancy. It is now time that it should return to the plainness and soundness of Observations on material and obvious things.” -Robert Hooke, Micrographia Root Cause or Root Curse? “We have failed systems found … Continue reading Root Cause or Causal Explanation?
It felt like a knife to the hip, being twisted when I moved. What a start to the year! My hip was so painful that I couldn’t walk. When I got to the hospital, I found myself in a wheelchair. Nothing I could think of set it off. I didn’t fall on the ice or … Continue reading Reality Models and The New Science of Fixing Things
If it were not for the electronic gadgets we have available today, we couldn’t do what we do for a living. Only a few people would live on sailboats, what I do when not making a living helping people around the world with quality, product performance and reliability problems. We need to communicate with people … Continue reading IF A PICTURE IS WORTH 1000 WORDS…WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU NEED 100?
I live on my sailboat in the Caribbean. Now I am in Panama. I asked the local maintenance guy to change the zincs (sacrificial anodes) on my boat, a task for a diver. There are zincs on the end of the prop, the rudder support, the prop shaft and the bow thruster. The diver was … Continue reading English or Metric?
Clues to great mysteries often lie in history. At The New Science of Fixing Things, we enjoy the study of history and science, learning lessons from those who have gone before us. We try to emulate their behavior to do science, fix things, learn, teach, and help clients improve product performance, reliability and quality. History … Continue reading Felix, Qui Potuit Rerum Cognoscere Causas
Not long ago, I heard from a potential new client, asking how The New Science of Fixing Things www.tnsft.com might help with an important product performance problem. It was summertime in the beautiful mountains of the western United States where they were located. I was hoping to get the job and spend a few extra days exploring. Sadly, I heard … Continue reading The Essence of Strategy
The New Science of Fixing Things 