TFC #38: Reducing Engineering Mistakes in Cabinetmaking

I hear many different things from cabinetmakers as I work with them. One consistent question I get is this:

Is it normal for my drafters to make so many simple engineering mistakes? I thought buying [insert name of manufacturing software] would fix all of my problems.

Let’s acknowledge a couple of factors, and then we will dive into some ways to help limit those simple mistakes.

First off, yes, there is a difference in drafters/engineers. Some will be more thorough and detail-oriented than others.

I certainly was not one who never made a mistake. I can remember several times when I made a silly mistake and ended up costing the company several thousand dollars. In fact, overall, I was not that great at being a drafter because I struggled to stay focused and be thorough. I like the setup aspect of things too much.

Second, with the complexity of software and the amount of details your drafters have to deal with in a day’s time, I think giving some grace for mistakes is important.

One phrase that I say a lot when we are getting deep into training is, “it’s a lot of buttons”. There are so many things that have to happen in order for the entire job to be manufactured perfectly.

While you obviously have to try to limit the mistakes as much as possible, recognize that it is something that can and will happen, and you should account for it in your operating expenses rather than get upset every time a mistake is made.

Third, putting good systems in place will dramatically decrease your mistakes regardless of who your drafters are.

These systems can include things such as:

• a consistent way of getting information from customers

• a clear way of communicating orders to your drafters

• making your manufacturing software as “automatic” as possible and eliminating as much data input as possible.

How To Cut Down on Mistakes

Here are 3 tips I would recommend to help eliminate simple engineering mistakes.

Store Job Information in a Consistent Place

A lot of mistakes simply come from a lack of communication or losing a written note. With the number of tools available, you should be able to find one that you can use to store your job and project information. Whether you decide to use a full CRM, project management software, or a simple notetaking app, find a way to bring all the information together.

There is no reason your drafters should have to dig through emails, physical folders, or even make phone calls to try to figure out details for the job.

Spend Type Optimizing Your Manufacturing Software

I’ve seen people show me how easy it is for them to manually make changes in their software, and they proceed to make about 25 clicks and enter 10 numbers.

It’s great that your software is able to do it so “easily”, but this is the kind of thing that can easily be mis-typed or mis-clicked. Look for ways to cut down on manual input on some of your common modifications. This can be done by setting up automation for these time-consuming and repetitive tasks.

I wrote an article on this a couple of months ago. You can read it here.

Implement an Engineer Checklist

One of the things that helped me tremendously when I was working at a shop was to implement an engineering checklist.

Basically, rather than randomly “looking over” a job, I had a structured list of things I commonly made errors on and knew I needed to look over. I would print off my checklist for each job and physically check the boxes as I looked at each item on the list.

I thought about putting together a sample checklist but then decided not to because each shop is so different. Let me know if that would be useful for you.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article inspires you to find ways to reduce the number of mistakes in your shop.

I’m curious, what kind of errors do your engineers make most often?

Wrong door sizes? wrong color? incorrect dimensions? pantry cabinet too tall to set up in the room? forgetting to finish an end?

Shoot me an email and let me know.

Thanks for reading and hope you have a great weekend.
Myron