Process vs. Product

My son is coming over this week to help me figure out a reasonable way to mass produce 10 of these John Deere rocking tractors. In the past, I’ve gotten individual orders and made them one at a time. I painted them by hand and at first, I was unsophisticated enough to fabricate and assemble the whole tractor, then paint it.

I smartened up after doing a couple of tractors and waited to paint until I had sub-assemblies done, then painted them and assembled them — still painting by hand.

Currently, I have orders for 10 rocking tractors. No more hand painting, for sure. We’re going to try to figure out how to fabricate, do sub-assemblies, spray paint the sub-assemblies and then assemble them. We’re going to try to figure out how to make the best time and most efficient use of time and energy and resources.

Back in the 90’s I read a book called “The Machine That Changed The World.” It was about the Ford Company and how they revolutionized their manufacturing processes in order to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and beat the competition. I guess, on a mini-scale, that’s what we’re trying to do.

Stay tuned…