Pareto Principle

The Pareto principle is the result of the work of the 19th Century economist, Vilfredo Pareto. He realized that wealth in Italy was distributed unevenly, and mathematically proved his observation. Today, the Pareto principle is more commonly known as the 80-20 rule. Simply put, 80 percent of problems are the Read more…

Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance is the practice of using data to try to anticipate and avoid machine failures. It differs from preventative maintenance in that it uses checks to identify abnormal conditions before the machine has a problem. Most failures in machines are not immediate, catastrophic failures. Electric motors might show changes Read more…

Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance is the set of steps taken to avoid breakdowns in machines. These steps may include minor activities such as topping off fluids, inspection, lubrication, filter changes, and tightening as needed. It may also include more significant actions such as overhauls, rebuilds, and component replacement. In between those extremes Read more…

Product Family

For the purposes of continuous improvement, a product family is a group of products that follows a similar series of process steps. The value in this type of organization is that it supports flow. Similar products can be combined onto a mixed model production line. Generally speaking, the higher the Read more…