Released on: May 23, 2008, 7:11 am

Press Release Author: Thomas R. Cutler

Industry: Marketing

Press Release Summary: Quality Assurance Magazine Looks at OEE with Thomas R. Cutler

Press Release Body: Thomas R. Cutler is the most frequently published manufacturing
journalist and serves as contributed contributing editor more than three hundred
publications annual. The scope of publications ranges from Automation.com to Quality
Digest. A sample of Cutler's feature articles can be located on the TR Cutler, Inc.
website. Cutler has authored more than 2,000 articles for a wide range of
manufacturing periodicals, industrial publications, and business journals including
most of the leading monthly trade publications.

In the current issue of Quality Assurance Magazine, Lisa Lupo discusses Overall
Equipment Effectiveness. OEE is a quality systems management tool that enables a
manufacturer to assess the effectiveness of its equipment based on the combined
acquisition and assessment of three metrics: availability, performance and quality.
In the feature article, manufacturing journalist Thomas R. Cutler noted, "You
can't fix it if you don't know it's broken. You have to know where the problem is."
Sometimes you will discover that it is an employee issue, sometimes an equipment
issue, he said. "But most importantly, you find out where you are losing optimized
effectiveness."

In the Quality Assurance article Cutler also commented about ELIMINATING WASTE. The
ever-increasing rigor of tracking and tracing in the food industry is continuing to
decrease the margins under which food companies must operate and causing
manufactures to seek increased efficiencies in all areas. "That kind of rigor costs
a lot of money," Cutler said, explaining that plants are approaching the costs by
asking, "Where can we eliminate waste on the plant floor?" and "We think our
production is X, but how do we know?"
The only way to know, he said, is to track production and determine if the target
was achieved. And if it did not hit its target, "you have to find where it is
slipping through the cracks." Often, he added, it is the so-called little things
that add up to significant loss. As an example, Cutler cites a plant that realized,
"If we could save just 20 minutes a day in our changeover, we would pay for our new
QC director."
Cutler also sees OEE as more than a lean process, rather, he expects it to
increasingly impact industries as regulatory requirements continue to increase. "I
don't think you can look at OEE in a bubble," he said. "Food is often where this
starts because there has been great speculation in regulatory bodies that if there
is another terrorist strike, it will come through the food chain."

Cutler founded the Manufacturing Media Consortium in the 90\'s. This extraordinary
group of more than 3200 journalists worldwide is writing about trends, data, case
studies, profiles, and features in the manufacturing and industrial sector. Cutler
has worked with thousands of media outlets to expand manufacturing media coverage.
TR Cutler, Inc. (www.trcutlerinc.com) was founded by Thomas R. Cutler almost a
decade ago. Cutler maintains extraordinary relationships with clients, journalists,
editors, trendsetters, and key business leaders worldwide and has become a key
resource for those writing about the manufacturing sector. Cutler established a
Manufacturing Marketing Research division dedicated to measuring the pulse of the
manufacturing sector, particularly manufacturing firms which are privately held and
rarely accounted for when gauging the industry sentiment. TR Cutler, Inc. is
providing a voice for manufacturers worldwide.
TR Cutler, Inc. is also the exclusive provider of the Manufacturing Media Blitz, a
ninety day, ninety press release campaign that has transformed the communication
outreach of thousands of manufacturers worldwide.

TR Cutler, Inc.
www.trcutlerinc.com
Thomas Cutler
trcutler@trcutlerinc.com
888-902-0300


Web Site: http://www.trcutlerinc.com

Contact Details: TR Cutler, Inc.
3032 S. Oakland Forest Dr.
Suite 2803
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33309
888-902-0300