Emerson and Stem Associates, a small San Diego firm, develop software for elementary and junior high students using Apple computers. They then negotiated a licensing agreement with a major software publisher for production and distribution.
| Department of Health Helps Launch Firm |
Data Sciences had two employees and a good idea. They wanted to develop devices to help gather information for pharmaceutical firms from experiments via an implantable transmitter that monitors various body functions. They presented the idea to the Department of Health and Human Services, and received financial backing.
As a result of this help, the firm has grown to 12 persons and is selling about $20,000 worth of devices per month.
| Department of Defense Funds Research |
Ultramet, a Pacoima, California, firm, had an idea for a coating for rocket engines that won’t corrode and is tolerant of high temperatures. The DOD’s Small Business Innovation Research program provided funds to develop it. Ultramet is now selling this product to major aerospace companies.
| National Science Foundation Helps Company Fight Pollution |
Tracer Technologies, located in Newton, Maine, wanted to build an anti-pollution device. Funds from National Science Foundation through its Small Business Innovation Research program enabled them to do that. They came up with a gadget that can separate chlorinated hydrocarbons so that they can be burned in ordinary furnaces. A service business was launched as a result.
| Pizza Analysis |
The owner of a pizza shop was having problems with pizza consistency, and productivity. The Commerce Productivity Center sent information on statistical process control, cause and effect diagramming, and other techniques so he could monitor and analyze the process of preparing pizza, and determine the probable causes of the consistency problem. The CPC also provided him with information on providing quality service to the customer, measuring productivity, and how to study and improve workflow and equipment location. Japanese housekeeping “Five S” principles were instigated:
•Sort out the clutter
•Set things in order and standardize
•Shine equipment, tools, and workplace
•Share information, no searching
•Stick to the rules
Other principles he learned were:
•Clutter hides problems
•Storage spaces should be self-regulating through visual controls
•Cleaning equipment is a form of inspection
•Make information easily accessible; for example, place operating procedures on machines
| Cultural Help |
The American manager of a small West Coast electronics firm was having problems managing the engineers of Singapore and American-Chinese origin. The Commerce Productivity Center sent data on the work-related values, attitudes, and habits of these ethnic groups, which are different than those of American workers. The manager studied the data and instituted more appropriate policies. The result: increased productivity.
| The Effect of Cold on Workers |
A Northeast construction contractor’s job was delayed by legal problems. Outdoor construction was going to have to be done in winter instead of in warmer weather, as had been planned. The owner wanted to know how much productivity would decline because of cold, inclement weather so he could adjust his prices. The Commerce Productivity Center located and sent formulas and information on how construction productivity is affected at different temperatures.
| The Effect of Lighting |
A floor plan for remodeling some offices at a company had been developed. The plan called for every worker to have a window in his office. The boss didn’t think this was a good idea. The remodeling planners called to find out if employees with windows in their offices are more productive. The Commerce Productivity Center researched the problem and offered the findings. Workers with windows are happier, but not necessarily more productive. The real issue is proper lighting. Windows and sunlight aren’t necessarily appropriate. The best lighting is that which is designed for the particular tasks being performed; proper lighting improves performance. And lighting can be designed for energy efficiency and save money.
| The Effect of Nightshift |
A contractor was remodeling an office building’s interior during the daytime. The remodeling made so much noise that the building’s occupants couldn't get any work done. The occupants got a court injunction forcing the contractor to do the work at night.
When the night work started, the productivity of the contractor’s workforce dropped dramatically. The contractor called for help; the Commerce Productivity Center researched the problem and found the probable cause. People have an internal biological clock set by routine. Your body tells you when to wake up, when to eat, and when to go to sleep. When the workers suddenly shifted to night work, their biological clocks were disrupted. It produced a jet-lag-type effect.
Studies show that an individual’s productivity can decline until the biological clock adjusts to the new routine. There was a stress-producing disruption in the workers’ routines and schedules.
| Saving Money on Wine |
A small winery was losing money and needed to cut its costs. The winery had also been hiring full-time employees for jobs that took less than full time. The Commerce Productivity Center provided information on how to study the production process to identify waste in areas such as transportation, work in process, machine setup, non-value adding activities, storage, defects, et al., and on developing multi-skilled, multi-functional workers.
| Good Advice at the Last Minute |
The International Operations Group helps small businesses with their uncertainties concerning foreign clients. For example:
The president of a small consulting company heard that a potential Japanese client was coming to town the next day, on extremely short notice, and would be available for meetings. The International Operations Group helped the company locate information about the company, its products, and recent company activities, so that the consultant made a favorable impression and acquired the Japanese firm as a client.
| Ever Been Buried by Your Work? |
A rapid transit system contractor was involved in trenching and excavating and asked for help in protecting his workers. A Department of Labor consultant in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was called for a confidential, risk-free evaluation (i.e., the consultant would not issue any citations for violations of state or federal safety standards). The consultant arrived the day after a heavy rain and found some workers in a twelve-foot deep trench that was neither shored nor sloped. He advised immediate evacuation; the supervisor ordered all workers out of the trench. Ten minutes later the sides of the trench gave way. The workers would have been buried. The consultant showed the contractor a six-step plan to resume work safely.
