Ideas all at once…now what?
Funny thing about ideas. I can go days even weeks without any interesting ideas to execute and then BAM…I get bombarded with several good ones. At least good enough to explore.
For the longest time I would just pick one of these ideas and shelve the rest. But not any more. I pursue all of the interesting ones with vigor until something in my ecosystem shows me that one or more of the ideas has a fatal flaw.
Right now I am working on three ideas. One of them is a tool holder shadow that I created in my mad scientist lab. Basically it is a tool holder and tool shadow in one. So what the heck is this? A tool holder is what it sounds like. It is a device that attaches to a vertical surface (pegboard, plywood etc) and holds a tool like a hammer, screwdriver, pliers etc. Most of these are made from wire.
The shadow is a little more complicated to explain. In manufacturing facilities where a production system called “lean” is practiced, there are certain “rules” that are followed to increase productivity. One of these rules is “a place for everything and everything in its place”. Another rule is that you can only have the tools on the shop floor needed to do the actual work. If the assembly job calls for a screwdriver, a hammer and a 1/2″ wrench to do the work, then those are the only tools allowed.
To ensure that the tools are kept neat and organized, most practitioners of lean organize the tools on a tool board. They place the tools within easy reach of the work and then draw an outline of the tool on the board. This “shadow” is then a visual cue that the tool is missing from the board. So a quick glance at the end of the shift shows the operator that the hammer and screwdriver are back where they belong but the 1/2″ wrench is missing. A quick look around for the wrench to find it and then you can quickly put in back in the place where it belongs. Real easy, little thinking about where to put stuff…everything has a dedicated home.
This is a much better system than sticking tools in drawers. Drawers hide messes and you have to use brain power to remember where a tool is supposed to be. And if anyone else uses the tool they may not remember where you want it. So tools go missing and time gets wasted in a search. Waste, in any form, sucks.
At my mad scientist lab, we have several hundred tools hanging on the walls. I like my tools out where I can see them and even though we do not practice lean (our work is too varied to only have specific tools out) we do have outlines around them to know they are missing. A place for everything and everything in its place.
The problem we face (and other folks that want to keep their tools out in view) are the following:
1- Tools vary greatly in terms of shape and size but the manufacturers of hooks and holders have a one size fits all mentality. You have limited options to hold your tools.
2- Drawing outlines around tools is time consuming and doesn’t look professional.
3- If you ever want to move a tool to a new location, you have to erase the old line (or paint over it) and redraw them.. a pain.
So what I invented was a tool holder and shadow all in one. These will be laser cut from steel and can be mounted to any standard peg board using some really cool removable plastic rivets we found. Or you attach the tool holder to plywood, metal or wallboard.
They look really cool and professional and will soon be available on Koova.com. We are starting off with a hundred different holders but that number will grow as folks come to us with more ideas. Custom tool holders can be created too. Prices vary but will range from $4 to $10 depending on the size.
My other ideas? I am working on them too but will right about them in a subsequent post…I need to be a little focused now don’t I?
