In-House R&D Shop: Build and Test Improvements Without Waiting on Outsiders

What is a In-House R&D Shop?

Why it works

It turns employee knowledge into proven solutions that add value and prevent repeat mistakes.

• Knowledge reuse: employees build from what the team already understands instead of re-explaining the same problems to outsiders.
• Added value: ideas are tested close to the actual work, so effort goes into improvements that fit the real process.
• Mistake-proofing: once a fix works, it can be captured in documentation software so the next person follows the proven method instead of repeating old errors.
• Talent use: capable employees apply their skill to improvement instead of waiting for someone outside the process.

Evidence: The transcript says the team has its own R&D shop, is not waiting on an outside engineer, and has its own wheels, wire, and tools. It also says Gima Docs shows employees how to do the work, keep it clean, and reduce defects.

How to create this idea

1. 1
   Create a small R&D area

   Set aside a place where employees can build and test improvement ideas. Keep it close enough to the work that real process problems are easy to study.

2. 2
   Stock basic supplies

   Keep practical items the team uses often, such as wheels, wire, and tools. The goal is to make simple improvement tests possible without waiting on outsiders.

3. 3
   Use capable internal people

   Involve employees who understand the work and can turn ideas into prototypes. Pair technical skill with input from the people doing the job every day.

4. 4
   Test before rollout

   Try each improvement in the real process and check that it helps. Do not make it standard until the team has seen the fix work.

5. 5
   Document the proven fix

   Use documentation software such as Gima Docs to capture the new method, cleaning point, or defect prevention detail. Make the solution visible so others can reuse it.

Products and tools mentioned

• Documentation software: Used to show employees how to do work, keep areas clean, and reduce defects.
• Tools: Marked so each one visibly belongs to a specific work cell.
• Wheels: Kept in the R&D shop as material for building and testing improvements.
• Wire: Kept in the R&D shop as material for building and testing improvements.