Send CAD Drafters to the Shop Floor for Direct Feedback
Designers observe assembly in person and ask team members what could be better instead of theorizing at a computer.
- Creator
WillytheMinimalist- Company
- WillytheMinimalist
- Wastes
CAD drafters design parts at a computer without seeing how they actually fit or perform on the floor, so problems and improvement ideas stay invisible until parts fail to fit well.
Drafters go out to the shop floor to watch team members work, see the struggles firsthand, and ask directly for feedback on what could be better, then bring that knowledge back into the designs.
Go and see the real work (genchi genbutsu) and tap the knowledge of the people doing it.
What is a Send CAD Drafters to the Shop Floor for Direct Feedback?
This is a structured practice of getting design staff physically onto the production floor to observe and gather feedback rather than relying on assumptions modeled on a screen.
The CAD drafters walk to where parts are assembled, watch the team members use them, and ask what is difficult or what could be improved. The observed reality and direct feedback then feed back into future drawings.
It treats the frontline team members as a source of expertise. Their struggles and suggestions become inputs to design decisions, closing the loop between how a part is drawn and how it actually works in someone's hands.
Why it works
It surfaces knowledge that only exists on the floor and puts it where designs are made, so proven fixes get built in rather than rediscovered.
- Captures tacit knowledge from the people who handle the parts every day.
- Replaces guesswork with observed reality, cutting design mistakes at the source.
- Makes team member feedback a reusable design input instead of a one-off complaint.
- Builds trust and engagement because workers see their input drive real changes.
Evidence: The team reports that members love being asked for feedback and having their struggles seen in person.
How to create this idea
- 1Schedule floor visits
Have CAD drafters go out to the assembly area regularly instead of designing only at their desks.
- 2Observe in person
Watch how team members actually use the parts and where they struggle, rather than theorizing on a computer.
- 3Ask direct questions
Ask team members what is difficult and what could be better about the parts they handle.
- 4Bring knowledge back
Feed the observations and feedback into future drawings so parts fit and work better.
- 5Close the loop
Show team members the changes that came from their input to keep feedback flowing.
Best used when
- design supports production
- parts fit or usability issues
- frontline knowledge untapped
Less useful when
- no physical product
- remote-only teams
- fully standardized parts
Tags
- Problem
- design guessworkpoor part fitunused expertise
- Lean methods
- genchi genbutsugemba walkvoice of worker
- Application
- CAD designmanufacturingproduct development
Captured from WillytheMinimalist at WillytheMinimalist in the video "Week 33 Improvements", at 00:00:59. On Lean Toolbox. Watch the original video on YouTube ↗
