My first blog post… how exciting!! Here is where you can check back for daily updates about my time in Goteborg, Sweden. If you checked out the Itinerary, you probably noticed that we are visiting A LOT of different companies over the next two weeks, and I can’t wait to share some key takeaways from their presentations! I’ll also be filling you in on some of the fun activities we’re taking advantage of in Goteborg including coffee breaks and cocktail hours.
Lucky for us, we got to start these company visits off right here in our home state of Wisconsin with Bruno Independent Living Aids, Inc., a company celebrating 31 years of innovation. Bruno is the sister company of AutoAdapt (Braunability) who we will be visiting in Goteborg. Our presentation and plant tour was led by Mr. Bill Belson, Director of Engineering, who has dedicated 30 years to Bruno. When listening to Mr. Belson talk about Bruno’s history and plans for the future, it was undeniable that every employee understood the importance of their role in the company and the impact they were making in their customer’s lives. A major theme that we kept coming back to was efficiency. This was achieved through implementing Lean Manufacturing and Lean Product Development in their operations strategy, using innovative technology such as Photogrammetry Software when measuring custom staircases, and adding robotics to their assembly lines, just to name a few! All of these efforts to increase efficiency allow them to ship all standard orders within 30 hours of order placement (within 2 weeks for customized stair lifts).
Check out these photos from our visit!
Example of Bruno using Robotics in the plant 
Mr. Bill Belson walking us through KanBan Procedure 
Lean reports are posted monthly 
Introducing, your Sweden 2020 team! 
Thank you so much for showing us around Mr. Bill Belson!
Coffee Break!
Smoked Butterscotch Lattes are back at Starbucks! I ordered mine in a Venti with an extra shot of espresso!
Cocktail Hour!
Tonight’s cocktail hour included a Kiddie Cocktail (apparently the proper name is a Shirley Temple). This is because I was representing Carthage College at an Admissions Reception in Madison, WI.
Today’s Top 3
1. Most humans are only about 85% efficient at doing a task.
2. PDCA = Plan, Do, Check, Adjust…. I feel like this is applicable to all aspects of life.
3. Manufacturing plants are LOUD! Putting lights on trucks and forklifts can help prevent injury because they can be seen when they can’t be heard!
The C-Suite: Coffee & Cocktails 