The push most manufacturers deal with every day is to streamline, automate and standardize in product offering and manufacturing method. This, on the surface seems like a no brainer and a smart thing to do yet it depends on what type of company you want and what type of product you want to deliver.
In the cabinet business this is especially true. With CNC machines that can do incredible things and replace a large swath of your workforce the push is very real. The expertise shifts from the shop floor to the front office and the focus is on software and programming the CNC machine to do what craftsman used to do.
The downside to this automated approach is it replaces the craftsman on your shop floor with essentially machine operators that are not connected to the overall goal. With a fully automated shop you lose the personal touch a true craftsman brings to the table. His or Her experienced hand taking the time to perfect the product and make sure everything is right and using their experience to come up with creative solutions to reach the end goal.
A machine only does what you tell it to do, there is no deductive reasoning and creativity, it only executes the programs it is assigned. When it comes to repetitive tasks (creating the same standard product again and again) a CNC machine and full automation can’t be beat. If your company goal is to create a standard offering for an ever reducing price then by all means automate. For us the goal is hand crafted quality first and automation second.
Every person on our shop floor has a unique skill set they bring to the table and this skill set is put into action in a choreographed way to build true custom cabinets that focus on the highest possible quality. Using on the highest quality materials available, this marriage is perfected to create not just cabinets but kitchen furniture.
When you tour the Biltmore House in Asheville NC you see hand crafted expertise on display with every step of the tour. Every room you go through you see the result of true craftsman that took the time to perfect their craft over many years. Realizing that their work still stands long after they themselves are gone is a true testament to their ability and care they took in creating the piece.
Maybe I am a romantic longing for times long since gone but I believe in true craftsmanship and believe there is still a place for it in todays world. When I stand on my shop floor and see what we create I am still highly impressed and in awe of our ability.
If you want a mass produced product that is standard sizes and pieced together to make it work there is a plethora of options for you to choose from. However, if you care about true craftsmanship, longevity and custom features your options are much more limited. Quality takes time but anything but quality is not acceptable on our shop floor.
Quality product isn’t cheap and cheap product isn’t quality.
