Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Welcome to the Clear Impact Podcast, brought to you by Mitre Brands University. Thanks for joining us today. My name is Sheri Conner and I am your host.
[00:00:19] Speaker B: All of that feedback is important just because everybody is looking at it from a different perspective. You know, from the manufacturing side, how does it work going together? From the service side, can I replace it, can I repair it? And then from the manufacturing of the components, even like, well, can I even produce it? So from the standpoint of product engineering, everybody's feedback is critical to getting to a really good solution.
[00:00:44] Speaker A: So, good afternoon. We are here on the Clear Impact podcast and today we are recording from Gratz, Pennsylvania and we have with us Matt Ryland. Welcome.
[00:00:55] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:00:56] Speaker A: Yeah, thanks for being here. And so we're going to be talking about engineering through the five pillars, and that is we have safety, integrity, creativity, continuous improvement, and profitable partnerships. And so, Matt, you are the director of Product engineering, and we're going to be talking about how the engineering teams translate those principles into real world product performance.
And so we're really going to focus on how that might influence product testing, collaboration, and obviously the customer experience, because that's what it's all about. Right. So before we jump into our questions, can you share with us a little bit about your background and your tenure here and what your current role and responsibilities are?
[00:01:43] Speaker B: Yeah, so I've been with Mi Windows and Doors for the last three years. Prior to that, spent 23 years in customer engineering and product engineering roles. And. And the last 10 years, more focused on management with the product engineering team here in Graz. It's focused on the product engineering side, but also on the team. We have drafting team that does the specialty drawings and then also have a team member for managing the engineering systems where we manage our CAD and drawing files and Excel files and things like that.
[00:02:16] Speaker A: So lots of detail. Yes, lots of detail. Well, it's important, right? Our products are regulated in a lot of areas. Safety's involved and you have codes involved and so you have to have all of that.
[00:02:27] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:02:28] Speaker A: Yeah, that's excellent. And so for listeners that may not fully understand product engineering in a fenestration space, how would you describe the team's role in bringing a window or door system from concept to production?
[00:02:43] Speaker B: Yeah, so I always think of product engineering as the voice of the product. So representing the product, trying to get the product to meet the standards that have been set forth. So always looking for ways to improve the value of the product to the end customer, looking at product enhancements, that's a big thing that we do on a regular basis, line extensions, whether it's offering a new color or a new option. And then the thing that MI traditionally was always very strong with is improvements for manufacturing.
So always looking for ways to help the team members producing the windows on a day to day basis. So those areas are major areas of engagement.
[00:03:25] Speaker A: Right, so you have just the MI brand as a scope.
[00:03:28] Speaker B: Correct. And also underneath that, the Sunrise collection.
[00:03:32] Speaker A: Okay, so here's our first question. When engineering evaluates a new platform or a design enhancement, like you're going to improve the lock or improve the roller or whatever, what are some of the critical performance criteria that you have to validate before it ever gets to production?
[00:03:48] Speaker B: Yeah, so it really depends on the project. And if we're looking at a overall performance of a unit like a window or a door, or if we're looking at just a component, typically we're targeting equals or exceeds the current baseline for something. But if it's when we start getting into components, we do a lot of in house component testing. We have lots of different equipment in house here in Gratz to check our materials to do cycle testing on different components. And then we also have the ability to create our own custom testing procedures.
Always looking to try to figure out ways to do things that maybe not everybody else is doing. And also helps us with identifying root cause problems and things like that.
[00:04:31] Speaker A: Yeah. Do you guys have any robots?
[00:04:33] Speaker B: No robots.
[00:04:34] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:04:34] Speaker B: No robots for cycle testing?
[00:04:35] Speaker A: No, we have a robot in Venice and he basically just flips a lock and then flips it back and then flips it back and then flips it back. He does it like 10,000 times or something like that.
[00:04:47] Speaker B: It's a very interesting use of a robot for cycle testing because it is. I mean, if you don't have that robot, then a team member has to be there doing that same function. And that happens sometimes on different components. So we definitely put a lot of time into really evaluating not only the units, but the components that go into the units. And just try to make sure that we cover our basis with either the features of the part or the material of the part, or, you know, how does it perform in the conditions that that part's going to see.
[00:05:17] Speaker A: Right.
[00:05:18] Speaker B: An assortment of things that we test here.
[00:05:20] Speaker A: Yeah. That's awesome. So our next question, we're going to talk about engineering standards. And so in a manufacturing environment, small design changes can have downstream impacts. You know, one little tiny thing on this side can have a ripple effect as it goes down.
How does your team evaluate whether a change genuinely improves the product versus simply just making it more complex.
[00:05:44] Speaker B: Yeah. So the one thing we're really engaged with operations teams. So the team members at all the plants try and understand what the small change may or may not do to them. And even not just from the operations standpoint, but also the supply chain standpoint of like, hey, we're putting more material onto the line, do we have a place to store it?
So really working with the team to make sure that we're not making things worse. Sometimes when you do new things, there's challenges, there's naturally just happens, but trying to be real purposeful in making sure we make the right decisions there. The other thing, our change process on the MI side really engages a lot of cross functional teams. So we're always looking for feedback before we make a change.
So looking at team members, whether it's warranty and service and what the change may impact them at the plant level or even the suppliers, what's this gonna do to the supplier? So we're really trying to pull all team members from all the different teams together to make the best decision for MI to move forward. So really just getting everybody's input is really how we try to avoid making things just more complex.
[00:06:58] Speaker A: Yeah, that's awesome. It's easy to make it more complex, it's more difficult to keep things simple.
[00:07:03] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:07:03] Speaker A: And you wouldn't even think about how complex a window is until you're in it and you're like, oh, there's like. I mean I'm very acquainted with the PGT line. There's windows that have like 47 components. Like how do you have 47 components? You have a frame, you have glass, you have a lock, you have a balancer and you have a sash. And that's it, right?
[00:07:24] Speaker B: No, there's lots of little pieces in there and lots of different materials. When you start looking at the window, there's a lot of materials on there that you don't even think about because they're in components that you just take for granted.
[00:07:35] Speaker A: Sure. Yeah. That was a big surprise to me when I first started in this space. And so how closely does your team, the product engineering team, how closely do they collaborate with the manufacturing teams when you're refining those designs in terms of efficiency and repeatability?
[00:07:53] Speaker B: Yeah, very closely. That's one of mi's strengths. Just everybody engaging with every team member that might impact it or handle the change and then just trying to make sure that we get best practices put in place when we do that.
[00:08:07] Speaker A: So with mi, I know there's several different manufacturing facilities. But not all the products are made in all the facilities. Right.
[00:08:14] Speaker B: They're not, which makes things a little bit easier. But then when they are made in the multiple facilities, what may work in Graz may not work in Flower Mound. So we have to engage both locations to make a change to a certain product. Or what might work in Flower Mound may not work in Higgins or Temperance.
So because we're not a singular location, there's a lot of engagement. You know, usually you're kind of testing out an idea with one plant and then implementing it on the other plants, if they can do that. So there was a part we did with Higgins and spent quite a bit of time working with Emblen a part and got it working in Higgins.
[00:08:51] Speaker A: And.
[00:08:51] Speaker B: And they came up with their SOP and figured out how they were going to do it. And then in order to implement that in Texas and Flower Mound, that team then supplied some additional information on what they have learned and made it easier for those teams to adopt the change. So usually most changes start out with just one location, but then we have to quickly pull in the other locations.
[00:09:14] Speaker A: We are sharing our expertise around all topics relating to the window and door industry. Whether you are a customer selling our products or a homeowner doing research, the Clear Impact podcast provides helpful content that makes an impact. Subscribe today wherever you listen to podcasts.
Sure. Yeah, that makes sense. And then if there's one improvement on one product, then sometimes trickle out into the other products as well.
[00:09:38] Speaker B: It does. You get an idea with one line, and then you're like, wow, I could carry that over to another line. And that evolution may take months or years until you see it across a bunch of products. But we try to learn. If we learn something from one product, we try to see how we can implement it elsewhere. And if it's, you know, again, we're looking for that performance equal to or better than what we're currently doing.
[00:10:00] Speaker A: Sure. I think it's so cool that there's multiple facilities and multiple teams. We can all learn from each other. All right, so we want to talk about continuous improvement for a couple minutes. And so that obviously depends on feedback loops. So what kinds of feedback from the field or customers or even internal, which of those are most valuable?
[00:10:21] Speaker B: When I think about that, I think they're all part of the overall formula. Right. If every little piece is added together, you start to figure out what's going on. So everybody's feedback and different levels of detail is just helpful to understanding the root cause of the problem or what you're looking to improve or any design changes. They're just. All of that feedback is important just because everybody is looking at it from a different perspective. You know, from the manufacturing side, how does it work going together? From the service side, can I replace it? Can I repair it? And then from the manufacturing of the components, even like, well, can I even produce it? So from the standpoint of product engineering, everybody's feedback is critical to getting to a really good solution. And sometimes you have to weigh maybe a manufacturing benefit over a service benefit or vice versa.
[00:11:14] Speaker A: Right.
[00:11:15] Speaker B: Or the ability to produce the part over the overall assembly. So there's this give and takes whenever you work your way through a design to try to get to the most optimal result. And everybody should win a little bit, and everybody probably loses a little bit, you know, because you're trying to balance it across a whole bunch of different teams.
[00:11:32] Speaker A: Sure. And always keeping the customer experience in mind. Right. If you know it's going to be a continual issue in the service six months after the sale or right after install, like that's the last thing you want is to have a known irritation to the end user. And so it might make things more complicated upstream, but it makes it better for the customer downstream.
[00:11:55] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:11:56] Speaker A: So here's something. And obviously the world is evolving, and there's more and more technology and digital tools. What kinds of things are becoming more influential in your engineering decisions lately?
[00:12:08] Speaker B: Yeah, so a couple tools that we're using lately. They aren't new tools in the world, but we've been definitely leaning on them more. Some of those are simulation tools with the CAD files to be able to simulate things just to try to reduce the trial and error. If we can simulate something in advance and get a good feel for it, and then we can move forward from there and then start to prototype it and things like that. That's a tool that we've been just using more and more where we need to. Not everything, but there's certain things where. Let's run a simulation on that, see how it performs and see how it compares to real world. That's always the big one. Right.
[00:12:43] Speaker A: Can you give me an example of what a simulation might look like?
[00:12:46] Speaker B: Yeah. So we would be simulating structural features within the product.
[00:12:51] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:12:52] Speaker B: So like how well the screws hold a component to a jam, or how well a part connects to something. And just seeing when the load's applied to that in a certain direction, what happens to it? Does the part twist or deform when a load's applied in a Certain direction, or does it handle the load that you showed in the simulation, all tying to what we're seeing in the real world. So if we can replicate something that's occurring in the real world in a simulation, then we can rerun those simulations with design changes and figure out a little bit sooner what positive design change might be.
[00:13:29] Speaker A: Right.
So without having the expense of building product and going through all of that testing. So it probably shortens the time.
[00:13:35] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:13:36] Speaker A: Nice. Yeah, that's good. I love taking advantage of new technology.
[00:13:39] Speaker B: The other thing, with technology that we're using more and more, and that's just using an engineering product data management system.
[00:13:47] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:13:48] Speaker B: To basically manage and control drawings and documentation and things like that. And through the use of that, we're able to publish drawings for team members to use out on an intranet site so that team members have access to the information about the products.
Having all those documents controlled up front ensures that what the team members are getting when they look at something, whether it's customer service or inside sales or operations or quality, that what they're looking at is the most current released file from an engineering standpoint.
Because even though we're manufacturing it one way, we're always in the background making changes and iterations and things like that. But it's really what we define as released is what we want in the hands of the team members working in manufacturing or in customer service.
[00:14:37] Speaker A: Right. Or education. Right. And making sure customers know what features and benefits are currently available and what are the frame options and what are the performance load numbers and all of that. Because you have to go through recertification and retesting on a regular basis, Right? Correct. And so those things can change.
[00:14:56] Speaker B: They can, yes.
[00:14:57] Speaker A: Mi's been around a long time. There's a lot of product. And if you don't have good record management, it can get ugly, I would imagine.
So. One of the things that we talk about is profitable partnerships, and that includes suppliers, operations, teams, our dealers, and obviously our customers, the homeowners.
So what does a strong partnership regarding engineering, what does that look like from your perspective?
[00:15:22] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, there's a high level of trust with these profitable partnerships, which I've worked in other industries, and this is by far the best I've ever seen with profitable partnerships. I mean, it really is. I mean, it's really refreshing to see and nice to see it. I see it starting with trust. I can see it between team members or team members and outside suppliers. There's a high level of trust with those profitable partnerships. And whether it's response to a potential problem or it's bringing ideas forward.
Everybody's working towards a common goal. What's the best thing for in this case, mi. But even the suppliers, they're always looking out to try to think about what's the best interest for mi.
So the thing I see is just the trust. The trust between everybody is what makes it flow so well. And then that just fosters a level of communication then just as strong.
[00:16:16] Speaker A: Yeah, that's awesome.
We have one final question, and we've been asking this of a lot of folks on the podcast lately, and that is about the Mitre DNA.
And so if you have a favorite one, which one is it and why?
[00:16:31] Speaker B: Yeah. So we are comfortable being uncomfortable, having only been part of the team for three years. Like, I'm definitely uncomfortable in getting up to speed and learning things, but I think that one always resonates with me. No matter how long you've been with an organization, you're always trying to learn new things, so that's uncomfortable.
[00:16:48] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:16:48] Speaker B: Always willing to try new things. That's definitely uncomfortable. And then just willingness to take on new challenges, like, that's uncomfortable. So, like, I think all of those things are just part of, like, your growth process. And so, like, we should always be comfortable being uncomfortable because every day is going to be different. Every day is going to bring a new challenge, and we just have to be willing to accept those things and get to good solutions and just be happy.
[00:17:16] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah, that's a great answer. Well, Matt, thank you so much. This has been a great conversation. It's been a pleasure getting to chat with you today and learning more about your role and how MI is able to utilize all of the assets and all of the knowledge that's here, and just an amazing group of people that are building these products. It's been really enlightening and I've enjoyed my time today, so thanks for joining me.
[00:17:41] Speaker B: Well, thanks for having me.
[00:17:42] Speaker A: Yeah. All right. Have a great day.
[00:17:43] Speaker B: Yep, you too.
[00:17:44] Speaker A: All right, than the Clear Impact podcast is brought to you by Mitre Brands University.
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