Find the Hidden Factory
For every operator and lead: the eight losses, the one-minute rule, how to log a stop, the reason codes and why logging is safe. Ends with a practice round.
The hidden factory ends here
SEE IT.
PRICE IT.
KILL IT.
Every plant runs a second factory nobody sees. UNHIDDEN gives you the method, the book, and the tools to find the losses, put a price on them, and make them disappear.
A practical system by Colquitt L. Davis III
01 / A clearer way forward
What you can't see,
you can't improve.
Breakdowns. Waiting. Slow running. Rework. The hidden factory drains capacity every day. UNHIDDEN turns those invisible losses into measurable action.
01 / OBSERVE
See it.
Capture losses where they happen, when they happen. Give every minute a name and a reason.
02 / QUANTIFY
Price it.
Convert lost minutes and units into a defensible financial picture. Find the vital few.
03 / ELIMINATE
Kill it.
Assign an owner, attack the largest loss, and verify that the improvement actually holds.
02 / The book
A field guide to the factory you can't see.
Built for people who run and improve operations. From capturing the first loss to proving sustained savings, UNHIDDEN connects the numbers to daily leadership.
↗ One worked example line, start to finish (a composite built for teaching)
↗ Loss capture, cost models, and prioritization
↗ Leadership, accountability, and daily cadence
↗ Practical templates and a 30-day launch framework
Purchase links will be added when listings are live.
03 / The companion app
From theory
to the floor.
The Hidden Factory app brings the method into daily operations: make losses visible, organize them into a loss tree, and focus your team's improvement work.
↗ LineSight live board
↗ Ranked loss tree
↗ Focused kill list
Prototype shown with demo data on a simulated line. Not validated for live production decisions.
HIDDEN FACTORY / Overview● ILLUSTRATIVE DATA
Lost minutes247
Est. loss value$4,940
Active priorities03
LOSS DISTRIBUTION · EXAMPLE
SHIFT STARTSHIFT END
Interactive · the book's own formula
What is one minute of your line worth?
Stopped time costs the margin on the units the line should have built, plus the crew's paid time. Illustrative estimate, not verified savings.
One minute of line time
margin ÷ cycle + crew × labor ÷ 60$146
margin ÷ cycle + crew × labor ÷ 60$146
Estimated annualized loss
value per minute × minutes per day × operating days$1,643,963
value per minute × minutes per day × operating days$1,643,963
The defaults are the book's example line (Line 1), a composite built for teaching. Enter your own plant's numbers.
04 / Read in your language
One mission. Three editions.
English first, with Spanish and Arabic editions to follow. Purchase links will be added as each edition goes live.
English
Kindle eBook · Paperback · First
Español
Spanish edition · To follow
العربية
Arabic edition · To follow
05 / Put it into practice
Not just a book.
A way of working.
The two training levels described in Chapter 18 of the book. Training sessions are planned; availability will be announced here.
Price It & Kill It
For supervisors, leads and support teams: pricing, the loss tree, the kill list, charters and proof, and servant leadership with the bad-news conversation exercise.
UNHIDDEN / THE SYSTEM
No loss
stays hidden.
Start with the book. Explore the app. Bring the method to your team. Every minute has a price. The biggest one goes first.
Back to the beginning ↑