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, and it is costing more than anyone thinks.
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 shift.
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
The complete method, in one book.
Written for supervisors, managers and improvement leaders. One example line is followed from the first logged stop to proven savings.
↗ Cost models you can defend to finance
↗ Leadership, accountability and a daily cadence
↗ Ready-to-use templates
↗ A 30-day launch plan
Available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback.
03 / The companion app
From theory
to the floor.
The Hidden Factory™ app runs the method on a live line, so every stop is logged and priced as it happens.
↗ LineSight live board
↗ Ranked loss tree
↗ Focused kill list
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.
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
Defaults are the book's example line, a composite built for teaching. Enter your own numbers. Illustrative estimate, not verified savings.
04 / Put it into practice
Not just a book.
A way of working.
Two training levels from Chapter 18 of the book, for teams putting the method to work. Ask about training →
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.
05 / Contact us
Questions?
Let's talk.
Send a message and you'll get a reply, usually within two business days.