One thing I’ve learned about offsite construction is that introducing a good idea and getting people to seriously consider it are two different jobs. Factory owners have production schedules to protect, builders waiting for answers, and enough daily interruptions that another presentation can feel like something they can postpone.
That is part of what makes Jorie Wisnefski’s involvement
with Uni-Frame and our East Coast Factory Innovation Roundtable worth
discussing. Helping people understand an innovation means connecting it to the
problems they already recognize. With our October 28 gathering in Lewisburg,
Pennsylvania, approaching, this conversation focuses on those connections—and
the questions we hope people bring.
Gary Fleisher: When you’re helping introduce
something like Uni-Frame, where should the conversation begin?
Jorie Wisnefski: We should start with how the
factory works today. Before talking about a different system, I want to
understand how modules are moved, where transportation equipment gets tied up,
and what problems people have learned to work around. It's hard to see the
value of something new without first understanding what it could solve.
With Uni-Frame, it's about more than the steel frame. It's
about how the building and transportation systems work together. Factories need
to understand what's different, what stays the same, and what they will need to
consider before deciding if it makes sense for them.
Gary: How would you explain Uni-Frame to someone hearing about it for the first time?
Jorie: The idea is that the frame becomes part of the
module and its transportation system. Uni-Frame uses a steel frame with front
and rear dollies to move the module without a separate carrier underneath
it.
But it's not just about how it moves. Factories
need to ask the Uni-Frame folks
1. How the frame is engineered
2. How it connects to the module
3. How loading and transportation work, and
4. What happens when it reaches its destination.
It's important to understand the whole process.
CLICK HERE to register for the East Coast Factory Innovation Roundtable.
Gary: Why do you think the carrier issue deserves more attention?
Jorie: When something is part of a daily routine, people stop thinking about it. A flat tire, an unavailable carrier, or a delayed return might seem like separate problems, but together they reveal the bigger issue.
Carrier fleets come with their own costs.
Depending on how a factory operates, there may also be deposits and the
challenge of getting carriers back where they belong. Every factory is
different, so they have to start by looking at what they're spending and
dealing with.
Gary: There is always pressure to put a big savings number in a headline. How should we handle that?
Jorie: Each factory has to look at their own
numbers. A large factory with its own fleet will have different costs than a
smaller factory delivering to nearby builders. We can't use one savings number
for everyone.
They need to ask useful questions about factory costs, the investments required to make the change, and which costs could disappear or shift.
Factories need to look at the whole picture to know if the change really makes
sense.
Gary: What makes the October 28 Roundtable a good place to have these conversations?
Jorie: It's a chance to ask questions and talk
through how something might work in the real world. A presentation can
introduce an idea, but the conversation afterward is where people can ask how
it might work with their factory.
Different people will have different questions. An owner might focus on cost, an engineer on how everything fits together, and a production manager on how it affects the workflow.
When people share those perspectives, they can catch things
they might not have considered on their own.
Gary: We’re planning to show a full module carried
using Uni-Frame. What should attendees look for?
Jorie: Seeing a full module lets people see how the system works beyond a drawing or video.
They can see how the frame supports the module and think of
questions they might not have considered before.
The demonstration is a starting point. Attendees will still need to understand the engineering and how the system would work in their own factory. The goal is to ask the Uni-Frame team good questions and to leave with a better understanding.
CLICK HERE to register for the East Coast Factory Innovation Roundtable.
Gary: Uni-Frame is part of a broader program. How do the other companies fit?
Jorie: Each presentation brings a different
perspective.
Ben Hershey from 4Ward Solutions brings his factory management experience.
Max Quinn and Blaine Comeione from Ground Up bring a focus on tools and information for offsite businesses.
The Uni-Frame team helps people understand the connection between the building, how it's transported, and how it's set.
These topics may seem separate, but they affect each other. Changes in transportation can affect the factory, and management decisions can affect how the whole operation runs. Hearing these different perspectives
together can help people see how the pieces fit and what they need to consider
in their own business.
Gary: Who should a company send?
Jorie: Anyone involved in making decisions about how
modules are built, moved, or delivered should join us.
Owners, production managers, engineers, and builders all
bring different experiences to the table. The more perspectives we hear, the
more we can learn from each other.
Gary: With so many events competing for attention, what makes this one worth taking a day off for?
Jorie: You get time to ask questions, hear how others
approach the same challenges, and talk directly with people who know the work.
It's a chance to learn from each other, not just sit through
presentations.
Registration starts at $99 and includes breakfast and lunch.
The real value is taking home ideas you can use.
Gary: What would you consider a successful outcome?
Jorie: If people leave with a new idea, useful
connection, or next step for their company, that's a win.
I want attendees to be comfortable discussing obstacles and
asking questions. They don't need to make decisions that day. They just need to
leave knowing more than they did when they arrived.
Gary’s Observation
I’ve sat through enough industry presentations to know that enthusiasm is easy to generate for an afternoon. What matters is what someone does when they return to the factory and look at the same problems with better information.
That is what Jorie and I want from the East Coast Factory
Innovation Roundtable on October 28 in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Bring your
curiosity, your practical concerns, and the questions that never fit into the last two minutes of a presentation. We intend to give
those questions some room.
CLICK HERE to register for the East Coast Factory Innovation
Roundtable.
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