Building a Case for Automation

Don't waste your money! Have you seen companies quickly adopt automation only for it to fail or go unused?

At Danner, one of its biggest goals is to drive down the cost of manufacturing and boost efficiency. So the company identified a need to have a clear process for understanding staffing and machine needs, product flow, bottlenecks and sources of quality problems. This provided a standardized way to build a case for automation through an ROI analysis. Join Ashton Burrell with Danner, as she shares Danner's personal approach to justify continuous improvement through automation.

• Understanding product, quantity and routing (PQRs) to find staffing and machine needs
• Visualizing cell staffing and flow through spaghetti diagrams
• Investigating waste, such as defects through PowerBi
• Building a case, based off current state analisys, for automation
• Adoption by team members

Founded in 1932, Danner Boots has been crafting high-quality, durable footwear for nearly a century. Originally established to produce boots for loggers in the Pacific Northwest, Danner has expanded its offerings to include hiking, work and military boots, all known for their exceptional craftsmanship and reliability. The company's commitment to quality is evident in their meticulous leather selection and incorporation of advanced materials like Gore-Tex for waterproofing. Many of Danner's most popular models, such as the Quarry and Bull Run, are handcrafted in their Portland, Oregon factory. Danner's dedication to innovation, tradition and craftsmanship has solidified its reputation as a trusted name in footwear. This commitment is deeply rooted in its approach to engaging and inspiring employees to actively participate in continuous improvement. https://www.danner.com/

Ashton Burrell got her start in manufacturing as a high school intern in Boeing’s Tech Prep program, learning manual machining hands-on. While studying mechanical and manufacturing engineering at Oregon State University, she completed two MECOP internships — first at Boeing in Everett, WA, working on the carbon fiber 777-X, then returning to OSU to apply her knowledge on the OSU Global Formula Racing Team. Her second internship was at Danner, where she discovered her love for the dynamic world of footwear manufacturing. Burrell has spent three and a half years as a manufacturing engineer at Danner, where she enjoys learning new things, working alongside teams and finding better ways to get work done.