Thomas R. Cutler

President and CEO, author

Thomas R. Cutler is the President and CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based, TR Cutler Inc., celebrating its 21st year. Cutler is the founder of the Manufacturing Media Consortium including more than 8000 journalists, editors, and economists writing about trends in manufacturing, industry, material handling, and process improvement. Cutler authors more than 1,000 feature articles annually regarding the manufacturing sector. More than 4,500 industry leaders follow Cutler on Twitter daily at @ThomasRCutler. Contact Cutler at trcutler@trcutlerinc.com.

Wed, 03/16/2022 - 15:30
Conveying Lean Excellence Hytrol Conveyor employees talk about their company’s lean journey
Wed, 11/26/2014 - 10:27
It’s rare to find a company where the lean manufacturing culture is companywide, ingrained in every employee. But such is the case of Jonesboro, Arkansas-based Hytrol Conveyors, a designer and manufacturer of advanced conveyor systems. As a…
Material Handling Made Elegant Improve the quality of direct store delivery with the right equipment
Thu, 04/10/2014 - 14:26
Within the retail industry, it’s impossible to look at the quality of material handling processes without looking at delivery to retail outlets. Nearly three-fourths of the total costs of direct store delivery (DSD) rest with warehouse, order…
Material Handling Made Simple How system integrators support quality production
Mon, 01/27/2014 - 12:24
How materials are transported throughout a production system can affect not only a company’s lean implementation but also on product quality itself. In many industries the material handling system helps ensure that part damage—cosmetic or…
Identifying Quality Patterns Quality managers facilitate technological collaboration
Wed, 11/13/2013 - 10:27
R ecently more than 194 manufacturing IT managers and directors were asked to identify what would facilitate collaboration and productivity improvements across their organizations. More than 150 people completed a multiple-choice email survey,…
When Robots Do the Heavy Lifting Improving quality and safety while reducing costs
Wed, 05/01/2013 - 16:03
Lift trucks are one of the most important transport vehicles for goods at almost all companies. Automating the functions of a manned lift truck to positioning, monitoring, tracking, and identification enables fewer accidents, less material damage,…
Keeping Lean Initiatives Lean First apply the theory of constraints
Wed, 01/30/2013 - 16:39
In an unforgiving and increasingly competitive marketplace, manufacturers struggle to squeeze 5 percent to 7 percent from operational cost reductions. Those who fail often don’t survive, and more than 1,000 North American plants closed last year…
Avoid Supply-Chain Disruptions Before They Occur Regulatory management systems offer better collaboration, continuous visibility into supply chains
Tue, 12/18/2012 - 12:54
Berner Food and Beverage is a leading private-label and store-brand supplier of food and beverage products such as processed cheese, snack dips, latte, and meal replacement beverages. From merchandising solutions to a full spectrum of value-added…
Education: Preparing the Next-Generation Workforce, Part Two Continuous improvement in education requires monitoring
Wed, 05/16/2012 - 10:34
Editor’s note: This is the second article of a multipart series about the role of quality in education and its effect on workforce development. In part one of the series, the role of accountability was detailed and profiled. The well-established…
Education: Preparing the Next-Generation Workforce, Part One Taking on quality with accountability
Tue, 05/08/2012 - 16:13
Editor’s note: In this first part of a multipart series on quality in education, we will provide an overview of the current state of quality education issues. In addition, a few of the lean practices that are now being adopted by education thought…
A Cost-Effective Definition of Quality: Fewer Back Injuries ‘Avoiding one work-related injury claim would offset the costs of a fleet of electric hand trucks’
Tue, 12/13/2011 - 12:52
In production, “zero defects” is a frequent quality metric, but zero worker injuries, while a stated goal of most manufacturing plants and distribution centers, has not made it to the gold standard. There is no disputing that defective product…