Posts by disheradmin
The Power of the Checklist
Relying on Memory is a Bad Strategy I’ve read a number of blogs and articles recently that have had titles like these: “Embracing Failure”, “Learning from our Failures”, “Fail Fast, Fail Cheap”, and so on. All were making the point that failure is a good thing from which we grow and learn. We are often…
Read MoreAn Integrative Approach to Talent Solutions
What Makes DISHER Different Six years ago Jeff Disher, our CEO, came to me asking if I could help a customer ramp up a new plant. I responded, “Absolutely— yes!” We created a recruitment process that was different from the norm. It was highly-collaborative and strategic. We worked with this organization for two years and…
Read MoreInnovation Still Behind Old School Mastery
The Human Element of Design “Old school” modeling methods are often thought to be obsolete when embracing innovation in product development, but this is not always the case. For 80 years, automotive design studios have used clay to create life-size models. It’s a process that has yet to be abandoned because technology is not able…
Read MoreGet More Hits in Product Development
As the owner of a product development firm, I often receive calls that go something like this, “We have this idea for a new product, but we’re not sure how to get it developed— can you help us?” As the conversation continues, I sense that they think their idea is a big winner… and visions…
Read MoreDISHER Dart Wars
One of the Many Reasons DISHER is a Great Place to Work DISHER Dart Wars is an epic matchup of our fiercest nerf-gun-wielding competitors. The second DISHER Dart Wars battle kicked off with 28 contenders in our Zeeland and Ann Arbor locations. As the games began each participant received their first target and started strategizing…
Read MoreProduct Constraints Can be the Catalyst to a Great Design
In the world of design and engineering, product requirements (also called constraints) can often feel like restraints to our creativity and ability to design a great product or solution. We’ve all experienced the feeling of frustration when a constraint has kept us from implementing a good solution— sometimes literally by only tenths of a millimeter.…
Read MoreExploring Isle Royale
A Young Engineer Ponders His Path This past fall, my wife Lindsey and I took a trip to the nation’s least visited National Park – Isle Royale. It’s a pristine island located in the middle of Lake Superior accessible only by a ferry or sea plane. As we explored Isle Royale on foot and by…
Read MoreLocal Students Experience Winterim at DISHER
Winterim is a week-long learning experience for Holland Christian High School students. It gives students the opportunity to explore various subjects outside of the traditional curriculum for exposure to new ideas, potential careers, and lifetime skills. One of the options available for juniors and seniors is to spend the week off-campus with real employers for…
Read MoreWhat We Gleaned from CES 2017
CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show that takes place every January in Las Vegas, Nevada. A group from DISHER’s electronics team gleaned quite a bit from this year’s gadget-thon. Why does DISHER attend CES? 1. To see the devices that DISHER helped create. It was exciting to see DISHER projects…
Read MoreFocus for 2017: Working in Community
On January 19, over 70% of DISHER’s 160-member team came together for a day of learning, serving, and building community. The Vintage Place in Grand Rapids was the venue for the bi-annual event. Jeff Disher’s focus for the day was Working in Community. It was selected because of DISHER’s significant growth, both as a team and…
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