Author: Mike P

How do you design a hybrid workplace? Better yet, how do you create an office space that invites your employees to reengage with in-person meetings while still providing the support and flexibility of a work-from-home schedule? It’s a question thousands of offices have asked since remote work became the norm, but few have been able to answer.

It’s no secret that companies want their employees back in the workplace. Since the start of the remote work revolution, dozens of studies have shown that in-person interactions are proven to enhance cooperation and communication among groups. However, many people have grown accustomed to the many luxuries of remote work, and the thought of leaving their remote lifestyle behind has become a nonstarter for even the most loyal employees.

The key to designing a hybrid office, according to Jack Cline, President of Lost Angles-based commercial real estate brokerage Lee & Associates, starts by cultivating an atmosphere and creating a group space. “Designing an open office space concept coupled with amenities and a workplace that provides an experience of value will help employees feel more welcome.” Companies can do their best to provide employees with free lunches and top-of-the-line coffee, but if that’s all the office has to offer, many workers will opt to skip the daily commute and remain remote. Instead, as Jack suggests, the key to building a successful hybrid office is to offer your employees tangible, practical benefits that can’t be found over a one-on-one zoom and never-ending email chains.

If you’ve spent any amount of time texting with a large group of friends, you know how easy it is to get locked into a conversation. When you’re in the thick of it, you’re laughing at inside jokes, reacting to hot gossip, making plans, and engaging in thought-provoking conversation all at once. It can be equal parts intoxicating and distracting, but it’s these interactions that help maintain and build friendships over time and distance.

The same principle applies to the workplace. The tiny micro-conversations that happen at the coffee machine are what bridge the gap between being known as the new guy in accounting to becoming a trusted collaborator. These are the conversations that happen outside your group of team members and spread out across departments. It’s a part of the workday that The Atlantic’s Derek Thomson refers to as soft-work. Soft-work doesn’t have to be limited to discussing your plans for the weekend; soft-work can be mentoring a new hire or learning about a different project that someone else in your company is struggling with. The point of these interactions is to build long-lasting relationships that enhance and encourage collaboration across departments and teams. A hybrid office needs to provide employees with an opportunity to engage in soft-work while simultaneously avoiding the rigid nature of the office cubicle.

According to Architectural Draftsman at AC Design Solutions Zaeem Chaudhary, a hybrid office plan must go beyond the simple open-concept large desk design if they wish to create an atmosphere that encourages this soft-work dynamic while still offering the flexibility and privacy of the work-from-home lifestyle.

“As work becomes more hybrid, office spaces will need to have a flexible design. Meeting rooms should resemble open areas that can be closed off with adjustable barriers to promote more adaptable cooperation on the go. On the other hand, hybrid offices also require more private enclosed spaces to better resemble the at-home working experience and please employees.”

What Zaeem is really talking about is the concept of multifunctional design. It’s something every remote worker is familiar with. The kitchen that doubles as an office; the fireplace mantle that serves as a backdrop for presentations; everyone that works from home understands the importance of having a flexible workspace. If remote workers can transform their living space into a functional office, there’s no reason companies can’t follow suit when it comes to retooling their offices. Offices need to comfortably sit anywhere from one to ten people; board rooms need to have furniture that can be configured differently depending on the size of the team. The more flexibility, the better! That’s why products like whiteboard walls are such a popular choice for hybrid workspaces.

While the future of the workplace will continue to evolve, there’s no denying the growing popularity of the hybrid workplace. Employees will continue to work from home, and employers will continue to yearn for the days of in-office work. However, by providing employees with an office layout that encourages cross-department collaboration and private workstations, employees will continue to make their way into the office in search of an experience that can’t be replicated on a screen or phone call.

Whiteboard walls are the truest form of unfiltered expression. There’s no barrier to entry; if you have an idea, you can write it on the wall. It’s that simple. However, turning a wall into a whiteboard is a more daunting task than the internet would have you believe. If you’re going the DIY method, you’ll need to follow these steps to turn your wall into a whiteboard:

1. Strip paint
2. Repair drywall to create a smooth surface (sand)
3. Apply primer to the wall
4. Depending on which route you choose to take, you’ll need to apply either an industrial adhesive to stick a laminate sheet on the wall or apply specialty paint to actually provide the wall with dry-erase properties.

As a concept, these DIY ideas sound great, but in actuality, DIY whiteboard walls require hours of prep and are difficult to remove after installation. To take things a step further, DIY whiteboard wall applications are not durable, often leaving behind ghost marker stains with repeated use. If durability and aesthetics are qualities you're looking for in your whiteboard wall, you'll need to look elsewhere.

Commercial-grade whiteboard walls are usually designed using a series of steel-backed panels that mount directly to the wall, providing an element of durability and magnetism that you cannot find in traditional DIY whiteboard walls. Over the past few years, the whiteboard wall panel space has diversified, incorporating dozens of material options to choose from, the most common of which include painted-steel, porcelain, and glass surfaces.

Before deciding on a whiteboard wall panel, you need to keep in mind that professional installers are typically billed at an hourly rate. A whiteboard wall installation can range anywhere from 30-minutes to days depending on the number of walls and classification of whiteboard panels in play. For instance, whiteboard wall panels that designate specific left and right-end panels require installers to fully layout and map exact panel locations prior to installation. In contrast, wall panels without designations can be installed in any order, directly out of the box. Alternatively, whiteboard wall panels that use splines and mounting trim will require installers to make cuts and modifications to the material prior to the install. While these modifications and requirements may only seem like minor pain points, multiplying these requirements across dozens of walls and panels can quickly amount to hours of additional labor costs.

At Magnatag, we've developed a line of magnetic whiteboard wall panels that streamline the installation process to make it fast, simple, and secure while maintaining a durable writing surface. Our line of WhiteWall^® dry-erase wall panels utilize a patented mounting bracket system that can be installed in a matter of minutes with the help of a power drill, level, and a few additional hands. All that's required for installation is to mount the brackets onto the wall and slide panels into their designated position—it's that simple. Since WhiteWall panels are designed with precision-formed self-edges, you can create a smooth, uninterrupted writing surface without the need to specify end panels or modify mounting brackets. We also manufacture WhiteWalls using our proprietary porcelain-like Magnalux^® dry-erase surface. Magnalux is a painted enamel surface is evenly applied to steel that will not stain, crack or fade after years of daily use.

Before you start looking into turning your wall into a whiteboard, it's important to be mindful of the two primary elements that go into a successful whiteboard wall transformation: ease of installation and durability. While cost-effective, DIY whiteboard wall transformations can take hours to prep and fail to provide the long-lasting durability found in commercial whiteboard wall panels. Commercial-grade whiteboard wall panels that rely on splines and mounting trim can take hours to install, and in turn, increase labor costs. Magnatag WhiteWall magnetic dry-erase whiteboard wall panels combine the best properties of commercial whiteboard wall panels with a simple installation process that you can complete in minutes. If you're in the market to transform your wall into a creative hotspot, Magnatag is the best place to start your journey.

Ask any small business owner what the most trying part of managing a company is, and they’ll likely tell you the same story: it doesn’t take a genius to scale a business to the point where it warrants existing, but generating enough growth to ensure that the company remains stable and profitable for years to come is an obstacle few overcome.

It’s estimated that somewhere around 65% of all small businesses in the U.S. close within their first ten years of operation. Of course, there are thousands of companies across the county that remain stable and profitable well beyond the ten-year mark. So what’s the secret that’s kept the remaining 45% afloat? “We focus on feedback,” says Jen Moon, Marketing Manager at Kaput Products. Kaput recently celebrated their 20th year in the pest control industry and continue to show signs of growth after two decades of operation.

The company’s business model runs through a diverse network of distributors and dealers that serve a specific territory. Customers looking to take care of a pest infestation must go directly through their local dealer to acquire any of Kaput’s products. If there’s no local dealer available, aspiring pest-exterminators in the making are encouraged to reach out to the company directly, highlighting potential gaps in the company’s distribution model. New territories are added to their distribution map regularly thanks to contributions from their traveling sales team and user feedback loop.

Part of Jen’s responsibilities at Kaput involve tracking, managing, and updating the company’s regional map as it evolves throughout the business year. Up until a few months ago, the entirety of the company’s distribution and travel data was only logged online, which was fine. Kaput’s database was still regularly updated, sales team members were still visiting new prospects, and the company was still discovering new territorial expansion opportunities; the only issue was that the software wasn’t easily accessible for quick reference points. “If I want to look something up as a quick reference, I want it to be easy to access,” Jen explained.

A few months ago, Jen reached out to the team at Magnatag Visible Systems to find an easy to access tool for managing Kaput’s territorial map. The solution: a large format, full color, magnetic dry-erase map of the United States. Standing eight feet wide and over five feet tall, the map is designed to outline individual cities and their corresponding counties, making it the perfect tool for identifying gaps in Kaput’s distribution strategy.

“We ordered our map alongside some of the colored magnets to use for marking territories for our dealers and distributors. We use one color to mark the distributors that currently carry our baits and another color to represent potential dealers… We also use a separate color to identify pests that are commonly associated with a specific location. Using this as a big picture, I can fill in the gaps in our marketing program as needed.”

Today, Jen and the rest of the Kaput team use the digital software and physical dry-erase map in tandem, with each tool serving its own purpose; the software logs and archives their regional dealer information while the map visualizes opportunities in their distribution network at a glance.

For over fifty years, Magnatag Visible Systems has developed high-quality printed magnetic dry-erase boards. If you’re looking to bring a personal and motivational approach to your project management strategy, contact us at sales@magnatag.com or give us a call at (800) 624-4154.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a city in the US with a deeper connection to its historical roots than St. Augustine, Florida. The city holds the honor of being the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European origin in the United States, and it shows: just taking a stroll down one of the city’s many cobblestone streets invokes the type of old town, coastal-colonial that feels as if you just stepped off a time machine.

Preserving this moment in time would be impossible if not for the help of the city’s extensive zoning regulations and efforts. The plans are designed to preserve the historic character of many buildings in the area through a series of compliance checks that are regulated via the city’s historic preservation board. Due to the intricate nature of many of the board’s regulations, the city regularly pulls from a select pool of contractors that are familiar with Architectural Guidelines for Historic Preservation (AGHP) when undertaking new restoration projects.

For local contractor Behst Builders Inc, historic preservation is embedded in the company’s DNA. Prior to opening Behst, Owner, Jon Benoit spent years working as a project manager for a non-profit housing development corporation that specialized in rehabilitating single-family homes within historic neighborhoods. Thanks to his expertise with historic renovations, the contractor is now recognized as one of the city’s go-to resources for historical projects. However, Jon can’t take all the credit for the company’s success: Carey Murphy keeps the business running by filling the vital role as the company’s Office Manager.

A few months ago, Carey reached out to the team at Magnatag Visible Systems^® when Behst’s online project management software failed to meet their needs. After scouring the web for a project management system that could propitiate everyone on staff, Carey discovered Magnatag’s Project StepTracker^® Magnetic Whiteboard System and quickly incorporated it into their internal communication strategy.

The whiteboard system is designed to list active projects vertically along the left side of the board, with individual project milestones adjacent to each project. Once a specific construction phase is complete, the designated Project Manager takes one of the system’s double-sided magnets and places it below the completed project milestone, communicating that the team is ready to move on to the next phase of construction. In addition, the company also uses the board’s notes section to highlight and sign off on any extra expenses that may arise during a project’s development. If an additional expense is needed, Project Managers are required to make a note of it on the board, which Jon approves in between shifts.

“We were looking for something that our team could use as a focal point for discussing projects; the StepTracker^® whiteboard is the perfect tool for us. When you work in an office where people are constantly juggling their time between being on location and in the office, it’s essential to have a space in your building that’s strictly dedicated to discussing project developments. Having something that you can walk to and manually update should be a standard for anyone in the construction industry,” notes Carey.

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If you’re looking to rethink how your company develops and tracks projects, please visit magnatag.com/project or give us a call at 800 624 4154.

If you’ve spent a considerable amount of time interacting with whiteboards, you might have noticed that not every whiteboard is created equally. In fact, there are a few dry-erase surfaces that don’t possess any magnetic properties whatsoever. As bizarre as it may seem, non-magnetic whiteboards do exist for a reason, and that reason is to cut costs.

Non-magnetic whiteboards are typically manufactured using one of two primary materials: medium-density fiberboard (otherwise known as MDF), or particleboard. Both MDF and particleboard are both pressed wood products, with MDF comprising primarily of pressed wood fibers vs. particleboard’s sawdust composition. Chances are you’ve run into both materials when shopping for affordable cabinetry and out-of-the-box furniture. Neither material is going to break the bank for manufacturers, which in turn makes it the perfect solution for those that need a cost-effective dry-erase board.

The board’s actual dry-erase properties come from the melamine surface that lines the front of the pressed board. Melamine is an organic compound that, when combined with formaldehyde, forms a resin/plastic with dry-erase properties. Virtually all non-magnetic whiteboards rely on melamine for their dry-erase capabilities, and oftentimes this material is added after the wood board has already been pressed.

With that being said, there is a chance your whiteboard isn’t magnetic and also isn’t made with melamine. If that’s the case, then you’re most likely using a board made of paper and film laminate. A good indication of whether or not you have either a laminate or melamine board is whether or not your board has custom print. Melamine boards are always plain white, while paper and laminate boards can accept custom prints. Regardless of this distinction, paper and laminate boards are still assembled in a similar manner as melamine boards.

“Great to know, but that still doesn’t explain why some whiteboards aren’t magnetic!”

To explain why your whiteboard isn’t magnetic, we need to take a look at how magnetic dry-erase boards are made. Most traditional magnetic whiteboards are backed with a steel sheet to provide even magnetism across the surface of the whiteboard. Additionally, porcelain and painted-steel whiteboards have the added benefit of being fired directly onto a steel surface, making the surface itself both magnetic and erasable.

Since melamine/paper and laminate boards do not have any sort of steel backing or face, they consequently lack magnetism. So to put it simply: if your whiteboard isn’t made with a steel back or porcelain face, it’s not magnetic.

Need to find a magnetic whiteboard? Magnatag is home to the internet’s most extensive collection of magnetic dry-erase boards.

While no two whiteboards are precisely the same, the same can't always be said for the equipment that keeps them hanging from the wall. Regardless of the manufacturer, many of the industry's most popular whiteboards pull from a small pool of hardware options when it comes to equipping their dry-erase boards with mounting tools. Now regardless of which mounting hardware a manufacturer chooses to use, a few tools will be standard across the board: and those are plastic wall anchors and Philips-head screws. The plastic wall anchors are great to use when you want to hang your whiteboard in an area where studs aren't available but based off our own experience, we recommend using them in all situations— with studs or without. A good general rule of thumb to go by is to use one piece of mounting hardware per horizontal feet of the markerboard in question. So, for example, an 8' x 4' whiteboard would need to have at least four pieces of hardware securing the top of the board to the wall.

But before you can even think about hardware, you need to have a proper set of tools to get the job done. In addition to what's included with your mounting hardware, we recommend having a drill, hammer, and laser level by your side—they'll be useful in just about every mounting scenario you encounter. Below we'll break down a few of the most common mounting configurations and what you'll need to get your whiteboard out of the box and onto the wall.

L-Clips

L-Clips (sometimes referred to as L-brackets or mirror mounting clips) are one of the most common pieces of hardware you'll find accompanying a standard whiteboard. L-clips are positioned at both the top and the bottom of the whiteboard and anchor directly to the wall while simultaneously hugging the outer frame. The bottom L-clips serve as a shelf for the whiteboard to sit on, with the majority of the board's support coming from the hardware at the top of the frame. For more information regarding l-clip mounting brackets, check out our step-by-step setup guide below.

Note: Before getting started with whiteboard installation, you'll need to measure where you want your whiteboard to sit. While someone holds the board mark both the bottom and top of the frame using a pen or pencil.

1. Align the brackets so that the bend in the clip is resting along the laser sight and mark your anchor point using the clip's alignment slots (for the bottom clips, the longer edge of the clip should point up and vice versa for the top clips.)
2. Using a 1" drill bit, drill one hole per every alignment mark from step 1.
3. Lightly hammer the plastic wall anchors into the pre-drilled holes.
4. Using a screwdriver or drill, attach the L-clips to the wall using the anchor points you installed in step 3.
5. Slide the whiteboard into place to ensure it fits snugly within the top and bottom rows of hardware.
6. Using a drill, screw the top and bottom clips into the frame using self-tapping screws.

Z-Clips

Z-clips are primarily used for installations where the design calls for a whiteboard to hang flush to the wall. As an added bonus, mounting hardware remains hidden in all Z-clip installs since everything can be finished without screwing into the face of the panel. The brackets are generally located at the top of the whiteboard and slide into place using an interlocking hanging mechanism. You may even recognize the Z-clip hardware from Magnatag's line of VisuGlass^™ Magnetic Glass Markerboards. Most markerboard manufacturers that rely on- Z-clips will ship their whiteboards the mounting hardware already attached to the back of the board. In the case that your whiteboard doesn't have clips attached, check with the manufacturer before installing anything to the back of the board. For more information on how to install a whiteboard using Z-clips, check out the guide below.

1. Locate and mark wall studs (or install wall anchors if necessary)
2. Mark wall at the desired top edge of glass board
3. Mark studs 1-5/8" below top edge mark for Z-clips
4. Confirm that your wall markings are level
5. Using a Drill, fasten Z-clips to the marked wall studs using hardware appropriate for your wall type
6. With the help of one or two others, lift board and engage the top edge of the board hardware into the wall brackets.
7. Gently lower board to wall and affirm that the wall-mounted z-clips are correctly engaged with the back of the board.

Safety Hooks

Safety hooks should be a familiar installation technique for anyone that’s been around a standard picture frame within the past decade. All you have to do is mount a pair of hooks to the wall and hang the whiteboard using the board’s attached hangers. Safety hooks are one of the easiest installs you’ll come across on your whiteboard mounting journey, and thanks to the tried and true hook and hanger design, it’s also one of the most reliable mounting methods for those living in an earthquake-friendly zone. If your whiteboard doesn’t come pre-equipped with a set of hangers, you’ll either need to purchase and install the hardware before mounting or look at other mounting options. For information on safety-hook installs, check out our step-by-step instructions below.

1. Measure the spacing of the board hangers on the back of the board (standard 16" on center spacing). Mark wall at desired height and measured hanger spacing.
2. Fasten the safety hooks to the wall using selected fasteners.
3. Engage the pre-installed hangers on the back of the board securely onto the safety hooks.

FrameKlamp^™ Mounting Brackets

FrameKlamp is the exclusive mounting bracket from our team at Magnatag Visible Systems. Installing a whiteboard with FrameKlamp mounting brackets can be done in seconds thanks to the patented, re-adjustable, locking brackets. Much like Z-clips, FrameKlamps ensure that your whiteboard remains flush to the wall without the need for any front-facing modifications. However, what sets FrameKlamps apart from Z-clips is the hardware's added flexibility post-installation. Say you wish your whiteboard was positioned to the left or right of where you initially placed it; rather than having to remove the board entirely from the wall and reinstall the mounting hardware, FrameKlamps allow you to simply lift the locking mechanism and slide the board to your desired location. As a rule of thumb, we recommend using three FrameKlamps for boards that are 4’ x 6’ or smaller, and five for larger boards. For more information on how to install a whiteboard using FrameKlamps, check out the guide below.

1. Using a level, mark wall at desired height for top edge of your board and at appropriate wall stud locations for FrameKlamps.
2. Fasten FrameKlamps at marked locations using screws appropriate for your wall type.
3. With FrameKlamps in vertical (unlocked) position, install board over FrameKlamps.
4. Slide board left or right, if necessary, for best location, then pivot FrameKlamps into locked position.

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Have any more questions regarding how to properly mount your whiteboard or what tools you may need? Feel free to shoot us an email at info@magnatag.com

Have you ever come across an index card with notches at the top and wondered, “what is this thing?” Universally known as T-Cards, these unique index cards are widely used by manufacturers, maintenance teams, warehouse specialists, and even emergency responders to track inventory levels and jobs.

For over 50 years, Magnatag has worked alongside architects and contractors to build thousands of custom whiteboards for office spaces across the globe. Over the years, we’ve managed to pick up a few tips from the experts that can help you find the perfect location for your whiteboard. With some of our Magnatag expertise added to the mix, we've put together this guide to detail everything you need to know when it comes to finding the perfect destination for your whiteboard.

Understanding the Relationship Between Positioning & Display Size
Display size and positioning are the two most significant factors that one must consider before choosing a size for your whiteboard—both of which vary depending on the size of the space. Ultimately, the two elements share a unique relationship, as both positioning and size directly relate to text and images displayed on the board and how we interpret content in a presentation space. The size of a surface directly links to the size of the room, and contrariwise, the size of a room implicates how large a surface can be and its final location.

As a general rule of thumb, we recommend mounting your whiteboard no higher than seven feet above the base of the floor and no lower than three-feet. To be more specific, the top of a 4 x 6’ whiteboard should hang 84” off the floor; a 3 x 4’ board should be 78”, and a 2 x 3’ should hang no higher than 72”. You should always place your dry-erase board in a position that lines up in direct eyesight of the primary user. The bottom line is you never want to place your whiteboard in a place that’s out of reach. Of course, this is just the guideline that we practice in our facility, and that’s not to say it’s the cardinal rule for whiteboard installations. If you want to take a deeper dive into the science of whiteboard installations, including ADA rules and guidelines for accessibility, we’ve put together this collection of rules and guidelines that can help you master your next whiteboard installation.

The 4/6/8 Rule
At its core, the 4/6/8 rule functions as a set of standards that determine the optimal display image size in any given presentation space. Depending on the intent of your dry-erase board—be it passive viewing, general information gathering, or inspection-based viewing—the image height of the board should be either 1/4th, 1/6th, or 1/8th the distance to the furthest viewer.

1/8th or Passive Viewing
The 1/8th viewing distance is perfect for spaces where general visual content will be displayed-think along the lines of webcam calls, movies, and YouTube videos. Typically, this content doesn't involve detail-oriented graphics, and when paired with a combination of audio and visual cues, can be easily digested. For example, in the case that you're setting up a project where passive viewing is the primary function of the display surface, and the furthest viewer is 30' from the board, the minimum image height your display surface can support should be 3.75' tall.

1/6th or General Viewing
The 1/6th viewing distance works best in environments where information is retained but is not critical for comprehension of the presentation as a whole (PowerPoint presentations, classroom notes, word processing, etc.). This type of content is the most common use case for general conference rooms in the US where a discussion is driven by what's displayed but does not necessarily require an in-depth inspection of an image or diagram. So, for the room where the furthest viewer is 30' from the display unit, the minimum height of the display surface should be just under 5' tall.

1/4th or Detailed/Inspection/Analytical Viewing
The 1/4th viewing distance is the most intimate and compelling angle of the 4/6/8 rule. Specifically used when inspecting highly detailed graphs and documents, like a CAD drawing or medical chart, this viewing distance should only be considered for presentation spaces where analytical interpretation and discussion of the display's content is of primary focus. If we were to revisit once again the presentation space where the furthest viewer would sit 30' away from the board or screen, the ideal height for the display unit would be 7.5'.

Generally speaking, most projects that require a whiteboard should fit nicely into one of these three categories. In the case that you may not know the exact intent of the presentation space, we recommend going with the 1/6th distance, as the majority of businesses and schools typically keep detailed inspection-based discussions to a more intimate small-group environment.

Determining The Height of Your Board

The ultimate goal when hanging any visual display surface is to provide a clear sightline for everyone in a designated presentation space. Finding the perfect height to accomplish this task is easier said than done, and quite honestly, there's no industry standard to get you started—but there are a few rules and regulations that can point you in the right direction.

Use ADA Accessibility Rules as a Baseline
In 2010 the Department of Justice published revisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) detailing the minimum and height requirements for signage as it relates to the ground level. The regulations state that the minimum height for signage be 48 inches above the ground, with the maximum height hanging 60 inches above the floor. While most visual display units do not qualify as "signage" under the ADA guidelines, many experts recommend using the 48-inch minimum as a preventative baseline for an end-user. The thought behind this recommendation is that the average height of a seated individual measures 36", and with the bottom of the display unit hanging at 48", the average viewer would not have their view of the display surface obstructed by another seated individual.

The 1/3rd Rule
According to joint recommendations developed by the leading global authority in home theater systems, CEDIA, and the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, an ideal view of a display surface should not have an angle of greater than 15 degrees to the top or bottom of the screen. The 1/3rd rule takes note of CEDIA's recommendations and utilizes a formulaic approach similar to what's found in the 4/6/8 law to determine the best display height for any given space. Ideally, an architect or contractor should measure 1/3rd the distance between the display unit and the furthest seat in the room and use that measurement to determine the final height of the display unit. By sticking to this formula, the height of the display scales with the audience and limits the line of sight for those located in the back of the room.

In Conclusion

Both the size and location of your visual display unit can have a tremendous impact on the surface’s end-user, and as a result, you should treat every surface you install on a case-by-case basis. It is essential to understand that available space ultimately dictates the final placement of your whiteboard.

What do three former Olympic gymnasts: Monica Gorman (1980), Kathleen Finnegan (1984), and Bonnie Wittmeier (1984) have in common? They all trained at the Winnipeg Gymnastics Centre. The 11,000 square foot facility, which first opened doors in 1977, is home to one of Canada’s largest gymnastics programs, boasting over 1400 active members in the 2018 calendar year. The person in charge of keeping the lights on is none other than Celia Champion, current owner and longtime gymnastics coach who took over the operations of the facility nearly a decade ago.

Working as the Owner, Head Coach and Facility Manager is no easy task; Celia is not only responsible for processing payroll, but she’s also accountable for scheduling competitions, facilitating coaches’ meetings, planning gym space for weekly training programs and much more. Until just recently, the faculty used a monthly calendar to detail dates of interest for both faculty and members. It was Celia’s responsibility to update the schedule at the end of every month, and with the gym open 6-7 days a week, setting aside time to organize and edit the gym’s monthly calendar became increasingly challenging to manage.

After years of frustration, Celia reached out to the team at Magnatag Visible Systems to develop a calendar system that could display the entirety of the gym’s schedule in a large, easy to read format. With the help of Magnatag’s GiantYear^® 365-day magnetic dry-erase calendar, the Winnipeg Gymnastics Centre is now able to display their complete program schedule on a single dry-erase board.

“We lay out an entire year’s worth of competitions, meetings, and priority bookings on the whiteboards. We actually have two: one for the coaching staff and parents, and one for myself, which also helps me with administrative duties in addition to our regularly scheduled agenda”, said Celia.

The gym’s calendar system is designed to highlight fixed dates (such as gym closings, holidays, and competitions) with color-coded cardholder magnets. Any other last-minute changes that need to be made to the schedule are then added to the board and emphasized with a colored signal magnet. With this method in place, gym members can reference the schedule as needed and the coaching staff can add notes when conflicts arise, establishing a line of connection that is always open. Celia’s calendar is managed in a similar method, with administrative duties also being tracked with the use of the cardholder magnets.

“Using the small calendar was such a pain. There was no room to add notes, things were constantly changing, and it became somewhat of a mess. With the new 365-day calendar, I can display everything I need in a single whiteboard. I know it’s also a big help for parents too, as competition times and dates will be posted as we receive them, and rather than having to check in with the coaches at the end of a practice, they can simply reference the board when they come to pick up their children.”

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If you'd like to learn more about the Winnipeg Gymnastics Center, you can visit their website at http://winnipeggymnasticscentre.com/

According to an article published in the Harvard Business Review, an estimated 75% of B2B customers rely on word of mouth when making purchasing decisions. For OEM manufacturers like Tapecon Inc, this means nothing is more important than focusing on quality in their production efforts. Located in Buffalo NY, Tapecon’s 90,000 square foot factory specializes in manufacturing prototypes, components, assemblies, and full production services involving custom materials converting and specialized printing.

Over the past few years, the company has made significant strides to improve quality in their factory by executing a “huge push” for culture improvement. The idea behind this movement—as described by Tapecon Supply Chain Manager, Greg Davis— was to “reinforce the company’s core values [which are]: learning is a lifestyle, embrace the challenge, improve it, and collect and collaborate.” Each value is designed to play a part in building a factory centered around continuous improvement and innovation. For these values to have a significant impact on Tapecon’s production efforts, employees need to be able to embrace and own the company’s core values.

Every week, the facility holds mandatory meetings for all employees to review SQDC metrics and partake in peer nominations. With each meeting totaling somewhere around 15 minutes, the goal is to address how employees are using the company’s core values to enhance production. If someone notices a co-worker exemplifying one of the company’s core values, they’re encouraged to nominate that person as a “culture champion.” A “culture champion,” as defined by Davis, is “someone that actively demonstrates our core beliefs, setting an example for others to follow.”

Before a few months ago, Tapecon held their meetings in front of a large whiteboard—which worked well; the company had a single, dedicated space to conduct their meetings. The only issue with using the wall-mounted whiteboard as a tool for peer-to-peer nominations was that the board was not accessible. To nominate a co-worker, operators had to leave their machines and walk across the factory to write on the board.

In an effort to make sure employees were able to nominate their co-workers without losing productivity, Tapecon reached out to Magnatag Visible Systems. After speaking with a Visual Systems Specialist, —a name Magnatag uses to refer to their team of product knowledge experts—Greg and the rest of his team found a solution: Magnatag’s RotoCube^® Bulletin Towers. Designed as a way to take information off the wall, the RotoCube condenses a 4’ x 6’ whiteboard into a 31” footprint using its unique 5-sided design. The dry-erase tower rotates with the touch of a finger and can fit in virtually any space.

With RotoCube now fully integrated into Tapecon’s culture improvement initiative, Greg and the rest of his team have been able to improve employee morale without jeopardizing production efforts. “We have the RotoCubes right on the floor, so anyone can walk right up to the board and submit a “culture champion” nomination. We use the other remaining four sides of the tower to address elements of our SQDC process and keep everyone aware of how we’re performing. We’ve been able to save a ton of space and avoid overcrowding on the floor with the RotoCubes.” With the wall-mounted board no longer needed for meetings, the Tapecon team has repurposed the surface to work as a root-cause analysis system and further develop a culture that prioritizes innovation and continuous improvement.

Last year we made a few predictions about what was in store for the manufacturing industry in 2017. As the year draws to a close, we thought it would be interesting to revisit our predictions and see what we got right—and wrong—about manufacturing in the New Year.

Not long ago, in this galaxy, we wrote a blog post sharing some words of advice for the lean manufacturer as told by everyone’s favorite 900-year old little green goblin-looking humanoid, Yoda. With the newest chapter in the Star Wars Saga, The Last Jedi, hitting theaters this Friday, we thought it’d be fitting to once again revisit some of Yoda’s philosophical teachings and see how they can enhance the lean thinker’s quest to reach True North.

“Much to learn you still have, my old padawan.” … “This is just the beginning!”
Everyone that’s even remotely involved with the manufacturing industry understands the importance of Toyota, the Toyoda family, and their relationship with lean. When you really think about it, the Toyoda family and the Jedi Knights aren’t all that different: both have spent a lifetime perfecting their art; they’ve been molded by their experiences—some would argue that they embody their craft—and have been made all the wiser in doing so. A few months ago, the current President of the Toyota Motor Corporation, Akio Toyoda, sent out an open letter to address the standing of the company after the financial crisis. After detailing the company’s missteps in recent years and presenting a few course-corrections the company will take in the future, Toyoda took ownership of his responsibility to lead the company in the proper direction. The letter ends with Toyoda listing a few philosophies he believes in and will keep in mind for the company’s future, one of which, bears a striking resemblance to the above quote from the wise Jedi Master: “I believe there is no “best,” only “better.” Continuous improvement is a fundamental component of lean, and one that is far too often ignored or swept to the side. It’s easy to become complacent once you’ve made improvements, but if you’re serious about lean, you must continue to innovate and problem solve. Much like the path to becoming a Jedi Master, the path to becoming a Kaizen master never truly stops.

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”
It’s safe to assume that your quest for true north doesn’t involve facing off against an evil empire, a wrinkly old man that projects lightning bolts from his fingers, or a mysterious bounty hunter, but that’s not to say that developing a lean program is not without its own set of obstacles. One of the most common obstacles lean startups face is a lack of support from executives. It’s not uncommon to hear that a lean initiative or startup failed to get off the ground due to a lack of engagement or support from an organization’s highest-ranking officers. To put it simply, many executives don’t understand the value of a lean transformation; they think of it as a cost-cutting, corner-rounding, activity. Lean leaders need to identify executive fear prior to a transformation and alleviate any hesitations that may sway executive leadership. The only “dark-side” to a lean transformation is failing to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience.”
Luke didn’t become a Jedi overnight; it wasn’t until he fell flat on his face, that he was able to understand the critical role patience plays in the path to becoming one with the force—developing lean is no different. A Kaizen culture cannot be developed in a matter of days, weeks, or months. Your organization needs to understand that developing lean takes time. Sure, you may find pockets of success within a month, but in order to see a long-lasting culture change, you need to be in it for the long haul.

“If you end your training now — if you choose the quick and easy path as Vader did — you will become an agent of evil.”
The entirety of the Star Wars series—up until this point—has revolved around the Skywalker family’s struggle to grapple with the powers of good and evil. While Luke was able to persevere through his Jedi training and become a poster child for the galaxy’s greater-good, the same cannot be said for his father. Anakin’s journey to the dark side and eventual transformation into Vader symbolizes the sensitive relationship between difficult life choices and their impact on the future. Yoda’s warning to Luke alludes to this relationship—and better yet—to the lean transformation process perfectly: Anytime an organization jumps ship and abandons their lean program, they’re inviting the three evils of manufacturing (Muda, Mura, and Muri) to creep their way back into day-to-day operations. Aborting a lean program midway through its development does nothing more than reinforce the exact behavior you initially set out to correct.

According to a 2017 report from the UN Conference on Trade and Development, the rapid increase in robotic automation is projected to affect roughly two-thirds of all jobs worldwide. Now, exactly how those jobs will be affected and its relation to the future of the manufacturing industry is still up to debate. Some theorists believe that adverse effects of automation will be short-lived, increasing productivity growth and thereby increasing worker income, while those that are more pessimistic believe that robotics may require a smaller number of better-skilled workers to operate, leaving millions of low-skilled workers unemployed. But is this something manufacturers should be worried about in 2018?

It’s a bit of an either-or scenario…

The report goes into detail that while the manufacturing industry is currently in the midst of an autonomous revolution, developing countries—whose manufacturing infrastructure is still catching up to modern manufacturing practices—are at a higher risk of losing jobs. This is largely due to the fact that low-skilled jobs in developing countries are more widespread, with developed manufacturers replacing similar low-skilled operations some time ago. The UN theorizes that this degree of fluctuation in the manufacturing industry could potentially result in the “reshoring” of many domestic manufacturers as the demand for high-skilled workers increases alongside automation. So while it’s likely that the demand for low-skilled workers will continue to decrease as automation becomes increasingly prevalent in the manufacturing industry, this doesn’t necessarily mean jobs will be lost in entirety. In fact, by deploying robots within technologically-advanced factories that have been reshored, manufacturers will be able to enhance productivity growth while simultaneously offering higher-paid positions to high-skilled workers.

However, the fact still remains that two-thirds of all jobs in developing nations are in jeopardy due to the prevalence of automation—it’s a number that’s extremely concerning at first glance, but not entirely hopeless either. Ideally, the loss of these jobs will create new opportunities for high-skilled workers in under-developed areas, which should only develop the global economy further.

In the end, it seems that automation and its relation to the modern day manufacturer relies wholeheartedly on the willingness to adapt to the changing economy. If workers and corporations are willing to adapt their skillsets and embrace technology, then automation should provide the manufacturing industry and workforce with an incredible opportunity for growth over the next century. Of course, any country or manufacturer looking to benefit from the enhancements of robotic automation must be aware of the completion that lies ahead.

Robotics and Automation By The Numbers

For the past four years, China has seen the largest number of deployments in industrial robotics with over 500,000 additional robots purchased and implemented since 2013. This push for an increase in automation is all part of the Nation’s “Made in China 2025” initiative, which seeks to comprehensively upgrade the country’s efforts in innovative manufacturing and raise the overall production of components and materials by 70% in 2025. It’s a lofty goal no doubt, but one that can only be accomplished with an increased demand for autonomous machinery—and these numbers are not exclusively found in China. Manufacturers in North America are also striving towards an autonomous future, with over 300,000 industrial robots in place in the same four-year span. It’s estimated that robots currently manage roughly 10% of the world’s manufacturing tasks today, with that number estimated to rise to 25% by 2025.

It’s statistics like these that send a shiver down the spine of members of the manufacturing community—and understandably so; with autonomous output more than doubling in less than a decade, it’s nearly impossible to imagine what the manufacturing landscape will look like in another twenty years. The silver lining to this for members of the workforce is that widespread automation is not yet suitable for all industries. For example, over 250,000 industrial robots were distributed globally in 2015 and roughly 160,000 were solely distributed to automotive and electronics manufacturers, which left 90,000 to be distributed amongst metal, chemical, plastic, and food manufacturers. If these numbers are anything to go by, it’s clear that robotic automation has yet to reach the level of universal accessibility that so many fear.

In Conclusion

Manufacturing will only continue to evolve as industrial robotics become increasingly accessible, but just because automation is on the rise, it doesn’t mean that factory workers will be extinct within the next decade, in fact, this advancement in supply-chain technology presents an extraordinary opportunity for operators across the globe. Low-skilled work will continue to evaporate in exchange for better paying high-skill jobs, giving supply-chain operators a window of opportunity to develop a new set of higher-paying skills. With this in mind, factory workers should prepare to adapt to the changing manufacturing climate as opposed to fearing it.

With the New Year just around the corner, many manufacturers have begun discussing the future of their supply chain management efforts. This often starts with a conversation that leads to questions like “How can we improve production in the year ahead?” or “how are we classifying a good day in the New Year?” A point of interest that frequently gets mentioned in response to these questions is the Internet of Things (IoT) and the impact it can have on a factory’s performance. With the adoption of IoT continuing to spread across the manufacturing industry, automation is rapidly becoming a standard as a growing number of manufacturers are ditching the concept of a manual labor factory in favor of digital-first initiatives. In 2017 alone, 1.6 billion industry-specific IoT devices were deployed across the globe, with that number expected to double by 2020.

If you do a bit of research on the best ways to clean a whiteboard, chances are the first recommendation you’ll find contains alcohol at the top of the list. There’s a common misconception out there that it’s okay to clean your whiteboard with rubbing alcohol; we’re here to tell you that is not entirely true. We’ll be the first to admit that isopropyl alcohol works as a tremendous cleaning agent, but when it comes to maintaining the quality of your dry erase board, it’s the worst solution imaginable.

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just a few days away. In an effort to celebrate the holiday, we wanted to reflect on a few reasons we’re thankful this holiday season.

Our Team
We wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for our dedicated team of employees. Our employees work around the clock to ensure your orders receive the dedicated attention to detail we pride ourselves on. Whether it’s a member of our sales team reaching out to a first-time buyer, a member of our printing team working on a custom-printed whiteboard, or a member of our shipping department making sure each order arrives at its final destination, our employees play a large role in Magnatag’s success.

Our Friends & Families
The company our employees keep is equally important to us. You’ve been there to help recharge the batteries when the weeks grow long, and we can’t thank you enough being the ultimate support system.

You
That’s right, we’re thankful for you. Regardless of whether you’re a longtime customer or first-time visitor, we appreciate that you’ve invested your time in our business. We understand that your time is important, and just knowing that we’ve made something that is worthy of a few minutes of your day makes our work all the more enjoyable. Using your feedback we have—and will continue to—innovate and change the way we use whiteboards. Your support is what has helped keep the lights on for over 50 years. Thanks!

On behalf of the entire Magnatag Team, we’d like to wish you and your family an enjoyable, relaxing, and happy Thanksgiving.

We’ve all been in this situation before: you’re sitting in a meeting and the person in charge stands in front of the whiteboard—marker in hand—taking feedback from everyone sitting around a table; you can feel the friction in the room build as ideas are tossed aside one after another by the person leading the charge. Meetings like these are designed to be collaborative but oftentimes serve as a motivational killer, driving employee moral right into the ground.

With over 50 years experience in whiteboard manufacturing, we’ve happened to pick up a few surprising bits of information surrounding one of our most popular products. So without further ado, here are five fun whiteboard facts we’ve picked up throughout the Magnatag journey.

Here at Magnatag, we take pride in knowing that our whiteboards help businesses visually communicate big-picture objectives and shed light on the lesser-known details that keep your organization running. In the spirit of Halloween, we thought we'd follow in our own footsteps and shed some light on some of the world's lesser known Halloween festivities. Take a look at the infographic below to see 5 of the most elaborate halloween festivals celebrated in Mexico, Hati, Ireland, China, and Nepal!

Here at Magnatag, we’d argue there’s no greater tool for visualizing workflow than a dry erase board—but don’t just take our word for it; search around your office and see for yourself! Each and every day millions of whiteboards across the globe are being used in workplaces just like yours. Over the past 50 years in business, we’ve noticed that a large percentage of whiteboard users happen to be developers. While you may find it a bit surprising that some of the most technologically adept professionals are choosing to use whiteboards for their day-to-day job duties, our team at Magnatag totally gets it—and we want to fill you in too! That’s why we’ve put together this list of five reasons why every developer should be using a dry erase board for their workflow.

1. Whiteboards Are Great For Collaboration
   Developers often divide their projects into sprints, with teams separating into smaller groups that focus on a specific element of a project’s development cycle. Each group is typically comprised of a team lead and a few front and backend developers, and as a result, elements of a specific product or feature are designed independently and pieced together towards the end of a project’s timeline. Whiteboards serve as an excellent meeting point for project teams to collaborate and visualize how a project is coming together. Maybe you want to start with a large-scale visual of how the project will come together, detailing individual steps in the development cycle and assigning steps as needed, or perhaps multiple team members are encountering a similar bug in the system, and rather than working the issue out individually, you wish to tackle the problem as a group. Regardless of which of these situations you find yourself in—if any—chances are you won't find a better tool for the job than a dry erase board.


2. You Can Always Erase With Dry Erase
   If you’ve spent any amount of time developing or programming, you know just how excruciatingly painful debugging can be. As with any problem-solving situation, you have to create a workspace that allows you to quickly isolate a problem and receive instantaneous feedback on an issue. It can be difficult to create this environment with coding problems in particular because by nature they can be difficult to identify and isolate on screen. By using a whiteboard for debugging, developers can break down algorithms piece by piece and receive instantaneous feedback from their coworkers.


3. Whiteboards Spark Creativity
   In past blog posts, we’ve discussed how whiteboarding can have a direct impact on your creativity. In short, writing by hand is scientifically proven to help maintain focus due to the way the brain interprets hand gestures when we’re writing, and since developers are often required to find alternative and out-of-the-box solutions to problems, writing by hand may help stimulate original ideas. Taking time away from the screen may just be the best thing a struggling developer can do to beat programmers block.

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If you’re interested in learning more about how you can implement whiteboards in your workspace, you may want to start by learning about our WhiteWall dry erase panels!

There's only so much time in your workday, and without a bulletproof scheduling system, it can be tough to stay on task and on time. If you're a frequent visitor of our blog, it's likely you've stumbled across a few of our time management resources in the past. A few months ago, we shared a story about a Magnatag customer that was using our whiteboards to aid in the development of his time blocking strategy—we even created a separate blog post breaking down time-blocking strategies for beginners. After creating these posts, we realized there's a lot of interest in learning more about time-blocking strategies. With this in mind, we put together a new infographic that details additional time-blocking strategies, tips, and statistics that can help improve your time management efforts. Check it out and let us know what you think!

We’ll be the first to admit that drawing straight lines on a whiteboard isn’t easy. Most whiteboards are too large for the conventional ruler, and without an object to rest your marker on, it’s nearly impossible to create a perfectly straight line. Over the past several years our sales team has had many discussions with individuals looking for a better way to organize their whiteboarding efforts. One solution we often refer our customers to is our line of ShadeLine^® whiteboards that feature permanently printed shaded rows. We recently took the time to talk to a handful of Magnatag’s Visual Systems Specialists to get a better understanding of how the ShadeLine^® whiteboard can help improve your whiteboard organization.

Whiteboards can be used pretty much anywhere; is there a specific industry or profession that has shown a lot of interest in the ShadeLine whiteboards?
“I would say the majority of the ShadeLine boards that are being purchased are mostly for the commercial business industry. It’s one of those whiteboards that offers a lot of flexibility that you don’t necessarily have with a job-specific board. Five different people can purchase an identical ShadeLine board and use it for five completely different purposes; people really seem to love that type of functionality.

What is it about ShadeLine that separates it from the other lined whiteboard systems on the market?
“For starters, people like that the lines are permanently printed and there isn’t any need to draw additional rows. If you want to create columns, you can go ahead and do so with whiteboard tape, so the board isn’t necessarily restricted to a single-use. In addition, people love the fact that the built-in rows have some definition—making it easier to follow handwriting from left to right—with the alternating shades because it’s a bit more attractive and it adds some definition to each row.

What are most people using the ShadeLine whiteboards for?
“Most people seem to be using these boards for scheduling purposes—at least the boards that I’m selling are. It’s really great for keeping track of things on a daily or weekly basis because there’s just enough space to separate the board into a week or month period, and it allows you to set columns up the way you would like without the need to create a custom-printed solution.

Why would someone want to purchase a ShadeLine whiteboard over a plain whiteboard with taped lines?
“To put it simply, the ShadeLine saves you time. Sure, you can tape horizontal rows onto a plain whiteboard, but you’re going to be spending a lot more time setting up the board than necessary. I always walk my clients through three of our whiteboards before setting up an order: plain, lined and the ShadeLine. People always say they don’t want to take the time to tape up the entirety of their board so that instantly takes the plain board out of contention. Then you show them the board that has lines both horizontally and vertically, and then they’ll decide they don’t want to have a defined number of columns; the ShadeLine kind of meets somewhere in the middle of the two options. Nine times out of ten people choose the ShadeLine for that reason alone. Overall, I think the Shadeline boards make it easier to organize your work in comparison to a standard whiteboard.

Do you have any advice to offer to someone that may be looking into purchasing a ShadeLine, but is unsure of whether or not it’s the right decision for their needs?
“I like to let people know that they have a choice when purchasing these boards. Sometimes people initially think you’re stuck with one size board or row-height option, but we do offer a variety of sizes for both. Usually, when I’m working with someone on one of these boards I like to make sure they have a concrete idea of how many rows the will need to have and how much space will be needed for columns. People usually have a pretty good idea of that when they’re this far along in the purchasing process, but you always like to make sure everything has been accounted for.

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If you'd like to learn more about ShadeLine whiteboards, visit our website

One of the first steps in taking control of your schedule is finding a time management system that works best for you, but with millions of templates scattered across the internet, it’s nearly impossible to discover which systems are proven to be the most effective. We here at Magnatag like to think of ourselves as certified experts when it comes to the ins and outs of scheduling systems, and naturally, our sales team has taken note of some the most requested layouts that have made their way onto our custom printed whiteboards. So if you’re in need of a major renovation to your time management structure, or are interested in discovering alternatives for prioritizing daily tasks, we recommend starting here.

Gantt Chart (via Vertex42)
Gantt charts can be a great tool for visualizing start and stop times in your project management cycle. Vertex 42 has done an excellent job creating a Gantt chart development walkthrough that’s completely customizable and features task dependencies with slack and float time visibility. You can check it out here.

Employee Shift Schedule (via Microsoft)
Microsoft’s version of an employee shift schedule is one of the most straightforward examples out there. The template is separated into seven sections, with each slice highlighting a specific day of the week and hours of operation. The spreadsheet can be customized to your workday, making it a great starter tool for organizing your workforce. You can download the template here.

Daily, Weekly, & Quarterly Schedules (via Cal Poly)
California Polytechnic University takes pride in the university’s core philosophy of ‘Learn by Doing’, which means nearly every class on campus is accompanied by practice in a real world setting. As you can imagine with a schedule that involves class work and internship experience, ensuring students have access to time-management tools is of the utmost importance to the university. Cal Poly’s templates are nothing extraordinary by any means, but they serve as an excellent resource for simplifying dense schedules in both the short and long-term. You can learn more about Cal Poly’s scheduling resources on their website.

7-Minute Solution Flowchart (via The 7 Minute Life)
The 7-minute solution flowchart isn’t actually a template, which may leave you scratching your head as to why it’s even included in this list. The flowchart is designed for life’s long-term planning, breaking down lifelong goals into 90-day blocks. While we’ve never had any requests for the 7-minute flowchart to be printed on one of our dry erase boards, our sales team has spoken to many of our clients that have found inspiration from this popular workflow. You can check it out here.

U.S. Small Business Administration Business Plan Engine https://www.sba.gov/tools/business-plan/1
At the center of every well functioning business is an exceptional business plan. The U.S. Small Business Administration has created an outstanding template to help early entrepreneurs hit the ground running and develop a roadmap for the future. Once you’ve completed the template, your business plan can serve as an outline for measuring benchmark goals that are critical to your organization's success. We’ve designed whiteboard systems in the past that use business plan objectives as their primary point of focus, with a collection of mini-assignments building into an overarching project. You can get started on your business plan template by visiting the Small Business Administration's website.

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If you happen to find any of these templates useful and are looking to add an additional level of visibility to your time management structure, our team of visual systems specialists would be happy to help you and your team develop a custom printed whiteboard for your time management needs.

There’s no single method for handling healthcare scheduling. Over the past 50 years, we’ve worked alongside thousands of healthcare facilities that are looking to provide employees and patients with timely access to a scheduling process that works. So rather than explain the intricacies involved in the scheduling process of each healthcare clinic we’ve worked with, we’ve collected some of the most common misconceptions that prevent facilities from offering timely and convenient access to health services and listed some of the best strategies to help improve your appointment scheduling workflow.

Scheduling Preferences Vary Based Upon Setting. Adjust Appointment Scheduling Accordingly.
The challenge is that many healthcare directors are quick to group healthcare environments into one giant bucket and approach appointment scheduling from a company-wide angle. It’s a blanket approach that’s far too common in larger healthcare facilities. Imagine that you’re in charge of a multi-million dollar healthcare facility and you're expected to improve quality scores and expand the bottom-line: it’s easy to understand how quickly the lines between efficiency and quality can be blurred.

A few months ago Nintendo officially revealed their latest iteration in hardware revivals with the announcement of the Super Nintendo Classic (or better known by its internet nickname: S.N.E.S Classic). The S.N.E.S Classic is a miniature reimagining of the classic Super Nintendo system from the 90s that comes preloaded with 21 games that span the system’s 13-year manufacturing cycle. While the system’s announcement took the Internet by storm, Nintendo’s manufacturing history indicates consumers should proceed with caution before boarding the hype-train.

This isn’t the first time Nintendo has gone back to the nostalgia machine for a quick payday: just last year the company released a miniature version of the original Nintendo Entertainment System that made waves during the holiday season. Over the course of the console’s five-month retail lifespan, Nintendo stock rose to an eight-year high, with the company selling over 2.3 million systems in a mere five-month period. However, the company ran into a few issues on the manufacturing side of the business, with supply failing to keep up with popular demand and the system disappearing off store shelves within seconds of the product’s release. Consumers and industry analysts expected the company to continue to ship units well into 2017 in an effort to offset the system’s overwhelming popularity, yet Nintendo abruptly discontinued production of the retro console just five months into its lifecycle.

If you’re someone that isn’t a fan of minute-to-minute time blocking, finding a schedule that works best for you can be difficult. Luckily for you, our team at Magnatag has spent years studying and perfecting the art of schedule crafting. Along the way, we’ve made note of some of our favorite scheduling tips and strategies, in hopes to share them with others who fear the concept of a strict schedule.

In the wake of the horrific aftermath of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, residents of Brandon, Mississippi, were left with a permanent mark on their consciousness, reminding the community of the devastation that resulted in over 1500 fatalities and 108 billion dollars in damages. Even for those that have been able to put Katrina’s devastation behind them, the fears still remain buried deep underneath, reemerging with each announcement of an inbound weather warning. It’s a reaction that has sparked somewhat of a movement for the city, with Mayor, Butch Lee, assembling a Community Emergency Response Team (or CERT) to help educate and prepare citizens in the event of an emergency response scenario.

Ted Talks are a great source of inspiration for the forward-thinking individual. With speakers ranging from ex-presidents to world-renown comedians, Ted’s content always feels fresh and insightful. In May the company welcomed American rock band, OK Go, to take the stage and discuss the thought process behind the band’s number of unique and entrancing music videos. The talk, How To Find a Wonderful Idea, uncovered some of the technical aspects buried beneath the band’s videography, but the gist of the conversation centered around how to spark creativity when looking for your next great idea. It’s an issue we’re no strangers to here at Magnatag, and we’d venture to guess the same could be said for your business too. Here are some of the bands takeaways:

Obeya’s have taken over the manufacturing landscape over the course of the past few years. This spin on the traditional war room emphasizes the importance of breaking down communication barriers that typically arise from a disconnect between workforce and upper-management. Derived from the Japanese term for “big room,” an Obeya is a dedicated space that uses visual communication tools to provide teams with a dedicated space to address problem-solving issues and present a big picture look and the status of an entire facility. Originally designed as an isolated space away from the production, manufacturers have increasingly begun implementing the concept onto the shop floor. For manufacturers that have done their homework, an Obeya is a powerful resource the gels seamlessly with process improvement, but manufacturers that believe an Obeya is just a set of walls and some whiteboards will be sadly mistaken; there’s more to an Obeya than just creating a room. Luckily, if you don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered. Below you’ll find a list of some essential practices that manufacturers should be sure to follow when designing an Obeya for their factory. covered. Below you’ll find a list of some essential practices that manufacturers should be sure to follow when designing an Obeya for their factory.

Yesterday marked the end of day two of the Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit. In case you missed what went down during day one of the conference, we posted an entire recap featuring the biggest takeaways from the addresses and breakout sessions (which you can read right here ). We’ve been following along with the conference’s second day of sessions and breakouts to create yet another recap of the day’s biggest talking points.

Whiteboards have had a place in the world of sports ever since they hit the mainstream in the 1980s. Coaches to draw up plays on the sideline; general managers spend hours brainstorming depth cart strategy with their scouting team, and players fine-tune their playbook knowledge all with the help of a whiteboard. We recently took some time to look back at some of our favorite whiteboard memories from this past sports season.

The biggest barrier of entry for the manufacturing industry has always been the language that surrounds it. We’ve spoken about it at length in previous blog posts, and it’s no secret to anyone familiar with the industry: manufacturing is an extremely complex and intricate workspace that requires familiarity for success.

That’s not to say a supply chain manager from Company A could waltz into a facility owned by Company B and have a complete understanding of their operations; that’s not how it works. There has to be context in order to find understanding. Sure, numbers and mathematics are universally understood, but if someone was present you with a handful of numbers without any context, would you be able to make any sense of them? I’ll answer that for you: No.

We’re celebrating National Nurses Week by dedicating our blog to those of us that have dedicated their lives to the sake and safety of their patients. As a bit of a thank-you for the countless nights lost to overnight shifts and 18-hour days, we’ve opened our blog to fellow RN’s looking to share their stories. Here’s what they had to say.

This week we’re celebrating National Nurses week here at Magnatag, and we would like to thank every nurse that has dedicated his or her time and energy into saving lives. We’re dedicating the entirety of our blog posts this week to topics generated by a handful of interactions we’ve had with members of the nursing community. We recently got the opportunity to speak to a handful of Nurse Practitioners that were willing to share their story about how they believe nurses can offer their patients the best care in the future, and one topic of conversation continuously came up on conversation: Teamwork—or more specifically, communication within a collaborative environment.

Last week HBO’s hit comedy about the American tech industry, Silicon Valley, kicked off its forth season with a major game changer. In last week’s premier, one of the show’s main characters, Richard Hendricks (played by Thomas Middledich), walked away from his start-up tech company (Pied Pieper) in favor of pursuing a new passion project. This departure had been in the cards for some time, with Richard falling in and out of love with the idea of owning a company he no longer believes in since the show’s early days. However, watching how the decision will affect the shows additional characters looks to be a main source of inspiration for the series going forward.

What’s one thing you find most customers are looking for when they contact a member of our sales team?
I’d have to say that a lot of times people will take a look at either our catalogue or our online web presence and ask for help. We offer so many products that I think it can be overwhelming at times to find a system that works for you. That’s a large part of the role I play as a Visual Systems Specialist; my job is designed to assist companies when it comes to the intricacies involved with visualizing information. Having accessibility to someone with a collective understanding of our products and the problems they alleviate is a huge benefit to many of our customers.

Somewhere between 95% and 96% of all personal injury cases are settled pretrial. For the 4% to 5% that are unable to compromise outside of the courtroom, there’s Jim Nugent. Working as the lead trial lawyer for the Nugent & Bryant law firm based out of New Haven, Connecticut, Jim frequently finds himself juggling multiple cases throughout the course of the year.

“The last four months of any case are where everything you’ve been working towards begins to come into play. I like to call those last four months the “big crunch” because at times there can be a lot of deadlines in play and you’ve got to find a way to manage it”, says Nugent.

The following blog post was written by Rachel Stires, of the Presentation Training Institute.

If you've ever been involved in an extremely boring meeting, it probably included a lecture and possible bullet points on a whiteboard. Conveying thoughts in any business environment means that engaging the mind must be part of the process. Ideally, your audience should be entertained as they learn about a new product, economic policy or other concept. Visual aids are the best way to connect to your audience regardless of the subject matter. Learn how these tools affect your audience for the better.

No matter what time you set your alarm in the morning, it still feels like there’s never enough time in the day. For those of us looking to maximize our time and become more proficient, there’s time blocking. It’s a scheduling technique that’s been making the rounds in some of Silicon Valley’s biggest startups over recent years, and many like-minded businesses are starting to take notice. So what is time blocking? Time blocking is essentially designating specific periods of time to a single project or task. The theory is that by isolating one specific project or task, distractions will be minimalized and workflow will benefit as a result. If you’re on the fence about whether or not time blocking is the correct option for your organization, take a look at a few benefits you can expect by taking on the itemized scheduling solution.

About a month ago, I found myself alone in the ER on a Saturday night after an unfortunate encounter between my middle finger and a potato peeler. In reality, my injury was minor in comparison to what you would expect from a typical Saturday in the ER—or so every major medical drama on TV would lead you to believe. I expected some form of orderly chaos, an environment that seemed controlled yet ready to burst with commotion any second. Much to my surprise, the unit felt nothing like that. The emergency room was quite, both the nurses and doctors that attended to my injuries were prepared, etc. Outsiders to the healthcare industry (like myself) are under the impression that there’s supposed to be gunshot wounds and burn victims, turmoil at every corner as nurses and doctors sprint down the hallways—it’s not supposed to be just some 24-year-old guy who doesn’t know how to properly peel a potato! There seemed to be an order to everything, nearly the exact opposite of what you’d see on Greys Anatomy, Scrubs or E.R. Curious to see if this amount of traffic was normal for a Saturday night, I asked my nurse if the ER was usually this quiet. She informed me that they were actually quite busy, with the night’s census being at an all-time high for the week. It wasn’t that this unit was completely devoid of chaos or trauma, but it was clear that staff members knew how to manage their workload properly.

Maintaining a large factory is no easy job—and to put it simply—it’s downright frustrating to keep a team of 100+ employees on-task. But for Sandra Parker, the Process Improvement Manager at Sonoco packaging, increasing productivity and safety in her factory is more than just a menial task—it’s a commitment.

The name Taiichi Ohno is sure to raise a few eyebrows in a room full of engineers; after all, he is the co-creator of the Toyota Production System! Widely recognized as the father of both the Just-In-Time and Seven Wastes principals, Ohno’s teachings have shaped the pathway of modern manufacturing as it stands today. Over the past few decades, Tachii’s basic principals of manufacturing have undergone multiple transformations, influencing areas outside of manufacturing and making a larger impact in western business practices. Ohno unfortunately passed back in 1990, but not without revolutionizing the way organizations isolate wasteful components and draw focus to areas of improvement. In an effort to celebrate Ohno’s upcoming birthday (February 29^th), we put together a list of some of our favorite lessons we can all take away from the father of lean manufacturing.

Proper management of both employees and resources is a key component of running a successful manufacturing facility—and when you're managing a factory of any size, it's easy to let the little things slip under the radar. It's not due to negligence or a lack of motivation, but a lack of proper tools. We caught up with one of Magnatag's Visible Systems Specialists, Sue, to shed some light on how our systems can work for you.

If you’ve ever been in a meeting with a roomful of engineers discussing shop, you know how easy it is to get lost in the discussion. For anyone that’s trying to get a feel for the industry, there’s no easy way to decipher the many terms and principals that surround the manufacturing cycle; it’s as if there should be an entire section of the dictionary devoted solely to the industry. While we can’t offer you that concession—because let’s be honest, we don’t have time for that—we can offer you a place to start. We’ve put together the ultimate glossary, for the leading manufacturing philosophy in the world: Lean manufacturing.

A couple weeks back we received a picture of WhiteWalls being put to use in a local high school English classroom. This image is just one of the many we frequently receive from satisfied Magnatag customers on a regular basis. I recently followed up with the member of our sales team that was responsible for the order in hopes to better understand what prompted the school's interest in WhiteWalls.

One of the biggest responsibilities Matthew White, Director of Programs at the Zygo Corporation, faces on a daily basis is the overseeing of extreme precision optical components from the early stages of development to the moment they are purchased by a customer.

Here at Magnatag, we frequently receive hundreds of emails looking for a better way to optimize scheduling systems.

To many veterans across the US, the VFW deserves to stand as something more than a place to hangout; it should be a place of warmth and community engagement.

The truth is: Hundreds of VFW’s across the globe are experiencing a dwindling membership shortage. Younger veterans are not as incentivized by the simple offerings of liquor and camaraderie as they once were.

With the holiday season now behind us, it’s time to look ahead at what 2017 has in store for the future of the manufacturing industry. 2016 ended on a high note, bringing with it speculation of good things to come for the year ahead. With that in mind, we created a list of four possible game changers the manufacturing enthusiast should keep an eye on in the New Year.

Disclaimer: Locations and names have been changed to ensure the protection of both those involved and myself. It’s to the understanding of Mr. Claus that his facility and staff will remain a mystery, with only pre-approved details making their way into the final piece. Also, I’m not saying that any of this is true—I’m not saying it isn’t either.

As of 2011, over one million children have been enrolled in the government-funded early childhood Head Start program. What began as part of President Lyndon B Johnson’s Great Society campaign that sought to eliminate poverty and racial injustice, the Head Start program “promotes the school readiness of young children from low-income families through agencies in their local community.” As further explained by the program’s official website, the Head Start and Early Head Start programs support the development of children up until the age of 5; in centers, child care partner locations, and in their own homes. Of the many responsibilities of the Head Start program, the program aims to provide early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and families.

The end of the year is an incredibly busy time for educators across the nation. With the months of December and January marking the halfway point of the school year for many districts across the US, our sales team frequently meets with District Administrators and Guidance Counselors during the winter seasons to help educators prepare to enter into the second half of the academic calendar with their best foot forward. I recently caught up with Jessica, a veteran member of our sales team, to see what educational product most educators are calling about right now.

In 2015, worker injuries and illnesses went down-from 10.9 incidents per 100 workers in 1972 to 3.0. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration—which is a subdivision of the US Department of Labor—plays a large part in guaranteeing that this statistic continues to follow a downward trend.

In an attempt to maintain this statistic and ensure that their workplace is in accordance with National and State labor laws, many companies have started to reshape the way safety is defined in their culture.

The average person watches approximately 16 minutes of video advertisements per month. Some analysts believe that this number will double over the course of the next five years, largely due to an increase in quality content.

One cost-effective approach that many businesses are taking to push quality content for their brand is creating whiteboard videos. Whiteboard videos (sometimes referred to as explainer videos) are short three to five minute videos that walk the viewer through a particular problem, story, or concept. Using the backdrop of a traditional whiteboard to serve as a blank slate for the story, the narrator’s words are visualized with the help of illustrations.

Here at Magnatag, we’re all about maximizing efficiency so you can spend more time focusing on the important things in life—like spending time with family for example! With one of America’s most popular holidays just around the corner, and we’d like to help you spend more time with your loved ones and less time planning. So here’s five ways you can plan ahead for turkey-day.

This past weekend I got a chance to catch the new Amy Adams film: Arrival at my local movie theater. If you haven’t already, I highly suggested you check it out. The film covers numerous themes such as loss, love and the unknown; set against the backdrop of an alien invasion—but it challenges the conventional formula of your typical sci-fi blockbuster.

November is World Quality Month. What started in Japan in the 1960s to help build awareness for quality control, has now gown to the point where World Quality Month is now celebrated across the globe to encourage businesses to strive for continuous improvement.

The Easton, Redding, and Region 9 school district is a tri-district located in Easton, Connecticut made up of five schools: Redding Elementary, Samuel Staples Elementary, Hellen Keller Middle, John Read Middle, and Joel Barlow High School—all of which fall directly under the supervision of Walter Czudak.

We recently came across an article in the September/October issue of Industry Week Magazine that talks about Obeya. The article describes an Obeya as a centralized hub used for coordinating production and problem solving. Outfitted with visuals like charts, graphs, and trackers; Obeya’s are an essential part of managing and coordinating lean manufacturing efforts, functioning as a bridge between departments.

With Halloween weekend just around the corner, the Magnatag team wanted to create something a bit different than our typical blog post to celebrate the holiday. And with a company slogan like "Show what's happening", what better way to bring in the Halloween spirit than with an explainer video?

The end of the year is just around the corner, and with that being said, many of my own friends have been putting in extra hours at work to help meet quarterly sales goals. I caught up with a few of my friends last weekend to catch up and discuss trade negotiations on behalf of our fantasy football league, when two of my friends became engrossed in a conversation regarding their sales targets for the end of the year:

Household chores are no different than the deliverables you are responsible for at work: they have to be done, someone is checking to make sure they get done, and there has to be a reliable method for guaranteeing jobs are followed through.

The healthcare industry is currently in the midst of a massive growth spurt, experiencing a period of extreme change. Part of that change involves a reform of industry-wide culture, placing more importance on standardization and communication. We recently spoke with Linda, the manager of our sales team and loyal Magnatag employee of 31 years, to get insight into the efforts that some healthcare facilities are taking as they progress further into this new shift in healthcare reform.

Teaching plays a fundamental role in the upbringing of our youth. We’ve all met that one person that we view as a positive influence; perhaps it was a parent, teacher or close friend—someone you could count on. With October 5^th recognized as World Teachers Day, we wanted to give the spotlight to those that make a difference. We asked you to share personal stories of teachable moments in your past, highlighting individuals that strive to make a difference every day. Here's a few of our favorite stories:

Now more than ever before, companies across the globe are taking proactive measures to create high levels of employee satisfaction. Major tech companies like Google, Netflix and Facebook are viewed as trendsetters for deliberately crafting their workplace around their employees, redefining defining company culture in the 21^st century. But you don’t have to offer free gourmet meals or gym memberships to your employees to increase satisfaction! In fact, according to recent statistics, 2016’s leading job satisfaction contributors include: respect, compensation/pay, and job security—none of which require a personal chef.

Between brainstorming sessions, random acts of doodling, and non-stop note taking, you’re probably interacting with your whiteboard on a daily basis. Just like hardwood floors and granite countertops, proper care and maintenance is required to help dry erase boards stay in top shape. In an effort to help you keep your whiteboard in tip-top share, we’ve put together this how-to guide for cleaning and maintaining your dry erase surface.

Summer's now behind us, and with that being said, 2017 is just around the corner! It's been an outstanding year so far for the Magnatag team, with hundreds of custom boards coming through our manufacturing and shipping facility in the past 9 months, ranging from patient bedside boards for hospitals to tactical maps used by branches of the US government. For this week's whiteboard Friday, we decided to show you a few of the more new and unique custom board layouts our design team has done for customers who needed special features to communicate their message.

It’s Tuesday, September 7^th; it’s 3:00 PM and all across the nation, children have finally completed their first day of school. They get home and leave their shoes at the door; it’s time for you to ask roughly 50 questions regarding their new teacher and classmates—but not before you grab them a post-school snack—and in the meantime, they’ll unload their entire backpack all over your clean house. Amongst the many folders and crayons that now litter your kitchen table, there will undoubtedly be a lined notebook buried within the chaos.

There’s the famous saying that goes a little something like: “If you want to have a happy life, you’re best to leave your work at work.” While that may remain true for most right-minded individuals, the reality of the situation at hand is that it’s not always possible. Some people work irregular hours, forcing them to conflict personal time with their hectic work life. Others may find themselves in a different situation entirely: working from home to best combat the harsh reality of two full-time working parents. Regardless of what the situation at hand may be, it helps to have access to a workplace that feels comfortable and inviting. By inserting yourself an environment that feels homey, you’re inherently easing the natural tension that comes with the territory of a typical workplace.

Every industry develops its own set of words and phrases. Whether you’re a lawyer, production manager, executive, accountant, or engineer, you’ll encounter catchphrases and trade names on a daily—if not hourly—basis. Frequently used as a method to help us communicate complex or multifaceted items quickly and efficiently, industry slang is a great device for the sake of simplicity in the workplace. The thing about industry-specific terms and phrases is that they carry an enormous amount weight for people familiar with the trade. The only downside is: they’re not universally understood.

Every year, 2.3 million weddings occur within the U.S. alone. That averages out to roughly 6,200 weddings a day according to statistics provided by soundvision.com. Sound Vision also estimates that couples receive gifts from an average of 200 guests, with each gift ranging anywhere from $70 to $100 in price. With all these numbers being thrown around, weddings can easily transition from an exciting and joyous event into a major headache if not planned accordingly.

When was the last time you checked and updated your maintenance schedules? It’s a task that’s often latent on your weekly checklist of items, and with your responsibilities only growing in quantity, they can easily be pushed to the side. Sometimes you may even push responsibilities into the hands of other team members, hoping they can make room in their workday. When working in facility management, it’s easy to get stretched too thin when overseeing an entire site—even with the help of an added facility staff.

Everyday, thousands—if not millions—of posts make their way onto Reddit in hopes of achieving 15 minutes of Internet fame. With the domain’s user base exceeding seven figures, only the best of the best content makes its way to the site’s front page. A few months ago, James Mayne, a high school History teacher living in Paradise California, uploaded a collection of personal whiteboard illustrations to the popular site to much acclaim (a link to which can be found here). The Magnatag team was extremely impressed with James’ craftsmanship so we managed to get in touch with him for this week’s iteration of Whiteboards We Love. Here’s what he had to say:

A crucial part of running a successful business is your organization’s willingness to grow. In recent years, a variety of industries have turned to the likes of Lean Six Sigma in an effort to strengthen and develop their organizational culture. By keying in on the coveted methodology that relies heavily upon the principals of continuous improvement and strong leadership, many leaders envision breaking away from their lackluster performance goals in favor of achieving significant results. Unfortunately, over 80% of all lean startups—regardless of industry—end with a failure.

The beginning of every great organization starts with excellent leadership. With that being said, it seems obvious that companies should not only put thought into whomever is overseeing the leadership structure of their enterprise, but also delve deeper into what precautions are being taken to ensure their management is driving results. After all, the qualities you instill within supervisors should parallel those found in within the vision of your organization.

We love whiteboards here at Magnatag (we know, shocking!) and we believe that dry erase surfaces are at their best when encouraging others to collaborate. Commonly used as a tool to help revitalize the conference room of days past, whiteboards are built from the ground-up with creativity in mind. Don't believe us? Check out the infographic below to see for yourself!

On its surface, an org-chart is simply a mapping of a company’s corporate structure. However, with the proper knowledge, an org chart can influence a team’s behavior. It can communicate an organization’s priorities, while simultaneously highlighting core competencies and where to best utilize them. An org-chart can promote collaboration and accountability. Basically, in the right hands, an org chart can help a leader steer their organization down the right path.

With another weekend just around the corner, it’s time for a new Whiteboards We Love blog post. This week we’re looking at a popular online web series hosted by the Internet’s Rand Fishkin, Founder and former CEO of Moz.

Whether you work in sales, manufacturing, education, or healthcare, it's likely that you've become familiar with Gantt charts. Designed in the early 1900s by Henry Gantt, Gantt charts have revolutionized the way we organize information in the workplace. At Magnatag, we know just how integral Gantt charts are to a successful operation, so we’ve created a list of ways you can use them to your advantage when dealing with project management.

Whiteboards are everywhere: in the office, behind the counter at your local coffee shop, in a coaches hand during the final moments of a championship game, in your child’s kindergarten classroom. To many people, they’re considered a go-to resource for articulating and embracing ideas and conversations.

As the leading manufacturer of dry erase whiteboards, schedules, and office supplies, companies frequently call upon our expertise to help create an effective means of visual communication. We’ve helped thousands of companies find the perfect solution for all their communication needs, providing facilities with the tools needed to create a cohesive and connected work environment. We recently joined forces with The Scheduling Institute in Alpharetta, Georgia, as their global headquarters underwent a massive redesign.

This week we’re celebrating National Nurses Week by taking time to thank nurses for their commitment and dedication to the healthcare industry. In a time where nursing salaries are fractions of what professional athletes make, it is important we acknowledge their countless hours of grinding around the clock for the sake and safety of others.

Today is the fourth of May, or a day better known by Star Wars Fans as May the fourth... Say the date out loud and you will quickly catch on to the pun that sparked a worldwide phenomenon a long time ago. Every year millions of individuals around the world gather to take part in a daylong event celebrating everything Star Wars. As 24-hour movie marathons and celebration parades set to take place throughout the day, we figured we could join in on this year’s celebration by taking a few pointers from master Yoda himself.

Described as a “unique and innovative way to organize important information”, the new FileView^® wall file organizer combines the simplicity of color-coded wall files with the functionality of a dry erase board.

The FileView^® wall file organizer leaves behind its bulky, metal counterpart of the past in exchange for a reduced profile that is compatible with any of Magnatag’s BoldLyne^® framed whiteboards. This unique design means information can be organized, stored, and updated in conjunction with Magnatag's planning and scheduling whiteboard systems.

This year marks the 46^th annual Earth Day, a worldwide event that was established in 1970 in an effort to exhibit support for environmental protection. Among the billions of people that plan to celebrate today’s event, leaders from over 160 countries will also be taking part in celebrations as they sign the Paris climate agreement. The agreement, which began its initial stages back in 2011 and was completed just last year, will primarily focus on combating the amount of greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale.

For the rest of us working folk, Earth Day is just another day at the office. Sure, we may be a bit more conscientious and recycle a couple pieces of paper and feel as though we did our part, but the reality is that few workplaces actually take part in celebrating this global event. In an effort to step up our own game, we’ve put together a list of five ways you can help your office go green this Earth Day!

Picture this: You’ve just sent out an email that briefly pitches your product or service to a potential client, only to get a response that goes something along the lines of:

Hey Reader,

Yeah that sounds like something I would be interested in. Do me a favor and send me a business proposal and we can talk further. Thanks.

A few weeks ago Business Matters Magazine ran an article featuring how some UK-based startups spark creativity and collaboration in their offices. The article details that Epson UK—a leader in worldwide digital imaging technology—recently conducted research amongst 500 entrepreneurs, which found that over 70 percent of new businesses utilize dry-erase technology on a daily basis.

The demand from consumers for new products with customized options has never been greater. As a result, the manufacturing marketplace has become extremely volatile, with new technologies and methods arising every year. Over the past decade, many manufacturing managers have adopted a Lean process as the standardized method for organizing their factory workflows.

We’re big believers in the concept of lean manufacturing and so our many of our customers. As a result, we are always looking for the best and brightest insights in the ever-changing world of lean.

Since part of our job requires us to be up-to-date on the latest trends and thoughts within the manufacturing industry, we know there is a wealth of knowledge floating all around the Internet. So rather than hoarding all that knowledge for ourselves, we thought we’d share it with you! Here are some of the top minds in the lean industry that you should be following:

The following post was contributed by Greg Hernandez, the Marketing Manager at R.W. Lyall

At Lyall, we’ve been manufacturing and engineering natural gas piping components for over 45 years—a span of time that often piques the curiosity of startup leaders I run into from day to day. Many of them assume there must be some great secret to how, in such a historically volatile market, we’ve been able to not only stick around but grow from one to three manufacturing facilities, all across the U.S., and all filled with happy, long-time employees.

Let’s face it; no one likes waking up in the morning.

Sleep is a precious element of life that some of us simply cannot seem to have enough of. Most health experts suggest that a healthy individual should receive between seven to nine hours of sleep per night—but I’m not so sold on that.

Picture this: You’re in a room surrounded by a few coffee mugs and scattered post-it notes, flooded with folders of printed memos and important documents that cover the desktop in front of you, while sitting in a chair that is covered with outerwear fit for any scenario mother nature throws your way.

We're happy to announce a new variation on our popular line of dry erase products. The new five-sided RotoCube^® is designed to move information off of traditional wall mounted whiteboards and bulletin boards, and into the traffic stream where it can command attention. RotoCubes rotate silently with a finger touch in either direction to display information on five sides, totaling up to 32 feet of display space, which is equivalent to a 4’x8’ hanging board.

Before the days of smartphones and GPS monitors, we relied on maps to help us navigate the unknown. There was never a need for accessories or an extra set of laser pointers due to the hands-on nature of a physical map. Nowadays, finding your way around the world takes a matter of seconds with the help of computer programs and other tech friendly navigation tools. Yet at Magnatag, we still find a large majority of our customers relying on the pragmatic nature of physical maps to help accomplish tasks on an extremely large scale.

The Internet is clouded with hundreds of websites that cover the lean manufacturing beat, and with plenty of stories being published every day, it can sometimes seem overwhelming to keep up with the latest lean practices and findings. If you’re familiar with the Magnatag Insight Blog, it is likely you’ve read some of my own findings regarding the lean process; but my findings are not, and should never be, interpreted as the absolute truth. So much of the lean process revolves around finding what works best for you, so I think it is important to develop an eclectic understanding of how lean can work for you.

On Saturday, the U.S. Olympic marathon trials will be held in Los Angeles (NBC 1:00 EST) and on Sunday over 25,000 participants will take part in the iconic Sketchers Performance Los Angeles Marathon.

The Olympic marathon trials are expected to attract approximately 350 elite runners from across the nation, all of which are competing for a total of six spots for the upcoming 2016 Olympic games in Rio De Janeiro this August.

How do you know when your students are falling behind on grades and struggling with a specific subject?

The answer to this question is always met with a variety of responses ranging from the sarcastic, “Of course, I’m the best educator in the world! How could I not know which students of mine are falling behind?” to the less enthusiastic, “I try to.”

The truth of the matter is that no educator can always know how every one of his or her students is performing. Sure, you may have an idea of perhaps a handful of students that may be falling behind, but in order to prove that theory you are forced to dig through a plethora of binders just to validate your belief.

At Magnatag Visible Systems, we practice what we preach. So as we begin to plan for the New Year, many people around the office are turning to our GiantYear^® 365-day dry erase calendars to help coordinate various plans around the office.

Our marketing department houses a three-month variation of the board, which displays important dates for advertising publications, as well as other digital releases. The marketing team likes to treat this editorial calendar as a public domain of sorts; since contracts with publishers and online outlets are ever changing, there is a constant need for people to be in the loop with the what’s, where’s, and when’s of every advertising campaign. The whiteboard calendar is a hands-on tool for everyone in the office, providing an open opportunity for editing as needed.

If you’re a factory manager that finds yourself struggling to maintain a balance in your workday, I am sure you’d be hesitant to refer to the manufacturing industry as a calming practice. With orders to be processed and packages to be shipped, it should come as no surprise that factory managers (just like yourself) are always juggling more than one project at a time. Now add the post-holiday surge to the equation, and you have created a scenario that can make even the most temper-minded individuals go a little crazy.

The following is a guest post by Lindsay Wilcox of RNNetwork.

You have one in each patient’s room and probably use at least one at the nurse station or in the break room. That’s right; it’s a nursing whiteboard, and it can help you greatly improve your communication with your patients and the nurses and physicians you work with. Here are five reasons to start using them more.

Many people believe that setting goals for oneself is crucial to success, as it helps you stay focused and on track. The methodology behind goal setting has been commonplace in the business world for quite some time. Companies commonly set benchmark goals for sales and production quotas in an effort to motivate and inspire employees. So what’s the best way to track these goals? Well, we believe Magnatag’s very own KPI Indicator is the perfect tool for the job. I recently sat down with Deb, one of our Visual Systems Specialists, to get a better understanding of how the board functions, and how it can be best applied within a workplace.

A big hurdle many whiteboard owners face is hanging their unit. A board may be an awkward fit for a desired wall space, or you may be worried about whether or not your cement-board wall will have the structural integrity to hold the weight of your whiteboard. Magnatag recently developed a technology that alleviates these worries, while making hanging a whiteboard easier.

How many times do you think you’ve used a dry erase marker? Hundreds, perhaps even thousands of times? Some of us interact with these objects on a daily basis, but do not have the slightest inclination of what they are made of and how they function. I was recently writing on one of Magnatag’s own whiteboards earlier this week and I found myself asking this same question. So I did some research around the office. I questioned our R&D department and in turn, I developed a better understanding for how dry erase technology works.

The following is a guest post by Lindsay Wilcox of RNNetwork.
Lack of communication between hospital physicians and primary care providers leads to a higher risk of readmissions and poor care coordination once patients are discharged, according to a recent Fierce Healthcare article — and effective communication between physicians and nurses is just as important.

Every lefty writer has smudged his or her handwriting on multiple occasions. A few years ago we listed a few simple methods for helping lefties better manage smudge marks on dry erase surfaces. We recently spent some more time studying lefty habits and picked up a new list of techniques that can help left-handed writers avoid sloppy handwriting.

Here at Magnatag, we are constantly evaluating dry erase surfaces to determine the best materials for use in our boards. Given that there are so many surfaces to pick from, we have taken an extreme amount of care in examining every possible surface to ensure our customers receive the best-possible product for their dollar. For instance, we choose to use a porcelain-like material (a hybrid of porcelain and proprietary-coated steel) when it comes to the production of our whiteboards; this material gives our production team an opportunity to print anything our customers request, directly on the dry erase surface! To give you a better estimate of what other types of whiteboards you may find on the market, we have put together a list of the most popular materials manufacturers use when producing dry erase surfaces!

Quality is of the upmost importance to everyone here at Magnatag; nearly every product we offer is both made and shipped from our in-house production facility. This week I sat down with our Lean Manufacturing Operations Manager, Neil. I wanted to pick his brain, learn more about what exactly goes into production, and how he’s able to ensure that our whiteboards are always held to the Magnatag standard.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, everyone in the Magnatag office can’t help but think of all the delicious food that will be on our plates this coming Thursday. So we decided to take a break from our traditional whiteboard-related posts, and poke around the office and gather some of our employee’s favorite holiday dishes! Here are some Magnatag-appoved recipes that you can try this Thanksgiving:

Writers block is an issue that all creative minds have suffered on more than one occasion. Creative visions are not always guaranteed to be a bona fide success; I often times find myself drafting multiple blog topics before delving headfirst into a post. There are a myriad of ways to help hone our creativity, including using a whiteboard to brainstorm ideas! Here are three ways in which using a whiteboard can help enhance your creativity:

No one knows more about our Magnatag products than our own Visible Systems Specialists. In an effort to gain a better understanding for our safety awareness kits, we decided to spend the afternoon picking the brain of Sue, one of Magnatag’s veteran specialists.

November 4th is recognized as National Stress Awareness Day here in the US. In an effort to celebrate the occasion, we've created a blog post that provides some insight regarding how to obtain a healthier, stress-free lifestyle. We hope you enjoy it!

Our customers frequently remind us of just how integral our safety maintenance boards are to the success of their businesses. With the start of the New Year just around the corner, Magnatag hopes to make safety awareness a simple and stress-free component of your 2016 production year. Here is a list of three of our most popular safety maintenance boards amongst factory owners nationwide.

Has October been a crazy month for you? Have you forgotten to grab yourself a costume for Halloween weekend? There is no need to worry; Magnatag has got you covered. We’ve spent some time brainstorming easy, do-it-yourself costume ideas, so you don’t have to! Scroll down below for all the details including: what you’ll need to make the costume, how to put it together, and a photo of the finished product!

Whiteboards are an essential tool for every professional. We use them everyday; some of our customers use them to keep organized, while others use them as a practical method of displaying information and communicating with coworkers. A lot of times using a product like a whiteboard becomes second nature of sorts; we are so used to having them around the office, yet many of us know so little about them. Have you ever wondered where the whiteboard came from? The whiteboard has undergone quite an evolution since its conception in the 1960s. What originally started as a substitute for the traditional chalkboard quickly revolutionized the way we display information.

Patient bedside boards are the latest trend when it comes to transforming care at the bedside. Magnatag has spent time researching the many benefits that bedside boards offer to patients and their caregivers across the globe. Check out the infographic below to see just how integral patient bedside boards are to the healthcare industry today!

Our visual systems specialists at Magnatag frequently receive calls from school administrators asking for help on how to display, communicate, plan, and track everything from Student Progress, to Master Class and Course Schedules. With the help of whiteboards, students and staff are encouraged to come together in an effort to collaborate, ultimately resulting in better classroom cohesion. With such a variety of products to choose from, it can sometimes be difficult to decide what works best for you. Here is a brief overview of magnetic whiteboard systems that administrators tell us work best for them.

Everyone’s seen it happen before: the teacher leaves the room, the students run up to the whiteboard, and just as they lift the pen off the board they realize their fate has been sealed.