Why We Don't Always Make One Product at a Time

When you see a wooden product, it is easy to focus on the final shape.

But in mass production, the way a product is made can be just as important as the product itself.

Recently, I shared a short video showing one of the production methods we use for wooden products.

The video unexpectedly reached more than 11,000 impressions on LinkedIn, so I thought I would explain the idea behind it in more detail.

The question is simple:

Why make each piece individually if we can manufacture several pieces together?

One production body → multiple products

For one of our wooden signs, instead of making each sign individually, we first build a thin box-like structure.

After the main body is completed, we cut it into two pieces.

The result?

One production body → two finished wooden signs.

It may look like a small change, but in mass production, small changes can have a meaningful impact.

Why do we do this?

1. Reduce unnecessary labor

Making individual pieces often means repeating the same operations again and again.

By combining several pieces into one production unit, we can reduce repeated handling and make better use of each production step.

The goal is not simply to make the process faster.

It is to remove unnecessary work from the process.

2. Improve product consistency

When several pieces are produced as part of the same structure, their dimensions and positioning can be controlled more consistently.

For products that will be produced in large quantities, consistency is critical.

A good production method should not only produce the first 100 pieces correctly.

It should help us produce thousands of pieces with stable quality.

3. Make better use of machines and tooling

We don't always need a more expensive machine to improve production efficiency.

Sometimes, the bigger improvement comes from:

better fixtures + better tooling + better process design.

By changing the fixture or mold, one cutting machine can perform different operations for different products.

This gives us more flexibility when working with custom wooden products.

Manufacturing efficiency starts before mass production

One lesson I've learned from working with wooden products for many years is that:

Production efficiency is often determined before production even begins.

The material, structure, dimensions, cutting method, assembly method and finishing process can all affect the final cost.

That's why when we receive a new wooden product project, we don't only ask:

“Can we make it?”

We also ask:

“How can we make it efficiently, consistently and at a commercially reasonable cost?”

A small change can make a big difference

This is one reason I enjoy product development.

A product may look simple from the outside, but there can be many manufacturing decisions behind it.

Sometimes the solution is a different material.

Sometimes it is a different cutting method.

Sometimes it is a simple fixture.

And sometimes, as in this case, it is simply changing how we make the product in the first place.

For me, good manufacturing is not only about having advanced equipment.

It's about using the right process for the right product.

The machine is only part of the solution. The tooling matters too.

What would you optimize?

If you are developing a wooden product, one of the questions I always recommend asking is:

Are we designing this product only for appearance, or are we also designing it for efficient mass production?

I'd be interested to hear how other product developers and sourcing professionals approach this question.

If you are working on a custom wooden product, wooden packaging, home décor or DIY product, feel free to connect with me. I enjoy discussing practical manufacturing solutions.