How Panel Built Turns Quality Principles into Daily Action

continuous improvement at panel built

At Panel Built, making our products and services the best they can be isn’t just a line in an employee handbook. It’s a core belief. If we’re not continually improving, then we’re not doing our best for our customers.  

For us, continual improvement starts with adopting process philosophies that are proven to strengthen quality, but it doesn’t end there. The real work begins when we put those principles into action to create measurable, lasting results. At the heart of this approach is a shared conviction that everyone, regardless of department or experience level, has the ability to make Panel Built better. 

We bring this conviction to life through four ongoing practices that keep quality at the center of how we work every day. 

The Quality Show: Solving Problems Together

The “Quality Show” is a daily meeting dedicated to addressing quality issues as a team. Sometimes we identify risks before they become problems. Other times, we respond to an issue to ensure it doesn’t happen again. 

The show follows the 8D (Eight Disciplines) approach, a structured method of solving problems that focuses on bringing the right people together and digging deep enough to fix the real cause, not just the symptoms. 

  • The Process: We include everyone connected to the issue — from sales and engineering to production and shipping — so that each perspective is heard. The meeting is coordinated by our Quality Control Manager, Patrick Reith, who helps keep discussions focused and solutions practical. 

  • Setting the Tone: To reinforce the collaborative and positive nature of the meeting, we begin each show with a short, lighthearted clip from a favorite movie, stand-up routine, or TV show before getting down to business. 

  • The 5 Whys: We use the 5 Whys method to move beyond surface-level explanations and uncover the true root cause of an issue. 

  • Ownership: Each meeting ends with a clear action plan and an assigned champion who’s responsible for seeing it through. With more than 150 sessions and counting, the Quality Show reflects a simple belief: quality is a shared responsibility and a continual practice. 

quality assurance in manufacturing
Gemba Walk Before
Gemba Walk After

Daily Gemba Walks: Seeing the Reality

“Gemba” is a Japanese term meaning “the real place,” or where the actual work happens. At Panel Built, our daily Gemba Walks are about more than observation. They are about ownership. 

Each day, a different employee walks the floor to look for opportunities to improve safety, organization, and workflow. Rather than pointing out issues for someone else to fix, the employee makes the improvement directly. Afterward, they complete a SHARK evaluation form documenting what they addressed, along with before-and-after photos, and email it to the entire company. 

We use the SHARK framework to guide each walk: 

  • Safety: Hazards and proper PPE usage 

  • Housekeeping: Cleanliness and organization 

  • Accuracy/Quality: Adherence to standards 

  • Readiness: Tools and materials in place 

  • Knowledge: Clear procedures and communication  

Improvements might include clearing walkways, reorganizing storage to prevent material damage, or correcting labeling for better accuracy. At the end of the walk, the employee nominates the next person to continue the cycle, keeping accountability moving across departments and throughout the company. 

Kaizens: Small Changes, Big Impact

Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning “continuous improvement.” It emphasizes that meaningful results are achieved through small, thoughtful changes made consistently over time. 

At Panel Built, Kaizen is not limited to leadership. Any employee, regardless of department or experience level, can submit an idea for improvement to our Quality Control Manager. 

  • Incentivizing Innovation: We value these ideas enough to pay $5 for every submission. Each Kaizen is reviewed and voted on by managers at a weekly meeting, ensuring strong ideas move forward quickly.
  • Real-World Examples: Recent Kaizens have included:
    • Training our own A.I. Bot to be the company's one-stop shop for product information
    • Developing a new gauge for placing handrail clips that reduces placement time by 80% 

Individually, these changes may seem small. Together, they reduce waste, improve clarity, and strengthen the stability of our processes over time. 

kaizen competition winner
panel built customer service ratings

Surveys and Response: The Customer’s Voice

Ultimately, our highest priority is customer service. To ensure we’re meeting our customers’ needs, we maintain a structured system for gathering and responding to feedback. 

  • The Feedback Loop: Our goal is to make it easy for customers to tell us how we are doing. We begin by sending a physical survey, followed by a personal email from the customer’s salesperson. A few weeks later, we send a final survey invitation via email. As a thank-you for their time, we provide a small token of appreciation. 

  • Meaningful Results: This consistent follow-through has contributed to a 94% customer satisfaction rating and a 4.9-star Google review rating. 

When we receive negative feedback, we address it directly. We reach out to understand what went wrong, how we can make it right, and what changes are needed internally to prevent it from happening again. 

Quality for the Long Term

Excellence doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through daily discipline, shared ownership, and a willingness to improve. From the Quality Show to Gemba Walks, Kaizens, and customer feedback, our systems are designed to turn good intentions into measurable action. That is how we strengthen our operations and deliver consistent, reliable results for our customers over the long term. 

panel built quality assurance