PhD and migrant worker

I have read an interesting story from a Chinese website.  A factory in a major Chinese city has imported a bar soap packaging production line.  The line has rampant problems of not putting the soap into the box.  The factory owner had found a PhD in automation to solve this empty-box problem.

The PhD in turn had recruited another 10+ people to reseach the problem.  They finally have integrated micro-electronics, X-ray and mechanical technology to design a system to tackle the empty-box problem.  This costs the factory over half-million dollars.

When packaged soap box without the bar inside passing through the sensors of this system, a mechanical hand will push the box out of the moving belt.

Another factory located in a small town in southern China has imported the same bar soap packaging line. This factory is staffed mostly by migrant workers from the countryside.

The factory owner was very agitated when discovering the empty-box problem.  He grabbed a migrant worker out of the production line and yelled, "Solve this f___ing problem for me or your ass is on the line!"

This migrant worker had found a solution quickly-- he put up an electric fan, set it to highest blowing speed at the end of production.  Empty boxes will be blown away when coming.   The fan costs less than $200.

"Hi Ken,  does this soap packaging story has anything to do with Feng Shui or Chinese metaphysics?"

Almost every trade can learn something from this story.  Here are some of the lessons:

1. There are many solutions to the same problem
2. Not the "latest and greatest" answer or technology are the best solution or cost-effective.
3. Simple solution that does the same thing is better than complicated solution
4. PhDs are not necessarily smarter than you, but for sure they cost you more

In Feng Shui, "the latest and greatest" are likely be the ones that did not work too well in distant past and got recycled as the latest secret recently "released". 

Some Feng Shui problems can be solved by simple 5-element adjustments, forms (Feng Shui) or even using bagua theory.  Instead,  some people hire "famous" or expensive Feng Shui masters who likely will turn your house upside down with major remodeling or tilt your doors.


Ken Lai

"Practical Date-Selection Methods (incl. XKDG) w/ 12 hr. video
"Practical Imperial Qi-men-Dun-Jia” w/ 10 hr. video
"Daoist Talismans for Feng Shui & Blessing” v.2 w/ 24 hr video
"Practical Door Feng Shui for Wealth” w/ 3 hr. video
"4-Pillars Forecasting Bootcamp” with 12 hr. video

http://www.kenlaifengshui.com/