After decades of working inside businesses—both as a leader and a consultant—I’ve come to a fundamental conclusion: continuous improvement is not only a top-down initiative. Sure, executives need to set the direction, but real, lasting change happens at the middle and frontline levels. It’s the supervisors, managers, and operators who make improvement a reality every…
Years ago, a senior manager told me something that stuck with me: “When you walk into a factory, you can smell continuous improvement.” At the time, I laughed it off, but the more time I spent inside different businesses, the more I realized how right he was. The “smell” isn’t literal, of course. It’s energy….
Twenty-five years ago, I had a choice: stay in corporate leadership or take a leap of faith into the world of consulting. Looking back, that decision didn’t just change my career—it set me on a path of relentless problem-solving, hands-on transformation, and a commitment to making a real impact. It wasn’t about following a blueprint;…
Leadership development is the linchpin of sustaining lean transformation. It’s the behaviors, mindsets, and actions of your organization’s leaders that determine whether lean principles take root and become part of your company’s DNA. While lean transformations often focus on tools and techniques like Kaizen events, 5S, and value stream mapping, these operational improvements can’t thrive…
As companies strive to enhance profitability, reducing costs often becomes a primary focus. It’s relatively straightforward to identify waste in manufacturing or production processes. However, the same cannot be said for the transactional, administrative functions that constitute much of a business’s overhead. These “hidden” areas routinely go unnoticed, yet they hold significant potential for cost…
In recent years, supply chain resiliency has become a critical focus for businesses across industries. As new challenges arise and existing ones persist, organizations are reevaluating their strategies to build resilience and mitigate potential risks. As CBS continues to work with the industry to mitigate the risk, here are some of the key trends currently…
Interest rates have always had a profound impact on the manufacturing sector. As an economic inevitability, their rise can take businesses by surprise, triggering a series of responses to mitigate the effects. While I’m not an economist, throughout my decades in the industry I’ve noticed several trends in the industry as businesses grapple with these…
In Part 1 of this two-part series, we examined just how important it is to every level of your business to ensure your operational due diligence is done as quickly and efficiently as possible. But the question remains: How do you speed up the operational due diligence process and reap the benefits of informed decision-making,…
The year has barely started and new challenges are already bringing a fresh wave of uncertainty. The truth is simple: it is critical to your success to finish strong and implement the strategic change that will position you for growth in the next 12 months. So to help you in your efforts, here’s a quick…
In the early days of my career, I worked for a manufacturing firm under a very astute CEO. We were in the middle of a critical project when he asked me to take on a significant task. He didn’t just send an email saying, “Do this.” Instead, he made a point to explain why the…
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