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,…
Imagine a small distribution company, with an annual revenue of $12 million. A plant branch of a multimillion-dollar organization, it has 15 employees and a glaring issue: only 40% of shipments reach their customers on time. This means that 6 out of 10 customers aren’t receiving their orders as expected. The CEO recognizes the problem…
Back in my days as a site lead in manufacturing, I had an operator who made a common problem all too clear to me. At the end of the shift, I asked him how his day had gone. “It was a great day,” he said. “Well, that’s good,” I said, then asked him what made…
As a strategic planning expert, I’ve seen firsthand how the right KPIs can help manufacturing companies achieve their goals. When KPIs are aligned with strategy, they can provide a clear roadmap for success. They can also help to identify areas for improvement and track progress over time. The Symphony of Strategy and Metrics I…
We’ve all been there before. The manufacturing floor is humming along, hitting deadlines, reaching quotas – all according to plan. And then… A machine goes down. All the progress your team has been making suddenly hits a wall. And the problems spiral out from there. It’s a simple fact of manufacturing production: machinery reliability is…
If the COVID-19 epidemic taught the manufacturing industry anything, it was the significance of an efficient and streamlined supply chain. When supply chain efficiency issues arise, businesses often tend to solely focus on external factors and fail to recognize the potential for improvement within their own internal processes. Let’s take a look at the importance…
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…
Data is the lifeblood of modern business. In an increasingly digital world, it’s become an integral part of who we are as companies. We invest time, money, and resources into collecting data, from labor transactions and delivery statistics to quality control and inventory levels. But the crucial question remains: what are we doing with all…
My wife was recently involved in a car accident. She was thankfully unhurt and it wasn’t her fault. Because she needs her vehicle, we paid out of pocket to have it repaired while simultaneously working with the insurance company to get them to cut the reimbursement check. For us, keeping the time between paying out…
Let’s face it: every business has its problems, its constraints, and its inefficiencies. These issues can be like roadblocks, preventing you from reaching your goals and keeping you from delivering on your promises to your customers. The key is figuring out which of these roadblocks are the most detrimental and, more importantly, how to remove…
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