Breaking through the Roadblocks (Before They Crash Production)
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 […]
The Anti-Consultant
There’s a classic UPS commercial where two consultants sit across from a CEO, enthusiastically pitching ideas for improving the company? The CEO, equally excited, says, “Great – go do it!” But the consultants reply, “We don’t actually do what we propose. We just propose.” It’s funny, but it’s also a bit too close to reality […]
Sustaining Success After the Consultants Leave
Imagine your company’s operations are a tangled mess. Then, a team of expert consultants comes in and works their magic. They analyze the problems, identify and eliminate wasteful practices, and implement new, streamlined processes. With the new processes in place, things seem to be moving forward without a hitch. But here’s the harsh reality: operational […]
The True Costs of Poor Quality
When we think about quality in the manufacturing realm, we generally limit our focus to the tangible aspects of products such as parts, components, and their fit, size, finish, and alignment. Poor quality, however, extends far beyond what you can feel and see. As do the effects, not just on the consumer but within the […]
The Fallacy of the Silver Bullet: Why a Whole System Approach is Essential for CEOs
Once, early in my career, I was standing above a Toyota assembly line in Japan. Looking down at the plant floor, I realized that at any given time, a hundred different kinds of vehicles were rolling off the line. I felt like being there and seeing all of this was essentially akin to giving away […]
Deploying a Strategic Plan for Manufacturing CEOs
In my work with companies across the manufacturing landscape, I see it all the time. While many companies are great at creating strategies, very few are adept at deploying and managing them. Many companies mistakenly view their budgeting cycle as strategy deployment, keeping their focus solely on spending money on the things they predict will […]
Two Quick Key Indicators for Assessing the Health of a Company Before Acquisition
When you’re thinking about buying a company, it’s important to look at more than just the financials. You also need to assess the company’s operational health. What’s amazing is that two of the best metrics for gaining a valuable amount of information on the operations side of things–namely, inventory levels and workforce engagement–can be gathered […]
Driving Strategic Change Through Culture
We have a saying around here: Culture eats strategy for breakfast. In every industry, culture is a powerful force that can either propel or hinder strategic change initiatives, but nowhere is it more apparent than in manufacturing. And as the saying above suggests, a well-crafted strategy alone will not guarantee success unless it’s supported by […]
Is Your Organization Lean—or Lagging?
Is your manufacturing operation using space efficiently? Are you leveraging data to gauge month-over-month improvements? Take a few moments to answer five key questions to best determine if your organization is lean or lagging.
Tier 1 Component Supplier Increases Throughput and Returns to On-Time
After years of cost cutting and loss of experienced “Tribal” manufacturing knowledge, a CBS aerospace client was not able to support increasing customer demand. Though they continued to make promises to return to on-time delivery, they continued to run 9 months delinquent to customer demand. Based on our prompt assessment of the situation, CBS developed and implemented an improvement plan that brought the client back to on-time and full condition.