Harnessing the Power of Data: Driving Action in Business
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 […]
Strategies for Building Culture in a Virtual Environment
The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped how we work, challenging organizations to adapt quickly to a virtual work environment. Before the pandemic, many companies had remote work policies in place, but they were often less formal and more focused on occasional telecommuting. When the world went remote overnight, it exposed a fundamental challenge: building and maintaining a […]
Lead Time Reduction: Boosting Cash Conversion for Your Business
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 […]
The Third Leg: Where Most Acquisitions Fail
In 2004 I was consulting for a business who had acquired a company. Things were not going well. Production was abysmal. The culture was in ruins. No one from the acquired company seemed to have anything good to say about the parent company. I knew from day one that I had my work cut out […]
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 […]