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…
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…
Supply chain management, traditionally, has been a complex negotiation process between customers, vendors, and suppliers. This intricate dance of agreeing on specifications, requirements, delivery, parts, and more results in a delivery schedule that customers rely on for their production needs. However, this system is not without its flaws. Last-minute disruptions can occur when vendors fail…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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