You Get What You Measure – False

Many companies that are looking to start a Continuous Improvement program know that they need to drive improvement but are unsure of where to start.
Utilization of Business Diagnostic to Help Launch/Accelerate Your Improvement Strategy

Many companies that are looking to start a Continuous Improvement program know that they need to drive improvement but are unsure of where to start.
Creating Flow Through Receiving Inspection

Overview A CBS client manufactures machined assemblies in the aerospace and defense industry. The receiving function was creating a significant bottleneck in the operation and causing delays at multiple points in the production process. The solution required input from several functions and needed to overcome multiple process challenges to be effective and sustainable. CBS recommended […]
Shifting from Firefighting vs. Problem Solving

It is common for organizations to run into the everyday routines with the same problems affecting production, processes, or services, and learn to cope and live with them for months or even years. Ever ask yourself how your organization got there in the first place? Even more important, is there a way out of this […]
Applying Lean Construction Methodology to Ship Repair Reduces Delays and Overages

Overview An executive, having previous success with Competitive Business Solutions (CBS), once again engaged our team to provide support for a repair shipyard. Before our arrival, a corporate team had conducted a large Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) event in response to the site’s poor performance of contracted repairs. This was evidenced by significant cost […]
Partnering with Suppliers to Bring Them Back to “Return to Green”

CBS worked with a Tier 2 client to help struggling suppliers and bring them “Return to Green”. One of CBS’s clients was struggling to meet customers’ expectations, which often leads to customer oversite and additional statusing requirements. CBS partnered with their
client to understand the root cause of the delinquent performance and went to work solving the two main issues, both tied to supplier performance.
Accelerating AS9100 Implementation Using Lean

Overview Agile Space Industries (ASI) entered a significant growth mode and was challenged to achieve AS9100 Quality Management System (QMS) certification within a 10-month period to gain access to several new opportunities. As a small business, where people wear many hats, resource availability added another layer of complexity to the implementation process. The result was […]
Businesses Need to Start Benchmarking Like Sports Teams

Toyota and Danaher are just a couple of companies that are held up as examples of world-class operating systems and best-in-class lean organizations. While there is much to learn from these companies, I contend business can learn as much by benchmarking good sports teams. In fact, most average sports teams have exceeded some of the […]
A Practical Approach to Problem Solving

SOLUTION AREA: Operational Excellence, Program and Project Management, Leadership and Change Management, Supply Chain, Acquisitions and Integration
There is no shortage of advice on how to solve a problem. However, for anyone in a position of responsibility—from a CEO to a floor supervisor—the real challenge becomes which problem to solve first.
Tim Mason

“As a long-time Operations Manager, Lean Expert, and Consultant, I have learned that there is opportunity for improvement in every aspect of business. I have been fortunate to be able to provide leadership, coaching, and mentoring for hundreds of companies that were seeking a competitive advantage in their industry.” 01 Industry Experience Aerospace & Defense […]