2023 May; Trust Me, I’m an Engineer
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Taking Business Performance to the Next Level
Dear Readers I am deep in the throes of finishing my first book and am working diligently on completing the first draft before I send it to the butcher (ie. Editor). My target date is end-of-December (which is reasonably attainable). As such, I find that I am not really able to parse my attention and energy…
The Need for Effective Reactive Improvement
In order to achieve Operations Excellence, organisations need to be good at both Reactive and Pro-active Improvement. Unfortunately, many organisations are so focused on Pro-active Improvement through their Lean, Six Sigma and TPM initiatives that they lose sight of the importance of effective Reactive Improvement. I often refer to Reactive Improvement as ‘below the line’…
From Zero to Hero
One of the main problems with companies is that their sights are often set too low—using efficiency measures that don’t reflect their operation’s full potential. For example, a recent analysis of 27 manufacturers showed that on average the companies were operating at 71% of their maximum efficiency. However, a deeper analysis based on their assets’ “true…
Design of a Continuous Improvement Glossary Based Audit System
Recently, technical discussions at a recent company revealed that there were four different meanings for the term “uptime”. In addition, at another global manufacturer, four plants in the same country utilized different definitions of OEE. Often, the data sources used, as well as the variable definitions and computational procedures are different. Also, plants tend to develop their…
Transformation with a capital T
Mckinsey & Company addresses a key subject with this publication: Not simply transformation, but Transformation with a capital T. With the emphasis on the “T”, it’s a call to move away from the usual, overused usage of the word, as applied too loosely by companies to indicate any form of change, however minor. The focus…
5 Myths Every Business Must Avoid in order to Survive
Recession Plagued At a recent stockholder’s meeting, the Vice President of Sales for a global manufacturer reported, “The economy has been tough on our industry. Sales volumes significantly declined and have not nearly returned to pre-recession levels. The company has laid off employees, cut expenses and, unfortunately, has had to cut price to remain competitive. Competitors have cut price…