Many companies have experienced some kind of “rework,” but what exactly does this refer to? REWORK = FREE WORK Rework is when you pay twice or more to get the same output. If a widget costs $.25 to make and you had to do it twice to get it right, then your cost just went …
Is Your Company Cost or Schedule Driven? A company’s priorities are a testament to its culture. Many can narrow down their driving focus to one of two concepts: cost or schedule. When an organization is driven by cost, the main goal is to keep internal costs from moderate to below average. Other companies may find …
EMS is a fast-growing dysfunctional business practice. On a recent project, we realized that the company holds an average of 312 meetings a month. As we observed some of these meetings, we quickly noticed that participants engaged in what is known as Circular Conversations. Circular Conversations refer to lengthy debates that that do not develop …
Pay for results, NOT ideas or recommendations. Meet the installation/implementation team. Take time to qualify and quantify the goals and objectives of the project. ROI is important, but do not make it the cornerstone of the project. Expect a mix of tangible and intangible benefits. Morale cannot be measured by numbers, but know it is …
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Every person can see everyone else. The board is in front of everyone. An agenda for the meeting. Time estimates are determined for each agenda item. Always ask “How are we doing in our process today? How can we be more productive?”. A record is keep of the ideas generated and the decisions made. The …
As a management consultant, the first question I am usually asked is how much I know about a particular industry. My answer is always the same: Not nearly as much as my clients. I explain that I don’t take a project to teach my client how to make ice cream, print boxes, or produce whatever …
As a frequent flyer, there is a level of customer service that is expected in the air. The courtesy of stewards, attentive to the needs of the passengers, can constitute what makes for a pleasant flight. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that effective customer service is becoming difficult to come by and it is …
Add Excessive Meeting Syndrome (EMS) to your Business Glossary EMS Is a fast-growing dysfunctional business practice. On a recent project, we realized that the company holds an average of 312 meetings a month. As we observed some of these meetings, we quickly noticed that participants engaged in what is known as Circular Conversations. Circular Conversations …
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5 Quick and Easy Ways to Help Your Suppliers Better Support You We recently had the pleasure of attending a Marine Machines Association (MMA) event that was graciously hosted by Electric Boat. This informational was greatly attended, as it covered various challenges that the Navy, Shipbuilders, and the Supply Base are facing. Terminology often associated …
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Top 10 Things to Improve Your Business Improvement is constantly needed within every business. Whether there is a desire to increase sales, improve customer satisfaction, or gain revenue, there is always something a company can better. Here is our exclusive list of the top 10 practices that can help improve your business: Set Realistic Goals …
What Makes an Effective Management Consultant? The consulting industry is known for its high-performance workers who are considered to be the best in the business. But what does it take to succeed in such a competitive field? While some may think having an Ivy League diploma is enough, they are unaware of what is truly …
How do you prevent 5 Shades of Grey from killing your efficiency and sometimes your profit? In my 20 years of working with dozens of manufacturers, I have witnessed a frequent battle between Operations and Marketing. Finance often allies with Operations and Sales supports Marketing; all while the CEO usually gives the final word. The …
The Most Effective Way to Minimize Downtime in Manufacturing is… #1 Do Not Plan for It: Sounds obvious but it’s NOT.… Too often management fails to assign enough work for their employees. They tend to underestimate how much work someone can actually achieve when completely focused and working against the clock. In some cases, employees …
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Always Be Prepared to Engage After participating in a 3-week long professional study, I was asked to be a part of a recent client’s presentation. Since I was newly acquainted with the organization, my Operations Manager (OM) thought that it would be beneficial for me to become accustomed to the presentation process. This would leave …
Are You a Socially Engaged CEO? An important part of my job is to explore social media websites and decipher how they are benefitting businesses. Among various platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, I find LinkedIn to be the most practical in the professional world because of its modern ways of connecting professionals and …
Quick Insight: Effective Business Strategy! After reading hundreds of business strategy articles and biographies of many successful people I have concluded that the best strategy that serves many great leaders is actually straightforward: Select the right team Challenge your team to develop an aggressive but S.M.A.R.T Plan of Action Provide the right setting and …
Are You a Manager or a Leader? What makes a manager versus a leader? This question has been debated in college classrooms, business conference rooms, and on golf course greens for many years. I find myself engaged in this conversation far too often, though in my experience, there is a clear explanation differentiating between the …
Accomplishing More with Less: A Powerful Business Lesson from Covid-19 Not many business plans include how to handle pandemics or how to address shutdowns and extended absences. The 2020 Covid Pandemic challenged both small and large businesses in unimaginable ways; pushing companies to find creative solutions to stay afloat during such a trying time. Many …
You suddenly have a surge in sales or realize that schedule is slipping, so you decide to increase headcount to catch up. Is this the best way to alleviate this problem and if so, how do you minimize impact on cost and schedule? Many studies have shown the negative impact of new hires on productivity, …
If you’ve ever attended board meetings, you’ll quickly realize that everyone tends to have an opinion on how tasks should be carried out, what the next corporate initiative should be, or on corporate objectives in general. The list of topics could go on, proving that leadership and management teams are never short on ideas, recommendations, …
Trust but Verify: How the Truth can be Eroded at Every Layer of Management It’s true that some leaders live in the clouds of management and their view of the ground (aka production floor) is often blurry and distorted. Perhaps they are missing the red flags being waived as a project falls behind schedule, perhaps …
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I ask many of my clients to identify their company as being a “Patch and Go” or “Stop and Fix” organization and the answers always surprise me. Although it was originally used to describe the practice in maintenance departments it certainly applies to many business areas. Patch & Go: In order to keep going and …
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Job seekers and Employers are equally frustrated! We hear it every day: “We can’t find good employees” and “I can’t get a good job”. Apparently, there is an undeniable gap between what employers are looking for and what they really need. The most common misconception is that employers need to fill a vacancy with someone …
