Collecting lots of data isn’t enough to improve service levels. A successful manager tracks relevant metric trends and puts the information into action. One of the keys to success for any business is to watch metrics trends. In my experience, if a client watches key trends, they tend to [...]
Communications can get muffled in a busy work environment, but effective leadership makes information delivery a key component in daily operations. In my almost 25 year-career in manufacturing and distribution, I've yet to see a company with "perfect" communications. I've seen a few stars (unfortunately the 20% of the [...]
Harvey Mudd College won first prize in the undergraduate division of the APICS West Coast Student Case Competition and now moves on to national competition in San Antonio in October. The APICS Southwest District recently hosted 23 teams in San Diego from the Western United States, Hong Kong and [...]
In the race for increased profits is speed leaving vital priorities behind? Assess all factors before jumping the gun. In today’s new normal business environment, customers want products and services delivered quicker. Investors want month-end numbers faster. Customers expect new products yesterday. Executives are expected to sift through an [...]
In a society of over-communication, you’ll stand out through continuous education and committment to learning.In today’s marketplace, it is no longer enough to be good. You must stand out from the crowd in some way that is different or exceptional. Just think about the information overloaded society – how [...]
Keeping employees engaged and motivated can be your single greatest competitive advantage. A motivated employee can move mountains. A disgruntled employee creates havoc. Which do you have? As results are critical to success, I thought it was worth pursuing how to motivate employees; however, as important as results are, [...]
Today’s bombardment of ideas requires an ability to synthesize — to spot relevant connections and innovative combinations in manufacturing. We've talked about the ingredients required to have an Eagle Eye - how to rapidly spot key priorities and ensure results occur. There are so few people who put these [...]
Lean benefits are not found in a three-day workshop, but rather arise and are sustained through culture change. I have always been a process consultant, typically focusing on those processes which are the most relevant to making rapid improvement with the specific manufacturer or distributor I am partnering with. [...]
The APICS-IE executive panel and networking symposium is an opportunity to join with your colleagues (and competitors) to learn and collaborate. Only those manufacturers and distributors who want to thrive in 2014 will join in, collaborate and be a bigger part of the community! In todays’ increasingly complex world, [...]
