Implementing the company’s first SIOP process while building sustainable planning and communication capabilities.
Building sustainable capabilities that drive results long after the engagement ends.
For manufacturers, operational challenges rarely occur in isolation. A sudden shift in product mix, changing customer requirements, material constraints, or planning limitations can quickly create service issues that ripple throughout the organization. On-time delivery suffers. Backlogs grow. Customers become frustrated. Teams spend their time reacting instead of proactively managing the business.
For one aerospace manufacturer, these challenges became urgent when an unexpected product mix change significantly impacted the company’s ability to meet customer demand. To address the issue, the company partnered with LMA Consulting Group to rapidly assess the situation, identify root causes, and develop a sustainable path forward.
The results were significant. Within just a few months, the organization improved on-time delivery by 20% and reduced past-due backlog by 50% while implementing its first formal SIOP process and creating stronger alignment across sales, manufacturing, and customer-facing teams.
A Trusted Partner Across Multiple Organizations
“Lisa teaches businesses to fish. She engineers and implements manageable, sustainable system solutions.”
The engagement was not the first time the company had partnered with LMA Consulting Group. In fact, the operations executive leading the initiative had leveraged Lisa Anderson’s expertise and proven track record on three separate occasions across three different companies over the course of a decade. The reason was simple. Rather than implementing short-term fixes, Lisa focuses on building sustainable capabilities that continue generating results long after the engagement concludes.
The Challenge: Product Mix Changes Disrupted Performance
The company faced an unforeseen shift in product demand that significantly altered the product mix flowing through operations. Although overall demand remained strong, the changing mix created operational challenges that impacted production flow, planning accuracy, and customer service performance.
The result was:
- Declining on-time delivery
- Increasing past-due backlog
- Greater operational complexity
- Increased pressure on manufacturing resources
- Difficulty meeting customer expectations
Leadership needed an immediate response while also ensuring that the organization addressed the underlying causes of the problem.
Deep Dive Analysis and Operational Triage
LMA began with a comprehensive operational assessment to understand the root causes driving performance issues.
The engagement included:
- Detailed operational analysis
- Cross-functional process reviews
- Production performance assessments
- Planning evaluations
- Customer demand reviews
- Backlog analysis
Following the assessment, LMA worked with the organization to develop and execute a multifunctional improvement plan focused on stabilizing operations and improving performance. The approach combined immediate corrective actions with longer-term process improvements designed to create sustainable results.
Implementing the Company’s First SIOP Process
As the team investigated the root causes behind the performance challenges, one opportunity became clear: the organization needed a structured process to connect customer demand, sales requirements, manufacturing capabilities, and operational planning. LMA worked with leadership to develop and implement the company’s first formal Sales Inventory Operations Planning (SIOP) process. To learn how to roll out successfully, download our eBook.
The new process provided greater visibility into:
- Customer demand
- Product mix changes
- Capacity requirements
- Manufacturing constraints
- Operational priorities
Most importantly, it created a framework for proactive decision-making rather than reactive firefighting.
Improving Communication Across the Organization
A critical component of the solution involved improving information flow throughout the organization.
LMA facilitated stronger communication and relationship-building between:
- Customers
- Sales teams
- Manufacturing operations
- Planning functions
- Leadership teams
By creating regular communication channels and improving visibility into changing requirements, the company was able to align decision-making more effectively and respond faster to evolving customer needs. The engagement also helped the organization navigate the limitations of an aging ERP and MRP environment while creating practical planning processes that improved execution without requiring immediate system replacement.
Building Sustainable Problem-Solving Capabilities
One of the qualities that distinguished the engagement was the focus on developing internal capabilities rather than creating dependence on outside support. According to the client, Lisa successfully engaged personnel at every level of the organization—from senior leadership to individual contributors. Employees were not only involved in solving the immediate challenge but were also equipped to continue identifying opportunities, solving problems, and driving improvements after the engagement ended. This created lasting organizational value that extended well beyond the initial project objectives.
The Results
Through its partnership with LMA Consulting Group, the aerospace manufacturer achieved meaningful business improvements:
- Improved on-time delivery by 20%
- Reduced past-due backlog by 50%
- Implemented its first formal SIOP process
- Improved visibility into customer demand and product mix changes
- Strengthened communication across sales, manufacturing, and customer-facing teams
- Improved cross-functional alignment
- Enhanced operational decision-making
- Created sustainable planning and problem-solving capabilities
Most importantly, the organization developed a stronger operational foundation capable of supporting future growth and responding more effectively to changing customer requirements.
Creating Results That Last
The most successful operational improvements do more than solve today’s problems. They build capabilities that continue generating value long after a project concludes. By combining operational triage, cross-functional alignment, structured planning processes, and sustainable capability development, LMA Consulting Group helped this aerospace manufacturer improve performance, strengthen decision-making, and create lasting organizational improvements. As this client’s experience demonstrates, the greatest value often comes not from solving a single problem but from building the systems, processes, and capabilities needed to solve the next one.
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Published: April 10, 2018 | Updated: May 19, 2026