In 2019 manufacturers were struggling to onboard and retain important workers, to obtain supplies when needed, and to meet the level of performance that customers demand.And then Covid hit.“It’s the supply chain” became the phrase to indicate the problems are out of our control. It meant “don’t expect a good
My computer is running slow today. They keep moving things around here. Someone called off so I’m doing it all myself.And now, it’s the supply chain.The computer excuse shouldn’t have been accepted since about 2010, the moving things around excuse since hand-held devices, and the someone called off well,
In manufacturing we constantly talk about continuous improvement to move ever closer to excellence. But if we increase productivity by 5% per year, are we excellent?That, by itself, cannot answer the question. It says we’re pretty good at reducing labor-related costs, but it tells us nothing about how well we
The coal industry did not change for decade after decade. Being forced to improve safety demanded exhaust systems, better lighting, and a bit more, but nothing too dramatic. That industry long believed that arguments for cleaner energy were a fad. After a while it became clear that was a trend.
Maximizing current profits by definition sacrifices the long term investments that attaining your mission requires. My concept of “strategic profits” addresses how to think about profitability in a way that ensures you can always invest in the muscle instrumental toyour organization’s long term success.First, can you identify those company muscles