Ask the People Who Keep It Running
A time study in a union apparel plant taught me why the people who run and maintain the equipment belong in every process-improvement decision.
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Before You Add AI, Ask Why
I began my working life before computers became part of the everyday workplace. We had paper. We had mimeograph machines and teletypes. We had calculators and thirteen-column pads. The work got done, but much of it was done manually. Then…
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Do We Really Need This?
Before you improve a process, automate it, or invest in it, there’s a more fundamental question worth asking first.
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The Problem Isn’t Always the Problem
One of the first things you learn in consulting is that the problem you’re asked to solve isn’t necessarily the problem that needs to be solved. A client may say, “We need more people.” Or, “We need a new system.”…
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The People Closest to the Work Know Things Management Doesn’t
If I want to understand an operation, I want to talk to management. I want to see the reports and understand the objectives, measurements, constraints, and problems leadership believes need to be solved. Then I want to go where the…
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What Happens After the Consultant Leaves?
A consulting project can look very good on the day it ends. The new process is in place. People have been trained. The numbers are improving. Management is pleased. The consultants pack up, everyone shakes hands, and the project is…
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The Over-the-Top Management Team
I’ve worked on a lot of improvement projects over the years. Some were difficult from beginning to end. Others struggled because of technology, processes, budgets, schedules, or resistance to change. And then there were a few where everything seemed to…
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Two Divisions. Two Results.
Years ago, while I was working with a management consulting company, our team was engaged by a large corporation to help improve its supply chain operations. I served as the project lead. The company had multiple divisions, and we began…