What do business owners do when they receive defective parts and materials from international suppliers? Very quickly, supplier issues can affect the overall business and can become an unrecoverable and expensive problem. International supply is a tried and tested way...
Operations
Don’t let jargon get in the way of improvement.
If you’re running a small or medium-sized business, some of the language you see or hear about how to improve might leave you a bit bemused. You could legitimately be thinking ‘what on earth does Lean, 6 Sigma, Poka Yoke, Gemba or Hoshin Kanri have to do with my...
Case Study – Operational Effectiveness Assessment – Managing Risk
The Client Medium sized FMCG manufacturer Constraints Regulated industryLong supply lead timesHigh raw material costsHigh potential impact from consumer complaints The Problem The client’s product uses raw materials supplied from multiple countries and the assembled...
Procurement Case Study – Restructuring a Vital Supply Base
The Client National Materials Testing OrganisationExtensive & Varied Customer BaseVast Array of Specialist Services Provided The Problem The nature of the client’s business meant that they required a wide range of highly educated and specialised personnel. Roles...
Operations by design – the four V’s
Operations can be costly, hence the ongoing drive for productivity and efficiency. There are four aspects of your business that will drive the way your operations are designed and their associated cost profile. First, think McDonald's and you’ll understand the impact...
Why you should get emotional about your service processes
Everybody has a story to tell about their awful service experiences and social media helps make those stories freely available to all. Sometimes things seem to go wrong even when the ‘process design’ seems fine on paper and the systems are working as they should. Why...
Three reasons why processes really matter
Everything is a process - from making a cup of tea, going on holiday (remember that?) to running an organisation of any size - everything we do relies on that most basic of building blocks - process. A series of connected or aligned tasks taking you from a start to an...
Just what does Operations mean?
I’ve spoken to enough people to realise that defining operations is a bit like agreeing on the best formation and players for the England football team – there are as many opinions as people you ask. Part of the challenge is that ‘operations’ is both a function (the...
Using the Golden Triangle for Consistent Delivery
The everyday revenue-generating business machine is widely known as operations. Whilst we as consumers generally hear about products and services, the activities that get those products to our door or services delivered on time, and in line with expectations, are...