If you’re not designing for re-use, your operations are making a serious mistake. You may not believe in Global Warming, but maximizing market share and profitability while serving customers for the long haul is fundamental these days. Make recycling and re-use simple and effective. The post Design for Reuse Continues to Evolve first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
Do you know what your true competitive advantage is? Learn from the folks at Piaggio, who design and produce some of the best transportation available in confined spaces. Create new markets leveraging your advantage. The post Strategy Lessons from Italian Manufacturer Piaggio first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
You don’t need CNC operators or machinists nearly as much as you need the one skill that truly matters long term to successful manufacturing companies. Technology is changing so rapidly that current skills have a short life span. Hire the one that lasts forever. The post The Only Manufacturing Skills Shortage That Matters first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
On average, manufacturing companies must succeed with average people. Here is advice on how to do just that in your manufacturing operations. The post Succeeding With Average People first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
There are certainties within the ambiguity of radical change in manufacturing companies. And achieving your vision likely requires change far beyond continuous improvement. Consider these insights on known aspects of the journey, and what to do if you’re not committed to what is required. The post Clarity And Ambiguity To Attain Your Vision first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
Why is CI insufficient for long term success, and what can you do about it? Here is advice for all manufacturing leaders to create operations that move you in front of those relying on CI. The post Continuous Learning Outperforms Continuous Improvement first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Every manufacturing business is being disrupted, soon if not right now. These examples of how to recognize disruption and think about your required “big turn” are helpful, regardless of your industry. The post Are You Ready To Make A Big Turn? first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Waiting for genius to strike doesn’t work in New Product Development (NPD) in manufacturing. You have a business to run, and serendipity is not a healthy strategy. Here’s a few quick steps to both speeding time-to-market and increasing profitability of your new products. The post Creativity Is Not A Random Event first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Rebecca explains why lack of trust infiltrating your organization is a significant source of friction that slows transactions and relationships, and what you can do about it. Technology is only part of the answer. The post Trust is the Ultimate Lubricant first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
It’s not about the app; it never will be. Like most technology, it’s about what it can do for your business. Fast effective onboarding is a common problem that can be slashed via this simple technology. There are others. The post Why You Should Care About Apps first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Your product becomes indispensable when others build it into their business model. Cell phones are only one example of that. What are the options to your product, and what can your product enhance? Morgan suggests two questions you should answer. The post Make Your Product Indispensable first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
What are the fundamental questions you must answer to help each of your 5 constituencies become more successful because of their relationship with you? Not the “nice to know,” but the “have to know.” These become the life preservers. The post Life Preservers in A Sea of Data first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Rebecca shares several ideas for making your new hire productive from day one. The post Fast, Effective Onboarding first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Many people believe that technical expertise is required for manufacturing success. Here Becky explains 6 elements of mindset that you will need. The post The Success Mindset first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
How can a manufacturing operations leader stay abreast of evolving trends, decide which to prioritize and move forward without making the big mistake? Rebecca shares a plan to follow. The post Converting General Trends To Specific Actions first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Rebecca shares some inexpensive and simple methods to be manage your business risks, from customers, suppliers, employees, product, and evil intent. Executive Summary: We can’t prepare for every eventuality and we shouldn’t. But there are inexpensive and simple methods to be reasonably prepared. First, consider these normal sources of business risk: Customers,Suppliers,Employees,Product and materials, Competitors,Evil intent of others, Bad luck, and of course, Lousy Leadership. In most of these ...
Not everything is learned in Kindergarten – Rebecca explains key lessons she learned from her mentor Ed along her journey of lifelong learning. These simple lessons will help you too. Executive Summary : Do you have very simple tests for distinguishing those you want to work with from those more trouble than they’re worth? Next, ignorance is not a bad thing, unless we try to hide it. I don’t need to pretend I know everything. Neither do you. False omniscience is expensive. ..who makes the most i...
Rebecca explains how to plan a supplier conference so that everyone benefits. Executive Summary: A well-planned supplier conference can strengthen the supply chain, prevent significant problems, and reduce time-to-market for more than one participant. The first step in planning an effective supplier conference is a clear statement of its purpose.Next, the host should invite those suppliers most impacted by the primary topic, or with the greatest ability to impact it. You may be surprised to lear...
Here’s how to keep your best employees, even when you don’t have a lot of promotion opportunities. The post How To Keep Your Best Employees first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Rebecca discusses how to make your organization so enticing that potential customers can’t say no to you. The post You Can’t Not Buy From Us first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Making your organizational metrics worth the cost, and your KPI’s truly KEY. Executive Summary: First, it’s easy to resort to the obligatory metrics. Don’t waste money reporting metrics just because the company down the street uses it, even if it sounds good in a conference room. Next, we all too often waste time and money collecting data that is too untimely or inaccurate to improve decision-making. Lastly, we often track metrics that do not provide clear interpretation.Here are 3 ways to measu...
There is no such thing as no risk. This podcast describes how to ensure risk management balances overall and portfolio risks compatible with organizational goals while not slowing down the process. The post Making Risk Management Worthwhile first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
An environment of fear prevents successful growth. Sometimes the fear is rational, but more often it is not. Responsible leadership communicates proactively, and speaks honestly and boldly at all times. The post To Fear Or Not To Fear first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Most of us know that “one piece flow” is generally preferable to large batches in production. Yet we continue to volunteer for large costly batches in our office processes. Stop it! The post Batching Is Bad Business first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Rebecca shares insights on how key metrics can lead to short-sighted decisions, even widely accepted metrics like productivity. The post The Upside Of Declining Productivity first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Rebecca discusses the Internet of Things and how we can gain experience at a reasonable cost. Then you’ll know the questions integral to development of your IoT strategy. The post Dipping Your Toe Into IoT first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Rebecca shares how to idenitfy people who can create a future that we can’t even predict, and succeed there. The post Recognizing Those Who Create The Future first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Rebecca creates awareness of our manufacturing bubbles, and why success requires escaping them. The post Escaping Our Manufacturing Bubbles first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Rebecca shares her insights from J. Forrester and her own personal experiences. The post Lessons From J. Forrester first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
In this podcast Rebecca shares why safe, professional disagreement is necessary for your company to thrive long-term. The post Is Your Culture Too Nice first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
