We’ve all met thousands of people over the years. Some stay in our lives, others leave. Does your “inner onion” reflect net value to you, and result from conscious decisions? We all have limited supplies of time and energy. Don’t waste either of those valuable resources. The post Are Your Relationships Worth It? first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Organizations that want to be agile must have, among other things, agile employees. Cross training is well known, but few consider it strategically, as it should be. Consider this an aspect of demand and supply management. Consider these insights in increasing the agility of your workforce. The post The Power of Cross Training Matrices first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
We all agree that speed is important to business success. Yet, when it comes to making decisions we seem to take forever. Why is that? We want everyone who could conceivably be impacted to be in the discussions, and we act like decisions are permanent. The reality is most decisions can be modified as we gain more knowledge, and that people want to be heard but don’t have to be heard all the time on everything. The post Decisions can be made quickly first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ...
The Pareto Principle is well known but our changing world now requires us to truly understand what is behind it. In many cases what was 80/20 is now becoming 90/10 and 95/5. It’s never been wise to try to be all things to all people, but the future of your organization now depends on how well you truly understand your niche. Correlation and cause-and-effect are very different, and that difference is now too important to casually ignore. The post It’s time to understand Pareto first appeared on F...
In August of 1981 a massive assault on the music business model began when MTV went on air for the first time. It’s inaugural video: Video Killed the Radio Star. And indeed, it did. Now the speed of technology advances, collectively referred to as Industry 4.0, is drowning many in the manufacturing industry. While large manufacturers are studying, testing and implementing numerous new capabilities, many small manufacturers continue to struggle with their ERP system. Will technology kill the smal...
Being constantly good is not good enough. Expectations rise. The common question is ‘what have you done for me lately?’ What have you done for your customers lately? The post What Have You Done For Me Lately? first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
The variety of challenges you face today can easily be overwhelming. Tariffs. Low labor rate countries. China. Shortage of skilled people. But none of those is the most important for you, the leader, to address right now. That one is complacency. It can easily become insidious as small fires consume your time and energy. The post Complacency first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
By changing what we call something, we don’t make it any more valuable. Yet in many companies today we use popular words like transformation and innovative when that’s not at all an accurate description of what we are doing. A rose by any other name smells just as sweet, but calling a skunk cabbage a rose has no effect on its smell. The post A Rose Is a Rose; A Skunk Cabbage Is Not a Rose first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
I’ve yet to visit an operation where I couldn’t learn something. It’s all about preparation, focus, and expectations. Consider these ideas on how to maximize the use of your resources in gaining information that meets the needs of your organization. The post How To Learn From a Plant Visit first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Phillip Crosby stunned many when in 1980 he published the book Quality is Free. In manufacturing we believed there was a choice between quality and quantity. He proved us wrong and now few challenge the experience that both come together. Now some executives are afraid to invest in employees because they might leave. Another false choice. The post Quality and Education Are Free first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
Life isn’t fair. Neither is business. It’s important to be ready when bad things happen. The Boy Scouts said “be prepared.” It’s hard to argue with that simple logic. The post When Bad Things Happen To Good Companies first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Without understanding the game and our role in it; without a scoreboard that reflects our impact on success – how do we know if we’re winning and how we contributed to that? Help your entire team every single day to answer those questions for themselves. The post What Is Winning? first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
When a company has made significant gains in operational efficiency and believes it has an ingrained improvement mentality, it can be tempting to let the foot off of the brake. I call that complacent competency. It can begin to sneak in slowly, and before you know it employees are no longer challenged and customers no longer thrilled. Leadership can never become complacent. The post Complacent Competency first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
We can all learn from anyone if we want to. But it is especially important to have avatars – people who embody the traits or skills most important to us individually. Learn more, and who my avatars are and why. The post Avatars Much More Important Than A Movie first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
“Interlinks with Patrick Daly”. On today’s show Patrick is joined by Rebecca Morgan from Fulcrum ConsultingWorks, Inc. The post Patrick Daly of Interlinks Interviews Rebecca Morgan first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
A great product or service can be provided before its time, or after, or exactly right. Sociology is as important to that timing as technology is. Are people ready? Are they interested? Do they care? Product life cycle is impacted by competition, alternatives, and evolution in both sociology and technology. The post Are breakthrough products driven by sociology or technology first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
An unpleasant culture will not attract the best. Not the best customers, suppliers, employers or investors. Whether you want a culture of collaboration, of innovation, or of improvement, consider this step-by-step process to help you create the culture that you want to work in. The post Building the culture that you want to work in first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
Why don’t we treat the important physical assets of our manufacturing companies with the love and attention we would give a Lamborghini? Infrastructure may not be glamorous, but it is vital to your success. Depreciation is for accountants, not for operations. The post Is your Infrastructure a Lamborghini first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
The fire chief in town is not consumed by fighting fires. Why would a good leader be? Time to think and learn is the most important part of a leader’s job. Do you schedule in time to think and learn? Here is why the best leaders do. The post Why Effective Leaders Prioritize Time to Think first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
If you want to improve efficiencies, eliminate unwanted turnover, or better serve your customers, eliminate problems. If your organization struggles to wipe problems out forever, consider these 3 essentials. The post Three Problem Elimination Essentials first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Demographics change who is buying and creates new demands by the customer. Demographics predictably change your workforce and leadership of every constituency your business has. Do you have specific plans in place to address those changes? Give some thoughts to these key points. The post What do demographics mean for your manufacturing business first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
Customers, suppliers, employees, investors, the community – none of them are satisfied with the status quo. How do successful manufacturers stay on top of all those changing expectations? The reality is you cannot neglect any of them. It’s a lot to juggle, but it can be done. The post Keeping up with changing expectations first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
If people want to be part of the gig economy, and more and more do every day, we manufacturers must integrate that option into our all-too-often stale staffing policies. Temps, employees, gig workers, consultants – they are 4 distinctly different type of working relationship. Know when to use which, and how to attract the best, for mutual satisfaction. The post Manufacturing and the gig economy first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
New business models are sprouting for manufacturers. One of them is product-as-a-service. All major changes are uncomfortable, and exciting – including this one. Is it right for you and your market? Here’s how to tell. The post Should your product be a service first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
A process for implementing IoT in your manufacturing business is important. Don’t just start putting in sensors, but rather follow the steps outlined in the visual next to this on my website. This podcast walks you through a common and simple example to help you succeed with IoT. The post Success with IoT in your manufacturing business first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
Transformation is a buzzword in common usage, but the word itself has real meaning. It is so much more than change. If you truly see the need to transform, the baby steps of improvement won’t get you there. Organizational mission (why) and vision (what) must reflect the future you are trying to create. Mission and vision are your True North. Strategy evolves, whether you are looking to transform or simply get better. Based on that, do you need to transform? The post The number one impediment to ...
Yes, technology is a common thread to the disruption of many industries. But technology is the great enabler, not the focus. Socioeconomic factors, as in the first industrial revolution centuries ago, are the driver. Profitable manufacturing will require leveraging of emerging technology soon. You—the leader—must concentrate on solving important problems that needn’t exist, and only then consider the role of technology in eliminating them. The post It is not about the technology first appeared o...
When someone enters your space using new technology, you can fight to protect your space the way you always have. But no one can stop time. To thrive in the next decade, you must identify, understand, prioritize and leverage new technologies AND business models that create and deliver value in new and profound ways. The post You can learn from Napster today first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
Business strategy relies on wise technology choices. There is a need for at least summary understanding of rapidly advancing technology options. Here’s why you can’t simply rely on your IT department to make the choices for you. The post Why manufacturing leaders must be technologically literate now first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
No. You cannot ignore smart manufacturing. But you don’t have to do it all right now either. Consider these suggestions for how to evaluate smart manufacturing for your business. The post Can I ignore smart manufacturing first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
