One of the many challenges of being a smaller manufacturer is that customers expect just as much value from you as from anyone else. No small business passes are handed out. So how do you stay on top of the whirlwind surrounding you? Often the easiest and best ways to do that is to take advantage of every plant tour you can arrange. And sometimes offices have amazing things to share with you too. For example, one of the most powerful supply chain towers I’ve seen in execution is in an office bui...
Dec 09, 2020•4 min
Your business has metrics that you invest in recording and considering. In normal times you know generally how to interpret them. You can quickly perceive how involved you need to get in addressing a potential problem or verifying what appears to be amazing success. These continue to be abnormal times worldwide. While we’ve gotten used to wearing masks, regular sanitizing, and maintaining distance, we are not yet as comfortable deciphering the uncertainties of how employees, suppliers and custom...
Dec 02, 2020•5 min
Loyalty must be very important to companies today. Hotels, airlines, rental cars all offer loyalty programs. So to do clothing and grocery stores. Even my hair styling shop has a loyalty program. The first few such programs in any given industry probably made a difference for repeat business. But no longer. I’ve never been convinced that bribery is the best route to gaining loyalty. There have to be better ways. Do you know from each group whose loyalty is most important to you? Do you know for ...
Nov 25, 2020•4 min
For many years the phrase fit for purpose referred to whether or not a consumer product could adequately perform the function or functions for which it was purchased. That is a minimum standard for the phrase. To bring clarity to the purpose of your personal leadership may require answering this question: “what should be changed for the better as a result of my leadership?” Clearly this question presumes that leaders exist to create improved conditions, a case that should bring no argument. Ever...
Nov 18, 2020•4 min
What a few months ago we called crisis and swirling ambiguity we now call life. Spreading equipment apart, requiring facemasks inside, sanitizing every surface that hands touch – those are our reality; there is no reason to revert any of that back to prior standards. When Covid is under control, and it will be, we still have colds and other transferable health realities. If you haven’t already, it’s time to optimize production conditions within these parameters. Your business is different than i...
Nov 11, 2020•5 min
A few days ago, I received an email from the owner/CEO of a former client company, saying “I think I need to hire you.” The email described a significant mistake that his team had made with intensive ramifications, both financial and customer. I called him. We discussed the situation, short term actions, questions to ask, ideas to consider, and how to approach his team on the topic. We then quickly envisioned what longer term success would look like and the key steps to get there. In under 30 mi...
Nov 04, 2020•4 min
Manufacturers have numerous policies in place. Attendance, customer returns, payment terms, and more. The vast majority are because of a lack of trust in employees to make good decisions. As a customer, have you ever heard the words “that’s our policy” and felt comfortable that your best interest was given the respect it deserves? “That’s our policy” means you are a number, not a person. It means that regardless of the reasonableness or importance of your request, tough luck. Obviously, someone ...
Oct 28, 2020•4 min
A recent LinkedIn post of mine attracted responses from a wide variety of degree’d professionals — biologists, film, ethics, psychology. I asked what from their college education was most valuable today. None currently work in their degree area of specialization, but all could easily give great examples of how what they learned in college applied widely to their lives and professions. Most position descriptions list a relevant college degree as a requirement. Just exactly which college degree wo...
Oct 21, 2020•5 min
Would you describe your business culture as accountable? Many CEOs I talk with want more accountability in their organizations and are not quite sure how to achieve that. Here’s the trick: accountability, like ethics, cannot be situational. Start with this: · You cannot hold people accountable for performing miracles. · Holding the right people accountable is more important than “rounding up the usual suspects.” Process capability — repeatable, reliable and predictable — is a requirement. The po...
Oct 14, 2020•4 min
I saw today that two privately held manufacturers in the Greater Cleveland Ohio area are investing heavily in expanding their production footprint. I am excited for both of them because they are taking important steps in building a stronger future. The two businesses that are expanding enough to make the headlines have no less uncertainty than those who hunker down. Should you invest in your manufacturing business now? Consider these important questions before deciding either way. The post Shoul...
Oct 07, 2020•5 min
There are two primary reasons why any business would change: Fear, or Opportunity. Today, how can any manufacturing business in North America not see a multitude of both threats and opportunities? Absolutely nothing is static. The case for change surrounds us. It is not episodic. It is continuous and growing. It is not a management edict. The post Quit Searching for a Case For Change first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
Sep 30, 2020•5 min
The paucity of adequate contingency planning for our supply chains became apparent early in the COVID-19 emergency. Sensitivity analysis with contingencies is an active responsibility of supply chain management (SCM). The post Is Your Supply Chain Safe Now? first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Sep 23, 2020•5 min
It’s easy to lose focus on the important things as we bounce from one shiny object to another. These four questions will ensure your team is productive, effective, and enjoying working for the organization. The post Four Questions To Ask Your Team first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Sep 16, 2020•4 min
Despite the fact that none of us can predict the future, all of us know some of what is coming. And most of us can make pretty good guesses about other approaching influences. The post What Do We Really Know? first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Sep 09, 2020•4 min
Leaders are supposed to make the tough decisions. And the important ones. But everyone else should be capable of making good decisions as well, the decisions appropriate to their role in the organization. Here’s how to develop solid thinking when making decisions throughout your organization. The post Making Good Decisions first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Sep 02, 2020•3 min
It is very likely that your business model will have to change within a few short years. Here I share 3 quick examples to help you see what to look for. And little of it is internal to your business. The post Evolving Business Models first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Aug 26, 2020•5 min
I am writing a book under contract with Taylor & Francis. In doing so I am leveraging several of Alan Willett’s Lead With Speed insights — or Immutable Laws of Speed as he calls them. Learn why and how. The post Lead With Speed first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Aug 19, 2020•4 min
Managers who delay necessary actions often do so out of a distaste for conflict. I’ll bet you can think of 2 or 3 decisions you should be making right now, but you’re hesitant to do so. Examine the reason why you delay the action you know you should take. Lack of confidence? Fear of handling it incorrectly? Being 2nd guessed by your boss? The post Decide. It Will Hurt Much Less. first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
Aug 12, 2020•3 min
Your business will be most successful when you consider it a culmination of a series of races, some run simultaneously, and each one that you and your team must finish strong. Sometimes finishing may mean pulling up lame and preparing for the next race, sometimes it may mean making a significant course correction, sometimes it may mean changing your relay partners. But you, and your business, can only win the race to your vision when in each effort you repeatedly Finish Strong. The post Why Fini...
Aug 05, 2020•4 min
Business strategy, supply chain and operations strategy, mission, vision and core values are inextricably linked. If you didn’t realize that before you should now. This podcast explains the one big lesson you should take from this crisis and what to do next. The post Opportunities for Manufacturers From This Crisis first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
Jul 29, 2020•4 min
Most of us are sick and tired of Zoom meetings. The quick move from office to work-from-home changed the way we communicate and develop relationships. Sadly, we are using a valuable tool (Zoom for most of us) to replace meetings, instead of vastly improve them. Ask yourself, what other technology advances are we using to copy our previous methods rather than actually improve our business? That describes many ERP implementations, and many other “software solutions.” Technology is not a solution. ...
Jul 22, 2020•4 min
Globalization is one of those Pandora’s Boxes that once opened, cannot be closed. And like Pandora’s Box, hope remains despite the current experiences of pain and sorrow. To understand why globalization will continue to change, but is certainly not dead, one must only consider why it occurred in the first place. The post Is Globalization Dead? first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
Jul 15, 2020•4 min
As we find ourselves fighting COVID, an economic crisis, limited travel, and protests on the street, The Boston Globe has announced a new hiring plan for 2021 interns. The actual document says “reframe our summer internship and training program to a diversity internship and training program in which all participants will be students or recent graduates of color.” A company committed to being the best, to being operationally and financially excellent, cannot afford to exclude any viable candidate...
Jul 08, 2020•4 min
My 89-year-old mother lives a 2-day drive away, and asked that I visit her. During COVID, the standard risk assessment had picked up another key variable. As with most decisions, there are options, variables, and the probabilities of occurrence and severity of any specific risk coming to fruition. In business and in life, it is rare that “throw caution to the wind” is a valid path forward. But also in both, “do nothing” is rarely a valid path forward. I decided to fly. The post I Decided to Fly ...
Jul 01, 2020•3 min
The aftermath of COVID-19 and the associated socioeconomic impacts have thrown ice water on the dreams of most manufacturers. Markets are gone; competitors are arising from the most unexpected places; agility is a requirement. People will always eat food, yet the family farm is largely gone. Nothing lasts forever. So what steps are critical to escaping the quicksand of despair and creating a new future? Invest under 5 minutes here. The post Your Dreams Were Just An Illusion first appeared on Ful...
Jun 24, 2020•4 min
To ingrain a new culture, and for many companies that is a culture of innovation, we know we must quit doing what we’ve always done or we’ll get what we’ve always gotten. But that’s a really scary thought. Isn’t there another way? The post Should You Defund Innovation? first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Jun 17, 2020•5 min
The front pages are shouting about broken supply chains as the world fights COVID-19. But are they broken? I suggest they are not; they are performing as designed. Strategy, risk assessment and financial analysis led us to this point. Few manufacturers carry extra everything on the small chance that their market will triple overnight. That decision means that when a tripling happens, the supply chain will not meet demand. The risk was deemed acceptable in the trade-off with financial investments...
Jun 10, 2020•4 min
During COVID-19 (now in the Spring of 2020) executives of mid-size manufacturers said they are focusing on 3 important things: (1) maintaining staff productivity (46%), (2) adjusting to a new remote operating model (43%), and (3) managing overall cash flow (42%). But they didn’t list employees, suppliers or customers! What does that mean for them, and for you? The post Don’t Forget Your Customers! first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
Jun 03, 2020•3 min
The brief trailer below explains what value you can expect to receive, at what frequency and length, when subscribing to this podcast. It is specifically designed for leaders of mid-size manufacturing companies. If you like what you learn, subscribe: http://ed.gr/cpa97 The post Podcast Trailer:Finish Strong® first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. ....
May 30, 2020•2 min
Success manifests itself when your tagline and brand promise exist in reality. When they are in fact what the customer experiences. Here I describe four organizational situations which impact the answer to that question, and what actions to take in each one. The post Does Your Tagline Exist in Reality? first appeared on Fulcrum ConsultingWorks Inc. .
Jul 10, 2019•3 min
