Demand management is a core element to a business, being able to stabilise requirements as much as possible can ease the burden on processes and standardise performance. How? By performing relevant analysis and define what the strangers are, areas of unnecessary variation and through demand analysis to establish strategy for creating flow through the system. Variety and flexibility are necessary to Customers! Absolutely, customers want fast flexible products and response but

For many this time of year normally brings a time of reflection, strain, self and employee evaluation and future target setting. So i want to explore the pitfalls and provide my experience and thoughts, finally leaving you with my best example I could muster to provide strategic direction to my team that may help you drive the next years results a little better. The Extremes I will be honest the appraisals, reviews and performance assessments I have been taken through and fed

This is a short video of how to calculate Takt time and why it can help kick start a better vision of managing your manufacturing supplychain. If you are looking for understanding the level or target for what your manufacturing capability could be this could be a great place to start. Many other tools and data feed in and out of this such as VSM, A3 analysis, Capability Matrix, MRP and MRP2, Pareto Analysis and many more. Get in touch if you want to know more or are looking f

You have survived another month end or clawed back your on time delivery with fire fighting situations, begging and borrowing resources and straining relationships, but at what cost? With over 50% of the workforce saying they are unhappy at work and over 70% of people who leave there job stating lack of appreciation as the driver, do you really want to create a culture of pressure and dread around the workforce at these times. In times like this it becomes obvious why more bu

MRP (Material Requirements Planning) and MRP 2 (Manufacturing Resource Planning) are more than just software systems installed for production control and inventory management, companies who purchase these type of systems without a cultural awareness and understanding of its process will only get frustrated by its seemingly painful integration. I don't want to get in to different types of software or whats best or worst in my experience in this post. I do want to highlight tha

Delivery Slow processes resulting in delivery delay are a problem, not just for the frustrations they bring you and your business but also for your customer and that is bad news for future long term business. Trace-ability Losing information, false information or even lost product is a headache in costs and lost time to rectify, if you can that is. Not to mention incredibly damaging at audit time when trying to retain that accreditation. Quality Standards If your quality of s