Posts By: Dwight Bowen

“The Enemy”

When I first arrive at a new client’s facility I typically find the following:

* Confusion and disorder
* Too much inventory, raw material, WIP and Finished Goods
* No obvious, visible product or process flow
* People and material waiting
* Disconnection between customer requirements and the “supply mechanism”
* Ineffective communications

Are you happy with your ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), MRP (Manufacturing Resource Planning), WMS (Warehouse Management System), or SCMS (Supply Chain Management System)?…

8.5 ways to improve inventory accuracy

1 – 5S – sort, straighten, shine, standardize and sustain your inventory
• Classify and sort inventoried goods according to their turnover (Pareto or ABC analysis).
• Get rid of all the obsoletes. Sell them, give them away or throw them away! Why wait?
• Create a routine so that poor (dirty and untidiness) conditions are not tolerated.

A new year, a clean slate and a challenging economy…..what an opportunity!

At some level, we all think we are doing our best for our shareholders, customers, employees and vendors, but will the same old way still work? The world economy continues to change so fast it’s frightening…

“It’s Not Fair”

• It’s not fair that our competition’s labor costs 10% of ours.

• It’s not fair that our health care costs rise 20% or more each year

• It’s not fair that our raw materials (steel, petroleum products) are sometimes scarce and their costs are rising by double digits…

“Selling Change”

So… few of your employees really believe the newest operational changes you are suggesting are worth their effort. Well, after nearly thirty years of experience as a change agent I have some hints for effectively managing change that you may find useful…