Most of us hire people to fill a slot — a given role. That happens all too often because we hire in a reactionary mode, …
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Cross Training for Capacity Management
Category Archives: Lean-Manufacturing
Maximizing Profits is a Strategic Mistake
When I worked for TRW in the 1980’s, the company required everyone with purchasing responsibilities to take the Chester Karrass negotiating course. At that time …
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Why Seasoned Employees Don’t Share
Why would a senior employee keep tricks of the trade secret from others? For one reason only: a lack of confidence. Someone who acknowledges his …
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Is Expediting Your SCM Strategy?
While the worst of the supply chain fiasco of 2020-2022 is behind us, elements certainly continue to challenge us daily. What we should have done …
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Can Silos Be Aligned on Strategy?
Wouldn’t you love to see an organization that was fully aligned across all functional arenas? We talk about specific excellence, like Nordstrom and service or …
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Are Drones The Answer?
In the late 1970s, Ken Olson, co-founder of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), and Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, had very different predictions for the future …
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Instead of Innovation
As fast as the world turns these days, it is not easy to stay abreast of the latest concepts and management trends. While it is …
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Two Levels of Operational Effectiveness
You’ve all heard that great strategy with poor execution is no better than poor strategy with great execution. Operational effectiveness requires excellence at both levels. …
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Partnerships and Unilateral Changes
Partner. Relationship business. It all sounds so good. But then reality slaps you up the side of the head. In a true partnership, can one …
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Your Career in Operations
I’ve invested the vast majority of my long career in operations. I find it fascinating. Regardless of industry, operations includes the technologies, processes, materials, and …
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