DECELERATE YOUR SPEED

Every manufacturer knows speed drives success, yet we all also know speed kills. The right expert will identify when, for your organization, the first crosses over into the latter, and advises you how to operate safely and effectively just below that pace.

If you are changing faster than your organization can handle it will implode. If you change more slowly than you could, valuable progress is forever lost.

The trick is to know not only how to accelerate, but how, when and what to decelerate.

Which activities should you eliminate? Which should you slow? Do you have the right change leaders in place to manage deceleration?

It may be counterintuitive, but frequently there are activities you should accelerate while decelerating others.

Focus on maximizing value to all stakeholders. Make appropriate improvements at the right time and speed to constantly deliver that.

Sharp curves appear unannounced. Treacherous peril can emerge from the shadows.

Those who recognize the racing line, and know when to brake, when to decelerate and when to accelerate will win the race.

The Starting Pistol

Albert Einstein:
"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”

The Tape

Rebecca Morgan:
"Those who provide value first find success next."

July 28-29, 2015: Bartlett, IL: Drastic improvements at Alcoa were driven by a CEO level emphasis on safety. Safety focused improvement activities demonstrate caring about employees, and provide great productivity and quality results as well. This AME event is one day of classroom following by one day of hands-on "on the shop floor" safety improvements. Visit Senior Flexonics to experience Employee Engagement Lean Safety.

August 5, 2015: Cleveland, OH: Operational excellence is rarely a straight line. The discipline can be challenged, but even more critical, during periods of massive growth. Tour the Vitamix operations center, learning the long and winding road of the Vitamix Lean Journey. The in-depth conversations and Gemba experiences will include supply chain, shipping, tiered metrics, improvement processes, and cells. See how lean operations were able to successfully handle massive and unexpected growth, and how a current ERP systems change is providing a new challenge to the organization's operations.

September 2, 2015: East York, Ontario Canada: The primary reason Lean improvements don't stick is because management doesn't change its behavior. Visit this Tremco facility to learn about and see in operation an outstanding Lean Management System.

October 5-7, 2015: Las Vegas, NV: The annual APICS conference will once again present multiple tracks of expert presentations on supply chain, offer plant tours, and continuous networking opportunities. Join 2,000 of your peers in supply chain to learn what the best organizations are doing, and share your successes and struggles.

October 18-23, 2015: Cincinnati, OH: The AME international conference is in Cincinnati (the north side of the river!) this year. Plant tours, workshops, keynotes, special interest sessions, and practitioner presentations supported by numerous networking opportunities provide value alternatives every day. If you haven't attended an AME conference and want to learn about operational excellence, here's your chance. If you've already attended one, you already know the value.