Technical Insight
Not having followed a technical study, I still have always been fascinated by the internal workings of all types of processes, be they the internal combustion motor, or a simple manual assembly line. I love to understand the logic behind it and in trying to do so, often see waste where none should be. Frequently this waste is caused by history: the product used to be slightly different and then this setup made sense; upon modifying the product no new optimisation was instigated.
Unfortunately, another frequent reason for waste – and one where I’ve truly seen millions go astray – is ‘managers deciding from behind their desk / drawing board’ without any input from the floor. The floor knows where the present system fails, has frequently devised a work-around, but would prefer to eliminate it in the first place. In this light I always involve my day-to-day people in the process, including those actually performing the task. They won’t have a veto, after all it’s my responsibility and I have to bring the product in on time and within budget, while still ensuring it’s up to its task, but they do get a major look-in. Depending on their capabilities/seniority I will discuss the entire budget with them and discuss which option we have to have and which options we can do without.
My combination of being both a ‘boss’ and being non-technical, allows me to ask questions no-one else dares, but in doing so I frequently discover rigidities where flexibility brings the best result.
Some of my Cases
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