IMPROVEMENT STRATEGY
Most companies have a sound understanding of their operational challenges and competitive leverage points. However, well-intentioned improvement initiatives are often sub-optimized because they don't focus on systemic issues, lack a data-driven foundation, or utilize a tool-centered approach.
For example, virtually every business organization that makes products or provides services can benefit by applying Lean Production principles to reduce waste and cycle time, increase resource and asset utilization, and minimize working capital. Yet while many companies utilize some elements of Lean in their daily operations, few have realized its full potential for optimizing business and production processes. Like Six Sigma, the application of Lean Production concepts often suffers from limited understanding and a tendency to adopt selected tools (e.g. 5S, visual controls, pull systems, kaizen, etc.) without considering the systemic issues that must be addressed in unison to transform operational performance. Achieving and sustaining top level performance usually requires a well-designed, integrated system that addresses key leverage points in an disciplined and holistic manner at multiple levels.
ENGAGEMENT APPROACH
Resource Dynamics works with client organizations utilizing a phased approach that develops mutual trust and understanding while managing engagement risk. This building-block approach enables us to clearly identify client barriers, leverage points and improvement opportunities, define specific expectations and calibrate the scope and pace of the engagement for maximum impact and sustainability. Typical engagements include some or all of the following steps:
Pre-Engagement
Assessment and Design
Implementation, Training and Knowledge Transfer
Post-Implementation Support
ASSESSMENT AND DESIGN
Resource Dynamics can assist companies evaluate their improvement needs at either the strategic or tactical levels - i.e. spanning the entire business enterprise or focused on specific operational units, issues or processes. This initial assessment is scoped to the specific needs of each organization, with the primary objective of designing an optimal improvement process that is best suited for a company's specific operations, culture and state of evolution. The assessment and design phase builds the foundation for effective implementation by validating an overall improvement strategy, developing an implementation structure / process, and developing joint ownership for specific improvement goals. It usually involves the following elements:
Resource Dynamics works closely with client executive management to calibrate the implementation process and strike the appropriate balance between the pace of change that the organization can reasonably stretch to absorb, learn and sustain over time. We believe that breakthrough improvements do little good if they don't last. Therefore, working with client personnel at multiple levels, we develop and apply selected improvement methodologies using a building-block approach to ensure success and sustainability.
For example, a "pilot" is sometimes an effective way to validate improvement concepts, overcome resistance to change and develop a foundation for expansion. In other situations, competitive pressure and the magnitude of improvement needs dictate a broader and deeper transformation process that can quickly generate enterprise-wide results. This often involves helping clients tap the full potential of their organizations, from sales effectiveness, demand management, order processing and the "Hidden Factory" to optimized supply chain management, distribution and logistics.
The common denominator to every client engagement is attaining measurable performance improvements in areas that have a meaningful impact and can "move the needle" on bottom-line results. At the same time, these improvements must be sustainable through in-depth knowledge transfer of improvement methodologies and hands-on training in the application of appropriate improvement tools.
Knowledge transfer is most effectively acheived when it takes place in the context of the improvement work itself. We therefore utilize a hands-on "learn by doing" approach that enables client personnel to absorb, digest and internalize improvements while also learning how to build on and expand core improvement methodologies. Implementation and training takes place concurrently in finite increments (e.g. 1-week kaizen events, 6-week Six Sigma projects, 13-week equipment improvement cycles, etc.) that provide multiple "cycles of learning" in the application of improvement tools in real world operations. To further support the improvement process, we also provide hands-on coaching and mentoring to enhance management and leadership effectiveness at multiple levels, and train select client resources to become internal "change agents". This approach ensures that a critical mass of client personnel at all levels utilize improvement methodologies and form a robust Continuous Improvement infrastructure.
No two businesses are alike. Each has a distinguishing history, vision, culture, organization and leadership, as well as diverse competitive issues. Consequently, there are no packaged solutions that apply to all companies. Resource Dynamics' highly experienced resources are able to customize each engagement to optimally address the given reality of a client's unique situation. We accomplish this by converging a number of techniques, manufacturing technologies and collaborative working relationships into an approach ideally suited to a client's needs. In this way, the engagement can be sharply focused on the most impactful areas, improvement methodologies and technology can be effectively transferred to client personnel, and results can be accurately measured and monitored.
Every engagement involves the customized implementation of appropriate improvement tools, techniques and approaches designed to have maximum sustainable impact in each client organization. Core improvement methodologies can include some or all of the following, depending on specific client needs:
POST-IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT
Operational excellence is a journey, not a destination. While this sounds trite, the fact is that organizations that aren't continuously striving to improve their performance will inevitably be surpassed by more aggressive competitors. Resource Dynamics judges engagements to be successful when clients are not only able to consistently achieve operational excellence but also utilize a Continuos Improvement process to keep pushing the envelope in seeking further gains. Toward this end, we provide a variety of post-implementation support services that are custom-designed to enable clients to ensure the continued effectiveness of their processes for sustained competitive advantage. This can include auditing the improvement process, monitoring performance to internal and external benchmarks, providing objective feedback on new improvement opportunities, and developing next-level goals, ideas and methodologies. Core Improvement Approaches
This link provides additional information on our core improvement approaches, including several representative case studies that describe how those approaches were applied in various industries.
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