Article on the Production division of a businessSimple improvement between plant and office. by Diane M. Hoffmann The recent era of TQM and Re-engineering training has served too well to bring out the types of situations found in plants across our nation. Stories have been examined under the microscopes of magazine, television and newspaper media. Again and again, the final analysis of first-time exploratory consultant meetings has shown that lack of organization is the company's worst own enemy. Disorganization provides bad communication between plant manager and top management, floor supervisor and plant manager, plant workers and supervisors, office workers and peers and departments at all levels. Often, the remedy is a simple regular staff meeting on Monday mornings! The key is to sit down together and talk about the problems -- or the challenges. But that is sitting down with a goal in mind, a planned agenda and an organized leadership. The question "Why is there so much material waste?" requires listening to those who work with the material: "Here, come with me and I'll show you". Then go and listen. Then brainstorm together. I remember doing some work for the president of a small company. My job was in the operations and I was involved in all facets of the manufacturing as well as marketing. The company had never had an inventory system even with the 300+ parts needed to manufacture each of the company's products. The top engineer and myself realized we had to put one in place. Parts were all over the place, nobody knew how many there were left in stock or needed to be purchased; everything had to be counted each time a production line was started. There was no way to identify suppliers of certain items and compare prices when needed. Back-orders were supposed to be "in the heads of the staff" ready for whenever substitutes or emergencies occurred. The company had grown from a one-man operation to several people. But, the owner had not grown with it. We wanted to set a system in place, but he was dead against it! Communication works both ways in any division of the company.
|
