From this , a set of recommendations follow to address these issues , that then feeds into a strategy that can outline business models and architecture . From this the roadmap can be developed , that will oversee investments to be made .
Mandate for change
In terms of an order of priorities , this will of course differ from company to company , but any decent discovery process will quickly reveal the most pressing concerns .
Our own assessment then takes into account two factors – the effort demanded to make necessary changes and the impact that those changes will have . Of course , low effort / high impact changes will look attractive , but typically it will be those changes that are less effort but less impactful that will see the most agreement .
Production efficiency improvements ( and some associated areas such as logistics ) usually do demand a little more effort but they also do have a much more pronounced impact – so it is important at this stage to secure full buy in from senior figures to ensure changes will be implemented and supported .
Which then brings business leadership to the second question – how far can these changes go ? Or rather , how far should these changes extend ?
The immediate boundary is that of commercial relevance and benefit . If any changes to improve production efficiency – or any other aspect of a manufacturer – does not yield tangible improvement , then it should not be pursued . But even here , there are degrees . The cost of a change program , in terms of money , time , human resources and host of other factors can – and arguably should – put the brakes on . This is especially true of programs in departments that might not be directly customer-facing . But in those departments that do interact with customers , it can often pay to be a little more flexible , in the search for the next series of data points that can feed into the business to make it more efficient from the customer-centric perspective .
Beyond this , there really is no limit to the efficiencies and changes that manufacturers can explore , even within solely the production environment – although such an approach would of course limit the return made on the investment . Production efficiency demands change and change is an organization-wide mandate to any manufacturer looking to emerge victorious in the current climate . ■
Matt Fearon www . bmldigital . com
Matt Fearon is Senior Consultant at BML Digital , a consultancy that demystifies technology and digital transformation . It delivers focused , powerful , pragmatic , and effective change to some of the biggest names in business . Its unparalleled insight and expertise leads to tangible transformation that creates actual results .
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