Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Administer-your-staff-to-meet-highly-variable-demand.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Administer-your-staff-to-meet-highly-variable-demand.html Staffing for highly variable demand beyond your control is a difficult issue, and believe me this article will not resolve all of the questions. But it suggests some simple and more sophisticated actions for you to apply. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Whos-court-is-that-ball-in-Or-that-aint-my-job-man.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Whos-court-is-that-ball-in-Or-that-aint-my-job-man.html You want to be recognized for your contribution. You may not even mind a critique when you don't live to your aims. But you don't want to be blamed for someone else's shortcomings. The people who work with you feel the same way. This article points out how to manage, to keep the responsibility lines straight. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Priority-Pareto-and-the-Gorilla-List.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Priority-Pareto-and-the-Gorilla-List.html Someone has to set the priority for actions, and if management doesn't do it the guy with the wrench in his hand, or the gal with the Blackberry, will. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Facility-Layout-and-Work-Flow.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Facility-Layout-and-Work-Flow.html Facility layout is not the first step, but the last action to take to position equipment, processes and people in a building. First create the right work flow, then the layout easily follows. Your organization is different from others; products, equipment, processes, building shape, routing, inventory practice. Your work flow and subsequent layout will also be different. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Just-the-facts-maam.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Just-the-facts-maam.html Whether or not Joe Friday ever said "Just the facts, ma'am", the facts are necessary for your operation to judge what is not right, and what to change. Objective, open eyed facts, undistorted by opinions nor politics; nor by "it's always been done that way" nor by the dreaded Not Invented Here syndrome. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Policy.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Policy.html Productivity can be improved anywhere, including the board room. Basic policies set in place the mechanisms that control costs up and down the P&L and balance sheet. Be sure those policies serve the organization, and not vice versa. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Give-the-supervisor-what-he-needs.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Give-the-supervisor-what-he-needs.html Or what she needs, to be productive. But what the supervisor needs may not be what your system stresses, what it spews out. Here are points to consider. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Value-added-explained.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Value-added-explained.html We will cut to the heart of what value added means, but you will have to judge how it suits your operation for yourself. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Just-In-Time-or-Just-In-Case.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Just-In-Time-or-Just-In-Case.html The modern system of inventory control is Just in Time, from the Toyota Production System. The vendor ships just in time for the operation to process and assemble components. It is generally agreed that JIT demands the utmost in close scheduling, reliable vendors and supply chain cooperation; and results in best floor space utilization, lowest capital tied up in inventory, least spoilage and product damage, and best quality because any errors are caught more quickly. The alternative is Just In Case; inventory is ordered in advance to allow for eventualities. Your organization probably depends on some of each. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Workload-not-too-low-or-too-high-but-just-right.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Productivity/3261/Workload-not-too-low-or-too-high-but-just-right.html Workload is a term that we use a lot, usually because it is too high or too low. It doesn't have to be that way you know. Balance workloads, otherwise you will spend more than you should, or not have the resources to meet sales opportunity, or both.