Articles
Essential Insights series
Maintenance is often seen as a necessary evil, but what if it could be a competitive advantage? This guide dives deep into traditional and modern maintenance practices, blending common and cutting-edge techniques to create a tailored strategy for any organization. From insights on how industry leaders like Toyota, P&G, and SNCF...
Supplier bankruptcy, geopolitical instability, cyber-attacks, transport disruptions, natural disasters: supply chain risks can hit businesses hard. A single disruption can shut down operations, cut off revenue, and potentially threaten the company's survival. That is why proactive supply chain risk management is a must, not a...
In the cutthroat world of manufacturing, cost management is crucial for sustaining profitability and for freeing up capital to reinvest in growth, particularly for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) where cash flow can be even more critical. With limited resources compared to larger corporations, they need to be clever...
While digitalization can revolutionize operations, rushing into it without optimizing underlying processes can be detrimental. Digitizing unoptimized processes can lead to faulty data, hidden inefficiencies, and increased complexity. Investing in digital tools without a solid foundation generally results in inaccurate insights...
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) face unique challenges in managing their supply chains, including limited resources, lack of visibility, and dependence on key suppliers. There are however practical strategies for overcoming these challenges, such as leveraging cost-effective solutions, enhancing visibility through...
This short article covers Agile project management methodologies, the different variations in use, and why Agile is an important enabler for SMEs for managing technology/development projects in today’s world; it explains the benefits, including promoting flexibility, better customer collaboration, and faster time-to-market. It...
Continuous Improvement, as a management concept, focuses on gradual enhancement in processes, products, and services over time. Originating in the early 20th century and gaining traction post-World War II, it's characterized by a commitment to identifying and eliminating inefficiencies and defects. Core principles include the...
The link between Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and Lean Six Sigma lies in their shared goal of achieving operational excellence through continuous improvement, waste reduction, and optimization of processes. While TPM and Lean Six Sigma are distinct methodologies, they are often integrated to create a comprehensive approach...
Lean Six Sigma, combining Lean methodologies and Six Sigma principles, is a robust tool for companies in pursuit of process improvement. Originating from Motorola and Toyota, Six Sigma focuses on defect reduction, while Lean targets waste elimination. This introduction explores the methodology's core principles, applications...
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a robust framework that goes beyond the traditional maintenance methods, fostering a proactive and collaborative approach to asset management. With its roots in Japanese manufacturing, TPM's principles have evolved and adapted, proving applicable across diverse industries. As organizations...