How Manufacturing Consulting Services Can Improve Process Efficiency

Many manufacturing companies are facing challenges from a variety of directions. Partnering with the right consulting team will add clarity, focus, bandwidth, capability, and accelerate results. Some of the challenges that manufacturers are facing today include:

• Customer Demand (quantity and quality)
• Employee Turnover and Capability
• Front Line Supervisor Development
• Leadership Growth
• Reliability / Machine Performance
• Rising Expectations
• Inability to Execute Ideas to Deliver Improvements 

Recognizing that your manufacturing team needs outside support is not admitting failure, but the sign of a strong leader.
Don’t wait - Some companies feel they need to be at a certain level of achievement to “earn the right” to ask for help. The right consulting partner will understand your current state, design a support plan to meet you where you are today and need to be in the short, mid, and long term (based on needs of the organization).

Why are Manufacturing Consulting Services Necessary

Consultants are necessary to provide outside perspective, insight into opportunities, knowledge of tools/solutions available to solve problems, learnings from past success or failures in implementations, and provide external accountability to execute.
In today’s Global Economy it is more important than ever to make certain your organization utilizes all available resources to get and stay ahead of the competition. Manufacturing Consultants can provide the coaching, training, tools, and processes to enable stability and growth for your team and bottom-line.

How can Consultants Improve Manufacturing Efficiency and Productivity

Efficiency and Productivity are common focus areas within consulting. Improving equipment efficiency and productivity can lead to significant improvements in P&L / variable variances.

There are many tools and processes available to consultants that drive manufacturing efficiency and productivity; however, all improvement workstreams should start with understanding Zero Loss Analysis, constraint analysis, value stream map, business needs, and goals of the organization.

There are two high-level common approaches to improving manufacturing efficiency and productivity

1. Operational Excellence System
   Building a holistic operating system (through leadership development, employee engagement, and process improvement), starting at a model and replicating across a facility.
   Developing systems and capabilities across numerous workstreams (Autonomous Maintenance, Preventative Maintenance, Training, Quality, Safety, Focused Improvement, etc.) that connect to create operating system that continuously drives improvement.
2. Rapid Improvement / Lean Tool Deployment
   Project-based approach on a constraint asset or area.
   Some common focus project areas are Changeover, Unscheduled Downtime, Planned Downtime, Speed Loss, Quality, Waste.  Keep in mind your

Manufacturing Consultant will help provide guidance in selecting the right tool, right owner, and right team for success.

As always, partnering with a consultant that values the safety of your team and compliance to all safety rules should be a given.

How to Choose the Right Manufacturing Consultant

Choosing the right manufacturing consulting partner is critical to success.  The keys to connecting with the right partner include:

• Reputation
• Listening
• Capability
• Tailored Solution Approach
• Multiple / Consistent Touch Points for Course Correction and Celebration

You want to select a consulting partner that has the confidence to deliver success but balanced with a servant heart, care for the client, and understanding of your team.

The best consultants build strong relationships across your organization and are truly part of your team.

How Performance Solutions by Milliken Can Improve Efficiency and Reduce Manufacturing Costs

Performance Solutions by Milliken has a unique approach to partnering with our clients to accelerate results and sustain improvements.

• Practitioner Model – Our consultants have worked in manufacturing
• Zero-Loss Analysis – Our consultants help you understand the true cost of inefficiencies
• Engaging Workforce in Solutions – Our consultants believe problem solving involves everyone
• Transfer Knowledge and Capability - Our consultants build capability within your organization
• Daily Management System – Our consultants embed solutions in operations through Daily Management System tools and practices.

The operational excellence consulting team at Performance Solutions by Milliken will bring clarity, vision, energy, excitement, systems, and results to your organization. Contact us today to learn more and see if Performance Solutions by Milliken is the right consultant for you.