PERSPECTIVES
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Unintended customers
I make enough excursions into the corporate world to think that we have lost our way as leaders. We have forgotten that leaders mostly should support and guide the efforts of workers in the value stream. Many act, instead, as if we are the end customer.
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The risk of reduction
Rapidly increasing productivity represents one of our few economic bright spots. Observers credit economic recovery, technology and process improvements from Six Sigma, lean and other techniques. As a consequence, labor costs continue to decline in most industries, healthcare being an obvious exception.
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Showing you the money
Once again, the New Year begins with much discussion about healthcare reform. Uncertainty abounds as to the fate of the healthcare legislation passed in 2010. And once again, the core message is clear: Healthcare costs matter and access to care facilitated by legislation likely will affect the healthcare revenue cycle for years.
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Warehouses speak globally
A good warehouse location can make or break supply chain efficiency. And in international business, good often is synonymous with close to a port. But port proximity alone won’t turn a distribution center into a global MVP, and inland warehouses can become international players with the right operational approach.
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A question of learning
You can change models, change people or change facilities with a great deal of planning and allowance for people to get back up to speed, but you better make these changes one at a time. You should never change two or three major items at once.
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View the latest digital version of Industrial Engineer
June 2013
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