The Biggest Challenges any Firm can Face in PLM Implementation

• Lack of strategic direction
•  Resource constraints (time and people)
•  Budget constraints
•  Our culture fears failure and/or the repercussions from failure
•  Cross-functional coordination
•  Lack management commitment and incentives
•  Limited enterprise systems integration
•  PLM payback opportunities are not clearly understood or measured
•  Executive sponsorship is missing or slipping
•  Culture and practice differences across business units
•  Lack of user involvement and training
• Poor support from chosen PLM solution and/or service provider
• Aligning R&D strategy with the organization’s long-term corporate strategy
• Building an effective technology roadmap
• Prioritizing innovation concepts
• Implementing an effective innovation portfolio management systems
• Finding viable new applications for existing products/capabilities
• Generating breakthrough innovation concepts
• Embedding the voice of the customer in the innovation process
• Measuring innovation performance (at the project and portfolio levels)

BR,

Anil 

Inconsistent Manufacturing Strategy

Reasons for Inconsistent Manufacturing Structures:

1. Manufacturing has a new manufacturing task but continues the old manufacturing policies and structure.

2. Responsible people in manufacturing have no clear, consistent definition or understanding of the manufacturing task facing the organization.

3. The manufacturing policies and the infrastructure being employed are inconsistent. Taken together, there is a distortion in coordination.

4. The organization lacks a focus. It is attempting to cover too many technologies or too many products and markets, too wide a range volume, and more than one manufacturing task.

5. The organization has the wrong equipment &process technology for the present manufacturing task.

6. Selection of products and processes for each plant in a multi-plant setup results in mixing together, somewhat at random, a product organization, a process organization, and a volume-focused organization (or any two of the three) instead of focusing around one type of organization.

Secretes of Industrial Success

1.      Beware of complacency

2.      Continually enlist the help of employees to improve product and process

3.      Deny every inch to actual and potential competitors

4.      Study competitors' sources of success

5.      Don't be too rational

Stages of the strategic role of manufacturing in a company

1.      Internally neutral minimize the “negative effect” of manufacturing

2.      Externally neutral achieve parity with competitors

3.      Internally supportive provide support to the business strategy

4.      Externally supportive

  

Manufacturing strategy is integrated engineering, finance, procurement, marketing/sales 100% of people are knowledge workers

Ø  contribute more with minds than hands

Ø  understand the business & job

Ø  mastery of all quality tools

Ø  sought after by competitors

Ø  leadership, teamwork

Ø  continuous learning and teaching

Ø  culture of experimentation

Ø  desirable place to work

Ø  challenging, fulfilling careers

Characteristics

Process

-technology leader

-process devel & improv

-innovation in methods & equip

In-control & capable (cpk > 2)

Intelligent use of information technology

Value chain

Benchmark-driven

-world-class practices

-world-class measures

-reverse engineering

-info exchange with the best

Suppliers send their best people and parts

Test bed for technology innovators

Networked with customers

Sample manufacturing strategy text

Manufacturing vision

Manufacture world-class quality auto components in the prescribed volumes, on schedule, at the lowest cost

Manufacturing mission

Achieve world-class status (by the year 20xx) in quality cost, time, and flexibility with people who have a shared vision and objectives that are based on a culture of continuous process improvement

Performance metrics

                                                    Quality: product& process

                                                    Cost/productivity

                                                    Time

                                                    Flexibility

Bye,

Anil 

Lean Manufacturing Strategy

1980’s: Japanese companies were succeeding not because they carefully made the right set of trade-offs among different priorities in their operations, but because they were capable of surpassing their Western counterparts across several dimensions at once.

New, Competing Theory: Lean
·     Lean production achieves lower cost, higher quality, faster product introductions, and greater flexibility-all at the same time-
·        Lean production can dominate any competitive situation.
·        Lean production combines the advantages of craft and mass production, while avoiding the high cost of the former and the rigidity of the latter: requires fewer inventories, yields fewer defects, and produces an ever-growing variety of products.
·        People should be broadly trained, rather than specialized. Staff is "overhead" and, with a high degree of work force "empowerment," not necessary.
·        No amount of rejects or variance should be accepted (zero defects is the goal).
·        Communication should take place informally and horizontally, among line workers rather than through hierarchies.
·        Equipment should be general purpose and flexible. Production should be organized into "cells," rather than specialized by process stages.
·     Continuous processes, with as little work-in-process inventory as possible, is preferable to batch processes.
·        Inventory, like rejects, is waste.
·        Throughput time is more important than labor or equipment utilization rates.
·      Product development should be organized through cross-functional teams, which pursue activities in parallel rather than sequentially.

Implication:
Manufacturing Strategy should devote less effort to customizing a production system and more effort trying to adopt the principles of the already-proven Lean Production System.


Bye, 
Anil Kumar JR

Manufacturing Strategy

Manufacturing Strategy 

In the period of slow growth and pessimism, manufacturing industry looks set for revival. Some of the policy issues that were thought to be slowing down the manufacturing sector need to be addressed.  While, by no means is the manufacturing economy in a position to launch into overdrive, there seems to be cautious optimism. The recent announcements that the big manufacturing companies have made about their investment plans suggest that the coming months could see increased activity in the sector.

That said the global markets still seem to be dealing with slow or no growth. Companies are confronted with the problems of having deep and mature supply chains in these low growth markets, whereas, they are relatively weak in the fast growing emerging markets. They seem to have products that do not fit readily into the requirements of their emerging customers.

Manufacturers are confronted with high cost of capital, unfavorable currency impacting imports, flat demand, and threat of imports on the back of huge capacities created by the country and so on. Adding to this is the shortage of talent that can push the manufacturing sector up the value chain, cost of infrastructure elements, unfriendly environment and limited strategic options.

Amidst all of this, there have been companies around the world that have found success. It is needed look closely with such companies and understands what makes them successful. With through the professional of best practices and strategies, those have been adopted by the industry to achieve success by bringing this know-how and the deep understanding of the local realities to configure sophisticated, yet practical solutions.

Professionals in different functions establish best practical insights; understand the challenges confronting the current day manufacturing companies, involve in shaping policies that impact the manufacturing process, at large.

General areas come up while thinking Manufacturing Strategy 

• ·      Different companies within the same industry have different strengths and weaknesses and choose to compete in different ways
• ·        Different production "systems" have different operating characteristics and each involves a different set of trade-offs
• ·       A production system must have a customized design that reflects the priorities and trade-offs inherent in the firm’s own competitive situation and strategy 

Therefore, no one operating system is universally superior under all competitive situations and for all companies. Every operating system embodies a set of trade-offs. Some will be particularly good at producing standardized products in high volume at low cost; others will excel at responding quickly to shifting demand for more customized products.

Thanks, 

Anil Kumar J R

"LEAN" thinking

"A systematic approach to identifying and eliminating the Eight Wastes (which are considered non - (customer) value adding activities) through continuous improvement by flowing the product at the 100% pull of the customer"

Eight Wastes:

Waiting:

• Description: There is a stoppage in the item/work within the process.
• Manufacturing samples: Instrument stoppage, bottlenecked tasks, apparatus substitution
• Office and Service examples: System interruptions, system reaction intervals, authorizations, data from clients

Defects:

• Meaning: Every type of scrap, faults, mistakes or rectification caused by improper completion of initial work.
• Manufacturing Instances: Construction of flawed pieces, leftovers or excess.
• Service/Office samples: Information input inaccuracies, scheme mistakes, work modification orders and bill miscalculations.

Unneeded Processing:

• Explanation: Wasting time on steps that are not required.
• Manufacturing samples: Incorporating superfluous phases to develop the parts, ineffective handling because of inadequate implements and product design.
• Service/Office illustrations: Re-entering information, unneeded reproductions, needless or unwarranted reports.

Inventory:

• Meaning: All items that are in surplus, all methods of batch processing. Manufacturing beyond what client require.
• Manufacturing samples: All extra inventory, group handling.
• Service/Office instances: Office materials, marketing brochures, batch processing transactions.

Excessive Motion:

• Description: Movement of individuals.
• Manufacturing illustrations: Reaching for, searching for, or piling parts, tools, etc.
• Service/Office examples: Traveling to/from photocopier, central filing, fax machine or other offices.

Transportation:

• Explanation: Shifting of work or correspondence from one phase to the next phase in the procedure.
• Manufacturing samples: Transfer supplies, pieces, or completed merchandise into and out of storage.
• Service/Office instances: Shifting of paperwork from location to location, room to room or folder to folder.

Overproduction:

• Description: Creating extra, earlier, or quicker than is needed by the subsequent individual.
• Manufacturing examples: Merchandise piling up at a sluggish downstream pace.
• Service/Office instances: Laser printing correspondence earlier than it is actually required, buying pieces earlier than they are wanted, providing paperwork earlier than required by the subsequent individual.

Underutilized Employees:

• Explanation: Workers' inventiveness, concepts, and aptitudes are not entirely employed.
• Manufacturing instances: Overlooking concepts, talents, and enhancements by not pay attention to personnel.
• Service/Office examples: Restricted worker power and accountability for rudimentary jobs, management command and control

PLM Best Practices

PLM Best Practices

Below are some best practice guidelines that may ease the implementation process, getting your PLM system up and running faster and easier.

• Develop iteratively 
  Although it is always best to know all the requirements in advance, this is often an unrealistic goal. Therefore, do not spend an inordinate amount of time upfront on requirements and design without user validation.
• Manage Requirements 
  Always keep in mind the requirements set by the users.
• Model Visually 
  Utilize diagrams and mock ups as models. Create visual prototypes and get user validation before developing any method code. Don't spend a significant amount of time developing specs without prototyping the solution.
• Use Components
  Breaking down large projects into manageable pieces. Look for "Small Wins" that provide business value.
• Verify Quality 
  Always make testing a major component of the project.
• Control Change 
  Ensure that changes are synchronized and verified constantly.
• Divide Implementation into Phases
  Create phases that provide business values and can be deployed independently. Build a plan for each of these phases that includes goals and be sure to give priority to important or high risk items.
• Use References 
  
• Use Cases as a Foundation 
  You will most likely write two types of use cases: High Level and Detailed. These Use Cases are a foundation for documentation, training material, and test plans.

Project Manager

A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers can have the responsibility of the planning, execution and closing of any project, typically relating to construction industry, architecture, aerospace and defense, computer networking, telecommunications or software development.

1.     Focus on customer needs

The single biggest success factor for a project is whether it delivers what the customers really need. Not only will that create a happy customer, it will also dramatically increase your success as a project manager. The tricky part is that customer needs aren’t necessarily synonymous with what the customers say they want. Outstanding project managers focus on the customer’s real needs and seek to uncover the reasons behind the requirements. They do that through enquiry and by consistently learning about the client’s business.

2.     Keep your promises

As a project manager is it absolutely essential that what you say and do is credible and that your clients and stakeholders trust you. When you take on an action or commit to a deadline – however big or small – always deliver it when you said you would. This is also true when it comes to chasing other people for the actions they take on. You will gain an enormous amount of respect for being effective, timely and reliable and it will be easier for you to plan and execute the project with minimal resistance. Set a good example in everything that you do.

3.     Be proactive

They key to success for any manager and leader is to be proactive and consistently focus your efforts and attention on the long-term as opposed to being reactive in the present moment. Too often we get caught up in urgent or unimportant activities and we procrastinate on the big important things such as planning and initiating the project properly, writing the business case, learning about our client’s business or taking the time to build strong relationships with our customers and team members. Don’t sit back and wait for things to happen. Take the initiative as a matter of course.

4.     Support your team

Your team is the project’s biggest asset so nurture it and enable each individual team member to thrive. Allow for people’s individuality, play to their strengths and give them the support they need to succeed. To build a great team, spend one-on-one time with people on a weekly basis. Ask them what you can do to help, what they worry about and how you can assist them in working more effectively. Never be afraid to ask questions and to lend a helping hand. One of your most important roles is to remove blockages so that your team can get on with its work.

5.     Delegate

If you are to add maximum value, you must learn to delegate. This will help you create space to concentrate on the big picture and on the strategic aspects of the project. Tracking timesheets, taking minutes and planning detailed work-streams are important aspects of a project, but it’s not important that you do them. Get a project administrator on board or train your senior team leads to take on a more senior role. Not only do you develop their skill set, you also free yourself up to focus on customer relationships, communication, team building and setting the vision.

6.     Challenge the status quo

It is no longer enough to turn up for work and deliver a project the way we used to. The global crisis has meant that everything is being scrutinized and that executives are constantly on the look-out for how we can deliver change in a better, cheaper and faster way. You need to challenge the status quo on a daily basis and help identify how the team can work smarter, what new technologies you can employ, which extra benefits you can deliver and how project processes can be improved.

7.     Stay calm under pressure

As a project manager you are under daily pressure to deliver, make decisions and sort out issues. You need set a great example by managing your state of mind and remaining calm when the pressure is on. Maintain a balanced perspective and think of solutions rather than placing blame or making knee-jerk decisions. In situations of conflict, take on the role of a mediator and convey both sides of the argument. Whatever you do, do it well; as the way you conduct yourself is the most you can ever expect from your team

CLASS : Credibility- Listening- Accountability- Style-Sell

PRE-SALES BRINGS CLASS TO THE SALES PROCESS

Great statement on the value of Pre-Sales in the selling process... The PreSales professional has been affectionately called “Doctor Demo” or “Demo Monkey”. The PreSales job title varies from company to company. From Sales Engineer to Solution Consultant... no matter what a PreSalesRep is called, they should consistently bring CLASS to the sales process.

In this case,
CLASS is more than an elegance of style, taste, and manner. CLASS is an acronym that stands for qualities and characteristics found in top PreSales professionals. The CLASS acronymn has been developed over several years of serving as a PreSales representative in addition to building several PreSales organizations. It is a simple way of describing the essence of a quality PreSales team member wherein each letter in the word CLASS stands for a desirable characteristic:

C - The “C” stands for Credibility. No doubt the PreSalesRep (PSR) represents their company’s products and/or services with greater depth and breadth than any other person on the sales team. Credibility is established with the prospect through the knowledge of products and solution opportunities offered by the PSR. The credibility the PSR builds allows them to have a relationship with the functional and technical interest parties of the potential customer. When a PSR establishes their credibility, additional benefits result... such as Confidence with Commitment to do what it takes to make the sale.

L - The “L” stands for Listener. A PSR may seem credible with lots of product and/or technical knowledge... but if he or she does not listen to the customer, the sale is less likely to be successful. A good PSR listens to the desires of the prospect and does an effective job of relating that information to the rest of the sales team. Listening is also crucial in the relationship between the Lead Sales Rep and the PSR, in order that the team functions effectively.

A - The “A” represents Accountability. Being accountable to both the sales team and prospect means doing what it takes to get answers when an important question arises about product functionality, technical capabilities, or service commitments. An effective PSR must be willing to diligently research the answers to questions. Providing well-researched, accurate answers trumps a spur-of-the-moment educated guess every time. It takes a team Attitude to win business; the PSR who proves his or her accountability to the team is truly an asset.

S - The “S” indicates Style. Style is that intangible presence the Sales Rep brings to the table. When the PSR has been brought in to support the sale, the PSR and the Sales Rep must work in tandem to represent the company and solutions for prospects. Style involves methodology—the manner in which information is relayed to the prospect. It includes identifying the level of simplicity or detail necessary to communicate that information. A PSR’s style should always convey Support and Sincerity and compliment the sales team.

S - The last “S” in CLASS stands for Selling. Never forget that the object is to eventually make the sale! An effective PSR should be intentional about focusing on the selling process. A prospect does not need all the answers to all the questions at once. A productive PSR participates in the sale rather than trying to control it. Keep this in mind with the previous qualities and you’ll end up being a strong selling influence with credibility, listening skills, accountability, and style.

In summary, the top notch PreSalesRep brings CLASS to the selling process and is a valuable asset to the sales team, the prospective customer, and the company he/she represents.

Source By William Champion.