One of the biggest production management challenges is maintaining control over the projects and orders flowing through the business. Keeping all of the balls in the air (so to speak) is sometimes a difficult job. But, if you can get a grip of the few things that matter this can become far easier.

I write a lot about on time delivery in this blog. Delivering products and services on time can provide other indicators (that things are working in the business): An effective management approac h is in place. Meaningful Key Performance Indicators are in use. A disciplined way of working, with good habits, is evident. ...but only if delivering on time isn't a struggle.

Everyone expects products and services to be delivered on time . It’s a basic ‘satisfier’ in any business transaction or project. So, why would I be writing about this as a strategy to grow a business? The world changes quickly (I’m sure that you have noticed!) and with these changes comes new problems to overcome. Customers change their buying habits, new products and services add complexity to the organisation of the delivery and production side of your business. Expectations are increased through the ongoing proliferation of e-commerce and on demand services. So, although on time delivery is expected it is not always experienced.

Get my On Time Delivery Kit  for only $17 (USD) if you use the code OTIF  at the checkout before 6pm (BST) on the 3rd of June 2016. To learn more about the kit please visit:  https://smartspeed.dpdcart.com/product/106693 If you have any questions - drop me a line: gilesjohnston@smartspeed.co.uk Giles Johnston Author of Business Process Re-Engineering and creator of the ' Making It Happen ' online course for improving continuous improvement skills.

Many businesses measure their on time delivery performance by counting how many orders leave their business on the same date / time as agreed with their customer. That makes sense, and is how most businesses do it, shown in the diagram below: There is another way, a way that can help you to pin point where and when things aren't working properly. By measuring the start of the process you increase the chance of the process delivering on time (as in, you rarely catch up when you start late!). It's a small change in perspective when it comes to measuring on time delivery, but it gives you a chance to correct things before it is too late. Of course you can still measure the output, but by placing your focus on the start of the process you not only increase your chances of delivering on time but start the conversation around what needs to happen in order to launch your processes properly. The final results won't turn up by magic, but they can appear with

A question I am often asked is this - "am I on the right path?" This question is usually posed by someone who is going through a period of change and feels that they aren't doing it right, because the actions don't seem to be following some prescribed / perceived route...

Just a quick reminder today... If you have a LinkedIn account and want to discuss any on time delivery (improvement) issues, in a bid to generate ideas that you can apply to your business, then please feel free to join my group. The link to the group is: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/On-Time-Delivery-Improvement-4419220/about See you there, Giles Johnston Author of Business Process Re-Engineering and creator of the ' Making It Happen ' online course for improving continuous improvement skills.

One of the main reasons people visit this blog is to get ideas on how to improve the on time delivery performance of their business. OTIF ( On Time In Full ) is one of the best metrics there is to evaluate a business' ability to meet the promises it makes to its customers. How can I help you create an effective plan via this blog?

I'm often asked what is one of the best ways to improve the on time delivery performance of a factory; my glib answer is to stop overloading it. Of course, most people don't intentionally overload their businesses. It is common, however, for businesses to have inadequate methods of measuring how busy they are. This means that they are unsure of the effect of their decision, when accepting new orders into their business, until after the event. Continue reading... Giles Johnston Creator of the ' Making It Happen ' online course for discovering change management strategies.

I'm trying to find out a little more about the challenges that people face when trying to improve their on time delivery performance. If you have ten seconds to spare, could you let me know your current challenge? What's the main reason that stops your business from achieving a consistent on time delivery performance? A lack of robust business processes. Constantly changing customer demand. The senior management team haven't bought in to the need for change. No structure, or routine, to the way the business operates. Poor computerised systems (e.g. MRP / ERP / CRM). Other Please Specify: Poll Maker Thanks, Giles Johnston Creator of the ' Making It Happen ' online course for improving personal change management skills.

If you are wanting to improve how your business delivers its services and products then check out the 'On Time Delivery Improvement Kit'. The discount code ' OTIF ' is valid until Friday the 7th of August 2015 and will save you 50% off the normal selling price. For more information, and to buy, click here:  https://smartspeed.dpdcart.com/cart/add?product_id=106693&method_id=112588 Giles Johnston Author of Business Process Re-Engineering

Recently I have been working with a client to help them bring a project back on schedule. The conversations that took place at the start of the project were interesting; we reviewed the targets that were set for the production rates within the project.

One topic of discussion that I find most beneficial for my clients is getting them to move their thinking from transactions to processes. Businesses are full of transactions; products being bought and sold, items being manufactured and distributed. And of course there are other essential tasks like paying the workforce! When we get lost within the hurly-burly of transactional work, we can lose sight of the overarching business process. This process is what we need to focus on, in order to improve how the organisation performs.

When your business takes on a new production order one of the immediate challenges is to ensure that all of the information you need to start the job is present. I call this 'making the unknowns known'.

The following is an excerpt from the e-book ' On Time Delivery '. Adhering to the Schedule The Team Leaders were sticking to the production schedule like a charm, the previous fights over the value of work were now a dim memory (but not yet distant). The work to lists were being used and we were getting pro-active updates about problems with upcoming jobs on the schedule. The next milestone for the Production team was to get rid of the end of month bulge, we had removed the bulk of the ‘hockey stick curve’ but there was still a slight imbalance in the order books toward the back end.