When embarking on new projects with clients one of the first barriers I experience is about timing. Everyone is so busy, and with multiple different pressures on them, that starting a process of change just seems to be at the wrong time. Is it the right time for Continuous Improvement? In my experience there never really is a good time to engage with improvement projects, you are either struggling to cope (when things are going wrong) or struggling to cope (when things are going incredibly well)! So, two things come to mind.  Firstly, carve out some time regardless. There appears to never be a good time, and if you take some time out and improve the situation then you will get a benefit in some shape or form that you can build upon. Secondly, improvement doesn't have to be onerous, it can be short, sweet and effective, just like the method we share in our guide about Continuous Improvement .  If it doesn't feel like the right time to improve your

Many businesses have some kind of priority system for identifying orders that need to be given special attention. I realise that having this 'turbo boost' capability for your business is a good thing to have, if it is used sparingly. Sometimes businesses can come unstuck when they fail to agree on ' what is a priority ' and fall into the trap of labelling everything as a priority. If you are in a backlog situation then everything looks like a priority, but the system then no longer serves its purpose. If you are in a backlog situation and use a priority system but aren't getting anywhere then it might be time to rebalance your order books, provide new dates to your customers, and agree on a formal method of identifying and managing priorities within your business. Giles Johnston Author, Consultant and Chartered Engineer

Time spent training people to perform specific aspects of their work does not mean that an optimum process is born. An optimum process is not the same thing as having 'standard operating procedures' (or SOPs). A process is a collection of steps, the correct sequence can radically change the overall time required to complete a process. The optimum process is often hiding in front of you The optimum process is often buried within the average performers process, the key is to uncover the optimum process and fix the training. Giles Johnston Author, Consultant and Chartered Engineer

One of the central issues to any business is how do you manage your capacity. Getting this wrong can result in poor delivery performance , confusion within the business and unhappy customers. Do your capacity levels fluctuate wildly? Many businesses have some form of software (such as project management software, ERP / MRP etc.) to help do this, but what about businesses that don't have this support? Regulating your capacity is all about knowing what you have committed to and when. Many businesses that don't have a formal system do have some kind of paperwork or spreadsheet system to help with their day to day management . Adding some simple capacity information to these systems can be quick and straightforward to do and can give you a surprisingly quick improvement to the level of control you have over the operational side of your business. From visual management ideas with your paperwork stacks, to an additional (hours required) column in spreadsheets, all

MIS Overview Most businesses have some kind of MIS (Management Information System) that is designed to drive the actions of the business. Whether you use CRM, ERP, an online project management software application, or a spreadsheet, they all can count as a MIS. Over time the quality and usability of that system can wane and leave the business with a less than effective tool for running the business. Correcting this situation is not difficult . If this is something that irritates you as you strive to achieve a consistent on time delivery performance (with the accompanying high level of customer satisfaction and business profit) then read on. Lack of understanding One of the most common reasons I have come across for a MIS system losing effectiveness stems back to a lack of understanding of, and around, the system being used. There are two issues here that I would like to quickly touch upon. The first is the lack of appreciation by team members of why a healthy system i

One of the more interesting phrases I have heard when discussing on time delivery performance is the 'hockey stick' curve. You know the sort of thing I mean (see below). Your business outputs very little in the first couple of weeks of the calendar month, and the last week or two look like everyone is running on rocket fuel! The rate of change in output is huge and once again the business achieves its turnover target. Interpretation of the 'hockey stick' curve. Skeptics may say that although work is invoiced it isn't produced until the next calendar month, which accounts for the low levels of output in those weeks. So what? The important question is what do you do about it if you recognise this pattern occurring in your business. Finding out if you have an uneven order book is essential to find out if you have a throughput issue or a loading issue. Loading issues can be rectified easily by balancing out the order book (and coming up with a be

SOPs, or Standard Operating Procedures, are often written by people who understand a process, not necessarily the people who know how to do it best. Finding the few people who know how to do it best, in practise, in real life, and getting them to define the optimum process can do a lot to help improve a process' performance . Apart from the obvious savings to time there could be quality improvements, customer satisfaction improvements and more. Who's writing your business' SOPs? Giles Johnston Smartspeed Consulting Limited Taking the frustration out of on time delivery.