Servicing SMEs Throughout Atlantic Canada
In the good old days, many problems in the workplace could be solved by throwing more manpower at the problem. Generally speaking, there was no shortage of problems, or manpower to throw at them. Today’s world is different. Lack of workers is a very real problem for more and more companies. Throwing more people at…
Recently I had the pleasure of attending the International Safety Culture Summit at Saint Mary’s University. This was an excellent conference with several senior international speakers representing many diverse industries. Conference presenters spoke about the significant challenges associated with changing long established mindsets focused on compliance, utilizing by top-down controls to police workplace safety. As…
Hiring the best people for your organization is an essential part of the success of any business. Managers who want to make the right choices around hiring decisions, and follow an effective, open, and strategic recruitment process, can reduce the chances of making costly hiring errors. Poor hiring decisions have a real and measurable impact…
It’s that time of the year again, when many organizations plan a social event for their employees in celebration of the holiday season. While this presents an opportunity to connect with staff in a less formal, more social setting, organizations need to recognize that employer-sponsored events outside of work are still considered the “workplace”, and…
Inventory control is a key focus for many organizations that carry significant levels of inventory. Having excess inventory ties up cash, while insufficient levels lead to potential stock outs, and increased risk of losing customers. Historically, operational leaders would tend to utilize min/max levels, or MRP systems to manage and trigger inflows of goods. The…
Frank comes in to run the line this morning, but thinks that the temperature should be higher than what Joe had previously been running at on the previous shift. So Frank makes an adjustment and raises the process temperature. Joe comes back in the next day and lowers it back down again, and both go…
Many of us have been exposed to numerous training workshops organized around the topic of Leadership. Although we often inspire to be better Leaders, the goal simply exists because it seems like “the right thing to do”. The advantages of strong Leadership, however, go far beyond “the right thing to do”. Strong Leaders inspire others,…
Many organizations operate well below their desired or theoretical capacity, often in the 60%-80% range. There can be several reasons for this, and it is critical to understand the root causes so you can release untapped potential. After conducting value stream mapping exercises, I always review the cycle time rate for each step in the…