Operations Management
We have a plan. It's a plan about how we are going to
become the best foundry in the world. There are a lot of things that have to
be executed correctly to gain that title. We are going to.
We have an operations plan. It spells out the key
performance criteria that we will use to measure our progress. It tells
where we want to be next month and in five years. We have identified
the four Ps of the operations mix. They are Protection, Perfection,
Productivity and People.
Protection: “Safety First”
As you know, we need to protect our resources. People,
human capital, are our most important resource. They need to be safe. they
need to go home safe. they need to feel secure in their workplace. they need
to know that their employer cares about them. if they are secure in the
knowledge that we care about their wellbeing they will perform to their
potential.
Perfection: “Quality is Job One”
Remember Crosby's "Quality is Free"? We can tell you
this with certainty. Not having quality is really expensive. Remaking
product, scrapping parts, admin costs, freight, corrective actions,
disgruntled customers and damage to the brand. Defects are unacceptable.
Defects are muda. Muda is not lean
People: “People are our most important resource”
Talent is the key to success. We hire passionate,
knowledgeable, driven people. These are people that grew up thinking it wold
be cool to work in a foundry. They love getting up and giong to work
everyday.
We have a workforce development plan. It includes
-Hiring criteria. We are setting our sites high. We want
to hire the best talent we can find.
-Development Plans. We are working with the MnDeed to
develop a standards based training and acreditation program. Individuals
will meet certain milestones and receive pay and promotions based on meeting
criteria.
-Incentive programs. pay is tied to performance.
Performance correlates to corporate performance.
Productivity: “Productivity is Our Highest Priority”
Our productivity plan is deep, broad and complex. It is
based on lean concepts. It incorporates everything discussed above. Muda.
Investment. Training. Flow. Value Stream Mapping. Kaizen. Energy consumption
reduction. Elimination of landfilling.