Operational Excellence

"There are numerous structured approaches to productivity improvement available - and countless consultants who help you apply them. However, reality is never quite the same as the scenarios painted by these consultants or the purveyors of the tools and techniques. The theory is usually great; the practical application is less certain. Most approaches are relatively superficial, provided in outline only… requiring the reader to uncover the flaws and failings, the practical difficulties of interpretation and implementation.

This book is different. Firstly, it acknowledges the fact that people find implementation difficult so it approaches the situation by focusing on a number of specific scenarios --some involving growth, some involving decline…. and takes the reader through the detailed application of MCPD in these scenarios.

The author’s experience as a lean manufacturing consultant has clearly shaped his approach to the development of strategy and practice - no bad thing obviously … but he has added his own thoughtful and thorough approach on top to provide a ’system’ capable of providing real improvements in manufacturing productivity and profitability.

The book is detailed and peppered with abbreviations - sometimes making it quite a ‘hard’ read. It is also generally a book that suits readers not afraid of quantitative approaches and the application of mathematical formulae. However the author also recognizes that improving productivity via a structured, quantitative approach also brings intangible benefits.

It is worth persevering with the detail to uncover the underlying principles and ‘truths’ that will allow you to ‘make a difference’."

"This book takes a comprehensive approach to inform the reader about how to achieve manufacturing profitability. While the lessons within are discussed in many publications and professional forums, few of them seem to approach the problems with as much common sense. Similarly, it seems that there are many publications that demonstrate expertise in planning and policy development, but few of them tell us how to better execute those plans. This book does both. The book starts by demonstrating the need for MCPD and the importance of having management commitment. It then delves into the very practical steps required for both implementation and subsequent continued use. Finally, it provides working examples to demonstrate the efficacy of the approaches. The result is a highly practical guide that should enable the careful reader to implement MCPD for the benefit of his or her organization."

"This book is a new, original, scientific, methodical and a practical approach toward reducing the production costs in a manufacturing environment. Through his professional education, practical involvement and exposure to the everyday production problems, Mr. Posteuca, PhD, is presenting, both, to the academia and to the production floor people, a new type of scientific analysis and activities optimizations.

The book starts with an excellent description of the manufacturing environment problems and needs and then the new approaching method is introduced and explained in terms that can be easily understood not only by college educated professionals, but also by a large amount of people who are working every day in manufacturing plants and have to resolve so many issues.

At the end, the book is analyzing manufacturing samples from everyday life and is proposing practical solutions the optimize the good ones or remove the bad ones.

After spending a pleasant time reading and professionally enlightening myself, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in improving the efficiency of his manufacturing process he is in charge!"

"The approach from this book is great. Through this book, Alin Posteuca is helping organizations to uncover the hidden potential of profitability through understanding of manufacturing costs behind losses and waste in product families costs flow and alignment of improvement actions and initiatives to achieve Manufacturing Cost Improvement (MCI) goal. The MCPD system is addressing the top management that needs to meet profitability targets by strategic and operational improvement of manufacturing efficiency, but very important, this transformation is based on all workforce engagement on this path.
In his book, Alin is describing the needs for this strategy (the why?) and the steps for this transformation system implementation for tangible and consistent fulfillment of MCI (the how?). And the case study presented in the 3rd section of the book is an eye-wide opener for the organizations on the road for this strategy deployment implementation, with all the links between product families manufacturing flow, cost of losses and waste understanding, actions or improvement initiatives throughout the manufacturing flow, levels in the organization and the annual MCI goal."

"Once I got the chance to review Manufacturing Cost Deployment (MCPD) Transformation: Uncovering Hidden Reserves of Profitability, I was prepared for documented, precise, deeply connected to operational realities work. I was not disappointed: well structured, proving deep knowledge of Lean and financial aspects, this book is not a ”quick fix” tool, but a real asset if you are looking for multiannual approach, team involvement and company culture turnaround. More: it openly speaks, straight from beginning, about main barriers to consistent/sustainable transformation of manufacturing companies- among which, lack of real managerial commitment is pointed as decisive one.
I would also particularly highlight the three case studies at the end of the book: accurate on defining the issue, providing clear ”pattern” and road-map on MPCD implementation, result analyze and conclusion. A lecture to consider for each manager passionate on improving his results!"

"Manufacturing Cost Policy Deployment Transformation is a new approach. MCPD aims is to reduce costs of losses and waste (CLW) by addressing areas that offer the most opportunities for improvement. The book presents a structured approach to analyze cost and implement a long term strategy for profitability improvement.
Alin presents a new method to identify priorities for improvement activities, by looking at the CLW (compared to just looking at KPI's like: ”down time”, ”scrap/ rework rate”, etc). Quantifying losses and waste through a money value gives Continuous Improvement Engineers and/ or Middle Management the right arguments for convincing the Top Management to approve improvement projects resources. On the other hand, the Top Management can link better the improvement activities to the Annual Targets for Cost Reduction. The case studies shown help clarifying questions which might arise when trying to put this new theory into practice.

This book is useful to companies starting an improvement journey or to companies which tried already to improve their operations, but didn't manage to achieve a significant impact. MCPD system ensures a step-by-step guidance to achieve the manufacturing cost improvement."

"The information gained is very useful in my work: streamline the processes after analyzing it using the Customer Value principle. I clarified some information and I acquired new one. BSC, VSM and Kaizen must to be implemented in any organization that wants to be efficient and effective. By implementing it in the bank’s procedures (internal regulations), I want to continually improve the quality of banking products and reduce process time. Thanks Exegens for this opportunity."

"As a result of this training (Lean Management), I learned something new - concepts I already knew, but now I appreciate it from a different perspective. It’s great to discuss continuous improvement concepts with the whole management team. The discussions were free, each participant was open to taking new approaches."

"The training session (Lean Management) helped me to understand the interaction of activities in the company. As a result of this course, I learned to apply advanced analytical methods in solving problems or improvement projects; we also realized the need of Value Stream Mapping analysis."

"Attending this training (Lean Management) was necessary, considering the actual crisis and the need for continuous improvement; this course is an opportunity to gather new knowledge. Our activity can be substantially improved by using the 5S, Kaizen, VSM techniques. This can reduce the production times and hence costs."

"For me it was very good to attend this training (Lean Management) because I better understood and clarified certain concepts and actions related to Lean 5S and Kaizen practice."

"The session (Lean Management) was useful for my professional training, for my career and not least to streamline activities at work, with a contribution to improving the production flow."

"This training (Lean Management) was very useful because I received answers to many questions and now I know where and how to use my professional energy. My activity will improve primarily by the fact that after this course I have a clear purpose, a target and an example of excellence in productivity."

"Understanding the steps to achieve Value Stream Mapping and Process Mapping will help reduce non added-value time at work. This training refreshed my Lean and SixSigma knowledge and helped me to understand in detail Value Stream Mapping and Process Mapping."

"The team has now a clearer view on issues and processes within the company. Many aspects (positive and negative) on VSM have also been clarified. The team was able to identify business problems and plan actions for improvement."

"The fact that the number of tools to analyze processes increased during this training (Value Stream Mapping & Process Mapping) means that many problems will be solved quickly, so you will gain time."

"This training program (5S) helped me to understand better the 5S′s principles and philosophy underlying Lean principles. If the 5S′s are applied correctly and over all, this is a good start for any team. The course was good for me in terms of “learned lessons” regarding my experience. The course also helps me in management decisions making: an accurate, objective analysis, a systematization of the current situation and indicators will thereby lead to continuous improvement and organization of management decisions."

"Based on information gained during this training (5S) I have a better understanding of the 5S′s concept and how to implement the 5S′s in a factory."

"The training (Kaizen) was good for my professional and personal development. This creates an organizational mind set and I would recommend it to all employees."

"The consulting program performed by EXEGENS® (FMEA / KAIZEN – training and workshop for a specific problem) was a good opportunity to increase the previous knowledge with the continuous process to improve the internal activities by combining the theory with practical applications taken from our production process. The consulting program satisfied our expectations regarding the initiation in this way of working (FMEA / KAIZEN)."

"The FMEA / KAIZEN training is well structured, organized and documented. It presents applicable techniques to obtain consistent improvements. It pulls the alarm signals about what we have now and what we might improve."

"Attending this training session (TPM and OEE) was very beneficial. Implemeting these TPM instruments will not only improve my work, but also the department′s work, and the entire company′s work. I realized that there is a huge improvement opportunity within the company, and what I did so far is only a small part of what can be done. Empowering operators and transforming them into small innovators will only help the company’s development plan. I understand that TPM includes all improvement projects and now I see OEE differently: not as a performance indicator, but as an indicator of non-performance as a thermometer that shows me where to act."

"This training (TPM and OEE) gave me an overview of the opportunities for improvement and development of business processes."

"Implementing TPM by OEE and KAIZEN gets to the root causes of problems, so we can clearly identify the real problems and start solving them. The session (TPM and OEE) was beneficial because I understood how to find the true losses and how they could be eliminated."

"Attending this training (TPM and OEE) was beneficial because I refreshed my knowledge and I learned new methods - procedures for working with people. The course opened my new perspective of working with people."

"I think my work will change after this training session (TPM and OEE) because I′ll consider problems from another perspective as a way of analysis and a capacity of involving."

"After this training (TPM and OEE), I realized again the importance of productivity on firm competitiveness, the inter-departmental links and the need for personal and professional improvement. Following information gained and refreshed during this course, we′ll better organize our work."

"I believe that this training (Problem Solving) changed my view on an issue and also on the answers given prematurely, before analyzing the situation. I’d recommend it to others."

"This training (Problem Solving) highlighted the links between various quality instruments, how they could be correlated and used to make our work easier."

"By applying what we have learned (during (alanced Scorecard training session), we certainly will increase our staff involvement and responsibility for the problems to be solved. Thus we will increase efficiency and reduce losses. I wish good luck in the future for the Exegens team."

"This training program (Balanced Scorecard) helped me to clarify many questions and know what to improve on what we have now."

"I find this training (Balanced Scorecard) useful for managers who want to improve their business management in a modern and pragmatic way using professional management techniques."

"This is the best training presentation (Balanced Scorecard) I have ever attended. My work will greatly improve following the information gained in this course."

"The information gained during this training session (Balanced Scorecard) will help me to improve my specific activities analysis mentality and my decision making skill. This training was useful because I got many information that could improve my decision making criteria and time management skill."

"Using the information received during this session (Balanced Scorecard), I will be able to easily identify the problems in my work area, while using the ideas of everyone I work with. The course was useful because I received a lot of information that I would use in my daily work."

"The training (Balanced Scorecard) was useful because it had opened for me a new perspective on everything that happened in an organization. As a result of this training, I think I will have a new start and a new approach."

"This training (Balanced Scorecard) has given me a chance to look at my position from another point of view. Uncertainty in making decisions could be canceled by setting proper goals and by systematically verifying and following them."