OCTOBER 20239MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSIGHTSvariation, and complexity. This approach starts with opportunity identification and teaches everyone to recognize opportunities for improvement. Once an opportunity is recognized, we need to start tracking it. Then we need to review, prioritize, and select the opportunities that align with the financial goals and operations strategy. Once selected, you must resource and execute the continuous improvement activity using the appropriate tool. After improvement occurs, it is time to share the successes, learnings, concepts, ideas, policies, and experiences that may be useful for others.OPERATIONS STRATEGYYour operations strategy is a consequence of your business strategy. The operations strategy is the strategy for operations that will support the execution of the business strategy and ensure that operations are capable and aligned to execute the long-term plan of the business. Common elements for the operations strategy include automation, equipment refresh, supply chain/global footprint and capacity, equipment technology/platform, quality processes, and product/process design.OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE OFFICEThe operational excellence office's role is to support the organization in implementing operational excellence. This includes collaborating with the business on a single approach to operational excellence, as well as the tools, processes, and even forms. Assist, support, and collaborate with the business on implementing and executing the operational excellence framework. Provide training so everyone uses the same language and approach for operational excellence. Evaluate the execution of operational excellence to encourage correct usage and recognize and celebrate excellence.None of the elements in an operational excellence framework are earth-shattering, but they are all essential. The trick is to combine these activities to function as one. What does this mean? Are items discovered from your daily rhythm activities informing your continuous improvement plans and capital deployment, or is your operations strategy informing your continuous improvement plans? Is what you learn from equipment reliability teaching you how to improve your product/process design? The strength of the operational excellence system lies in the connection between the pieces. Having a daily rhythm is about creating the expectation that we have a daily routine for managing our factory safely and efficiently and planning what to do when something unexpected happens
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