Why don’t we plan? Because it’s more exciting to just see what happens, right? Or perhaps you’re too busy dealing with today to even consider tomorrow. Maybe you simply can’t get the leadership team to agree or don’t have the right data available. Whatever your reason, you need to have a plan – and you… Read more

The innovation process is difficult. It’s a long journey from an idea on a piece of paper to a product on a manufacturing line, so it’s little wonder that 99% of concepts end up in a kind of ‘museum of failed dreams’. Yet innovation is often the only way that small businesses can compete and… Read more

In Jacob Stoller’s book The Lean CEO, he states that 95% of lean transformations fail. The cause? People. So much of the time employees are burnt out, scared or frustrated. But this doesn’t mean you should point the finger of blame at staff. After all, as W. Edwards Deming highlights, that transformation starts with you… Read more

What makes a great leader? Seeing a business through a pandemic? Achieving quick results? Firefighting and expediting are often mistaken for leadership responsibilities. But this belief can in fact hinder an organisation. The Manufacturing Institute’s Leadership and Enterprise Excellence Coach, Adam Buckley, explores the true essence of leadership… Firefighting issues When there’s a burning platform,… Read more