My goal here is to develop the organization and work on the business so that it requires me to work less in the business.  I still find myself being pulled into daily firefighting type activities.  Every business encounters challenges every day, and this will never stop.  However, I believe we can do a better job of executing the foundational processes.  We can conduct manufacturing, product design, sales follow-ups and other critical tasks like it is just how we do business.  Too much still feels like it is new each and every time we approach a new opportunity.  This is much more the case with sales and product developments than it is within manufacturing, but as we continue the implementation of our new ERP system, even that has an element of the unexpected.

One of the ways I am personally approaching this is to connect my personal routines.  What are the reports I look at each day or week?  What are the consistent activities I complete for sales, engineering, product development, manufacturing, etc.?  I need to set the expectation as well as behave in a way that promotes consistent operation.

The mantra I have been repeating lately is “Refine the model.”  With every issue we encounter within the new ERP system, this is my first response.  If we refine the data within the digital model, we have sustainably improved our operation.  If we refine a supporting process, we have sustainably improved the operational model.  If we become more routine in the way we plan work, move material, or report results, it improves the operational model in a sustainable way.  The opposite would be to solve the immediate problem, then run on to the next.  This gets things done but does not prevent the next problem.  This same message applies to other areas too.  Now the goal is to refine the operational model in each area a little bit each week.  Progress has been slow, but steady.  I expect it to be another six months before most of these operational details can be fully refined across the entire ERP system because these are the gritty details.  We have achieved basic functionality, but this is the finer stuff.  It is grinding out daily improvements at this point.

I have also been focusing on empowering the best work.  As situations present themselves, I am looking to teach, education, question or challenge staff members.  This causes the increased diversification of knowledge and the raising of expectations.  As the model is refined, so are personal skill sets.  Our mission has always been bigger than me.  This serves as a daily reminder.  This creates opportunities to act that way on a daily basis.