As well as helping our clients with large logistics studies or transformational changes of their supply chains, Bisham is also able to help its clients in the delivery of ongoing business improvement. Continuous improvement, (CI) is a technique applied through workshops to make small/medium size step improvements in business performance. It is not effective for major transformational projects but an embedded business practice, which becomes a ‘way of life’ that will continually improve Customer Service, contain costs and provide continual cost reduction.
Where can this technique be used?
In the context of overall logistics improvements and developments, it can be applied to the following:
- Focused Improvement Change – e.g. warehouse layout, new KPIs, new solution to specific geography
- Operational Level Improvement – small operational changes to daily operating processes.
Bisham will facilitate CI workshops within your business. This will allow companies to harness the knowledge held within your own people, supplement this with new more general logistics expertise from Bisham, in order to;
- Identify suitable problems and issues to target for improvement
- Generate suitable solutions and highlight the likely benefits, which can be delivered
- Prioritise actions into an overall plan
The benefits to your business can arise in different areas;
- Operational cost savings & efficiency improvements
- Quality or service level improvements
- Improved staff engagement, motivation & commitment
- Improved health & safety
- Increased customer satisfaction & customer retention
What issues can be worked on?
The CI workshop can be applied to a very wide range of logistics issues. For example; Damages, repair & re-work, Inefficient activities, Customer complaints, Inventory shortages, WIP issues,
Inventory excesses, Back orders, Service level failures, Scheduling issues, Accident rates, Expedited transport costs, Transport claims, Information gaps, Space shortages, KPI reports,
Different routing through the pick face, etc
Who goes to these Workshops?
We have found that the best workshops are those where a mixture of staff are there: operations people from the warehouse, front line team leaders/ managers, warehouse manager, etc. However, if it is a major project, with longer term timescales or a more complex focus then a couple of CI workshops may need to be run at different levels.
How often should the workshops be run?
The CI workshops should become part of an overall CI plan and strategy within a company. Bisham’s objective would be to get this started within a client’s business and then provide oversight as the CI program develops and capability grows internally. We would envisage a typical plan consisting of monthly CI workshops for small operational changes and a quarterly workshops for larger more complex logistics improvements.
The CI Workshop
The overall process for running CI workshops is divided into 3 stages:
- Workshop Preparation
- Agree key areas of focus
- What are the workshop objectives
- Who needs to attend
- Involvement of senior sponsor
- CI Workshop itself
- Facilitating the event
- Bringing in own expertise as required
- Allow all to help with the listing of new ideas and for some discuss the possible changes to be made
- Creating actionable ideas for implementation
- Ensuring responsibilities are assigned
- Ensuring ‘Quick Wins’ identified & prioritised
- Use of selective ‘tools’ to ensure productive outcomes
- For those items that require ‘Board’ or Senior continually monitor progress
- Review and Backcheck
- Progress review against plan
- Identify inhibitors or other issues
- Measurement of successes
- Follow up tasks
For more information please contact us on 01628 487000