Partners for Excellence - Sales and Operations Planning, Manufacturing Education, Lean Manufacturing, Consulting

PFE Video Education

Advanced Master Production Scheduling - Dealing With Products and Options - with John Dougherty

If you have products made from options (features and options, modules, etc.) and you want to implement the most effective master scheduling techniques- then this is the course for you.

This four hour course contains all the important concepts you need for implementing and operating a "two level master scheduling" process.

An Overview of Lean Manufacturing Concepts - with Chris Gray

If you are implementing lean manufacturing, trying to improve materials flows using TPS methods, replacing push with pull systems, then this course can help.

This class contains important concepts you need for implementing lean materials management methods.

Performance Measurement and Assessment - with Chris Gray

There are two questions that any business tries to answer—How are we doing? And, are we doing the right things? If you've determined that performance is not as good as you would like, how do you assess the individual root causes and how do you improve underlying business performance?

How do you design a self-assessment program so that you can go out and look at your individual business processes—such as resource planning, sales and operations, and forecasting processes? How do you develop an assessment program that allows you to look at those processes and decide if you are doing the right things?

This course answers those questions and more in a three-and-a-half hour presentation on the concepts of designing a performance measurement system and self-assessment program for your business.

Additional Courseware

Self-administered Education: Your instructors, our material

S&OP Courseware (Instructor's Guide, Visuals)

Master Scheduling Courseware (Instructor's Guide, Visuals)

S&OP Best Practices Book - New Reduced Price!

S&OP Best Practices Book

From John Dougherty and Chris Gray, Available now.

For more information or to order using your credit card, click on Best Practices book, or call us at: 1 603 528-0840.

Sales and Operations Planning - Best Practices is also available in hardcover.

Books By Chris Gray

Chris Gray's series of books and reference software on software for manufacturing (Manufacturing Software Standards) is now shipping. This series currently includes three books, which you can purchase individually or as a group:

Sales and Operations Planning Standard System, and reference software.

Lean Standard System, and reference software.

The Right Choice.

For more information or to order using your credit card, click here:

Software related books, or call: 1 603 778-9211.

Other Books and Materials

NEW - S&OP Checklist: What you need to do to organize and implement for a successful S&OP process in your company. Two parts - how to implement, and what to implement.

S&OP Handbook, 122 pages of samples, examples, specific step-by-step instructions, and internal audit data are provided to help your company start or improve your S&OP process. $44.95 Order here.

New Global S&OP Class A Checklist now available for companies operating a global S&OP process. FREE

Below are some of the problems that companies frequently experience. If you have any of these problems, call us - 1 603 528-0840 - we have experience solving them.

For a more complete list, click on the Problem List button above:

In Customer and Business Performance
Late or missed customer deliveries
Cash flow problems: too much inventory, or inventory in the wrong places
Unexpected excess cost: overtime, freight, etc.

In Demand Management And Customer Service
Abnormal demands not identified soon enough
Customer "big events" not managed or forecasted
Inaccurate forecasts
Erratic demand

In Lean Manufacturing
Excessive time & cost for setup/changeovers

Some work centers overloaded, some underloaded
Excessive number of non value adding steps
Constant material and capacity shortages

In Manufacturing And Purchasing Performance
Poor manufacturing on-time delivery performance
Poor supplier on-time delivery performance
Excessive lead times

In Manufacturing Management
Excessive production floor paperwork and transactions
Frequent shortages as well as excess inventory
Capacity problems and surprise production bottlenecks

In New Product Introductions
New product development takes too long and is too expensive
Too many last-minute surprises

Time and cost targets are unreliable

Too many product changes (ECN's) after product launch

In Overall Supply Chain Performance
The supply chain is not well synchronized
Supply and demand are out of balance

In Management Information
Greater supply chain visibility is needed
There are no integrated business plans.
Executives lack the information to validate the business
plan.

In Working Together As A Team
Departments operate as silos
Dysfunctional communication processes
Poor teamwork
Problem/project of the month mentality

Partners for Excellence:

Partners for Excellence (PFE) specializes in solving manufacturing and distribution problems like excess inventory, poor customer service, inflexible manufacturing processes, poor communication and lack of teamwork using tools and methods like:

Demand Driven Supply Networks
Supply Chain Management
Process Management
Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II)
Lean Manufacturing / Synchronous Flow
People Empowerment

Focused on Getting Results for Your Benefit

Our client list is a Who's Who of Manufacturing. For them, we've produced real tangible and sustained operating results including: improved on time delivery, reduced working capital investments, reduced manufacturing costs, improved process flows, better company communication and coordination, and increased supply chain flexibility. We've helped or clients put in place processes that get their people working together in ways they did before.

Unlike many other consulting firms, who do everything from real estate to travel, marketing to taxes, retail to government services, we're passionate about only asingle thing - the manufacturing industry. We've all worked directly in manufacturing companies, and we have decades of consulting experience working with hundreds of companies. We've developed a structured approach to manufacturing improvement that can be applied flexibly to your unique situation and set of problems. With an average of 25 years of consulting experience per Partner, we have the experience to fix your problems.

We help get results that are based on applying proven principles and methods - not the latest buzzword, software package, or "silver bullet". In most cases, our clients use the systems they already had in place, upgrading to the proven techniques used by the leading companies in their respective markets. We deliver results fast - you can typically see a difference in inventory levels, customer service, plant flexibility, company communications, etc., in weeks of months not years. Changes across the organization are reflected in real operating results, not fancy bound reports or the size of the check you write for consulting.

Again, unlike other consulting firms who will provide you with teams of junior people, we do the work ourselves - what you see is what you get.

And we promise you this - no surprises.

We will communicate with you clearly and openly when there are problems that need to be resolved, be they system problems, behavioral issues, accountability problems, record integrity, etc. Finally, while we do on-site consulting and education, we don't move in. Your people do the work under our direction and guidance so that when we leave, your improvements stay.

We are able to mentor and coach at all levels of an organization, being the voice of the project team to executive management, and the voice of executive management to the project team. By working with people across the organization we can help define and implement solutions that have organizational buy-in - solutions that will truly work.

We have extensive experience in auditing and assessing performance, particularly in the area of sales and operations planning. Click on "Global S&OP Class A Checklist" in our resource links for a new checklist specifically designed for companies operating a global S&OP process. Recently developed with Robert Jones, one of our professional associates, it is the only checklist dealing specifically with global S&OP issues.

Let one of our Senior Partners discuss how we can help you become more successful using proven tools and methods.

Send us an email (officess@partnersforexcellence.com) or call us at 1 603 528-0840.

Information and Resource Links:

Tell Me More About Getting Started

Tell Me More About Partners For Excellence...

Catalog of Services

Newsletters and Articles

Global S&OP Class A Checklist

Frequently Asked Questions About Sales and Operations Planning

Senior Partners

Bios

Email Us

Careers

Search for Information:

Browse the Partners for Excellence Newsletters!

The Best of Volume 1 (Issues 1 and 2)

Re-Engineering Your Business Planning through Sales & Operations Planning
Gaining a Competitive Advantage with Synchronous Flow Manufacturing
ERP/MRP II Software: Valuable Tips for Selection & Implementation

Volume 1 Issue 3

Turning Education into an Investment that Pays Off!
Management Today - The Sayings of Sir John

Volume 2 Issue 1

Japanese Style Execution vs. American Style Planning!
Coca Cola: "Always" Class A MRP II
Dayco Finds Continuous Improvement is the Way to Go!

Volume 3 Issue 1

People Empowerment: How to Guarantee Success in Improvement Initiatives
Consider These Questions Before Changing the Master Production Schedule
Class A at DuPont Polyester Films

Volume 4 Issue 1

Does Your Supply Chain Measure Up?
Class A Regained at Dade Behring
Making More With Less Is Lean Manufacturing

Volume 5 Issue 1

The Party's Over
Are You Really Ready for Lean Manufacturing?
Value/Supply Chain Management - Where Do You Start

Performance Measurements: Fact or Opinion