tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66318948282210407212011-07-31T05:17:34.584+01:00Fraysen SystemsA blog by Finbar Gallagher, founder and CEO of Fraysen Systesm. Focussing (mostly!) on the application of information systems to accelerating organisations management tempo and improving their operational performance and control.Finbarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08172924606730690911noreply@blogger.comBlogger101100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631894828221040721.post-1701702751819959162010-04-02T08:17:00.003+01:002010-04-02T08:23:49.744+01:00OEE: how to approach root cause analysis?An interesting question was posted on the LinkedIn MES - Manufacturing Execution Systems group recently by Elisa Rocca of Siemens: "OEE: how to approach root cause analysis?" She goes on to say that "I was wondering how to best execute the root cause analysis for a filling & packaging line." and later in the discussion that:
"I would like to decouple the RCA investigation from levels 1 and 2 [Finbarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08172924606730690911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631894828221040721.post-4141825893310989122009-11-23T17:54:00.000Z2009-11-23T17:54:33.920ZImpressive Opportunity from a Small ExperimentJust published an analysis on the Fraysen Systems website today called "Material Flow Co-ordination Case Study" which gives the results -- with their agreement, of course -- of a quick opportunity analysis we did for one of our Clients. What is striking is:
The amount of information that we were able to collect from a simple experiement;
The size of the improvement opportunity we uncovered Finbarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08172924606730690911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631894828221040721.post-68642621164552772672009-11-05T09:05:00.003Z2009-11-05T09:09:36.005ZThere is a Gap between Operational Excellence and Business RealityWhy do Managers not rush to put into practice every recommendation by their Lean Consultants, or to install Manufacturing and Business Intelligence systems? There is plenty of data to suggest that in general these methods and systems produce outstanding returns, and this is backed up by detailed analyses of selected leading companies.
I think there are just too many "IF"'s between the Finbarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08172924606730690911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631894828221040721.post-91497207342914929442009-10-21T17:01:00.001+01:002009-10-21T17:39:41.346+01:00The Operations Management DilemmaHaving spent a large part of my career in developing and selling Operational Intelligence Systems, I am one of many businesspeople around the world -- Manufacturing Systems vendors, Business Intelligence providers, Lean Manufacturing consultants and Six Sigma Black Belts who make their money persuading corporations to focus senior management attention on how they operate, and to spend money on Finbarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08172924606730690911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631894828221040721.post-53277472615109770602009-08-17T10:04:00.000+01:002009-08-17T11:08:21.955+01:00High Velocity BusinessI had the pleasure to read Steven J. Spear's "Chasing the Rabbit" during my Summer vacation, in which he discusses the unique attributes of industry leading companies like Toyota and Alcoa. What Mr. Spears wanted to understand is why these companies have maintained and even extended their competitive advantage over their peers, even as these peers have learned from these leaders and themselves Finbarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08172924606730690911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631894828221040721.post-69996708975585841012009-08-17T10:01:00.001+01:002009-08-17T10:03:52.790+01:00Thoughts about Starting a Technology Business: Final ThoughtsIt always takes longer than you thought, so don’t be impatient, but do plan and provide for the long haul, whether that be by recruiting investors with deep pockets, or having another line of business that keeps you going. Do try to make your mistakes as early as you can. You are going to learn from your mistakes, and the only way you are going to succeed is by taking the risk that you might failFinbarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08172924606730690911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631894828221040721.post-47983483865757088212009-08-17T09:50:00.000+01:002009-08-17T10:02:49.326+01:00Thoughts about Starting a Technology Business: PeopleHiring and managing people in your own business is different from doing the same as a manager in a large corporation, so here are some thoughts about that.Firstly, you will be anxious to hire people to help you, and may find it difficult to imagine that people will actually want to come and invest their futures in your improbable little venture. Don’t hire the first willing candidate just becauseFinbarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08172924606730690911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631894828221040721.post-27786071262553542252009-08-17T09:49:00.000+01:002009-08-17T09:50:01.010+01:00Thoughts about Starting a Technology Business: SalesWhich brings us to sales. Let me sum this up for you: good Sales People are different from Engineers. Sales is a complex and difficult profession. It requires the sales person to follow a rigorous process methodically. It requires an ability to build a profile of likely target Customers, so that efforts are focussed on people who are likely to buy, not just those willing to talk to you. It Finbarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08172924606730690911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631894828221040721.post-13806678217273023782009-08-17T09:48:00.000+01:002009-08-17T09:49:04.901+01:00Thoughts about Starting a Technology Business: MarketingMarketingFirst of all for my fellow technologists, let's be clear about what marketing is. You'll hear lots about brand, collateral, communications, etc, etc. These are merely the day to day tools of marketing. Simply put, marketing is "discovering a need and communicating your ability to satisfy it better than anyone else."Notice I did not mention your technology. Technology is essentially Finbarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08172924606730690911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6631894828221040721.post-66119354270867528152009-07-05T18:03:00.001+01:002009-08-17T09:47:55.608+01:00Thoughts about Starting a Technology Business: IntroductionIntroductionAlthough this blog is to be more about how to use information systems to manage complex, high tempo businesses, Graham Royce kindly invited me to make a presentation to the kick-off session for the 2009/2010 participants at the Limerick Institute of Technology's LEAP Program, which he runs. I though it might be a good first post on the things I have learned so far about trying to Finbarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08172924606730690911noreply@blogger.com0