Issue Resolution
Problems can no longer be solved in a vacuum
Success is dictated by an organization’s speed and ability to consistently resolve its most pressing issues. This occurs at every level of the organization from the shopfloor to the boardroom. New skills are needed for a modern workforce to handle this always on/always connected world as individuals accomplish more and more tasks in coordination with others.
Companies that recognize the fact that shared frameworks for effective issue resolution are fundamental for success, are the companies that win in the marketplace.
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First things first
The ability to sort what must be done from what can be done is the new superpower. Knowing how to plan for action is crucial in taking the right action. With better focus comes increased momentum.
Solving problems not soothing symptoms
Instead of accepting and living with recurring issues, solving problems permanently adds value, builds customer satisfaction and promotes growth.
Making the best-balanced choice
Being clear about deciding where to go next is an accelerant for high performance. Decision-drag (the time needed make decisions), and execution-lag (the speed at which decisions are implemented), speak volumes about how clear the organization is about its prioritized needs and wants. Clarity helps an organization get moving.
Realizing the intended value
To look before you leap is not only good advice to avoid catastrophe, it also clarifies and ensures the value of any action. When you recognize and manage potential outcomes before acting, you create an opening that leads towards the most positive result.
Case Studies Section
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$11M
saved in the first year
60%
improvement in on-time performance
50%
reduction in admin workload
Challenges
Kennecott Utah Copper operates the Bingham canyon mine concentrator plant, a smelter and a refinery. Ore from this mine is concentrated into slurry, piped to where the smelting process occurs, and then sent to the refinery. Efficient operation at the concentrator stage is critical to maintaining uptime of the smelter. Each year the concentrator plant is shut down a total of 36 times. This is necessary to maintain critical equipment while essential repairs and upgrades are completed. The issue at Bingham was that the length of downtime was causing a bottleneck in the overall process.
Read Case StudyResults
The shutdown process saved over $11 million in the first year of implementation. On-time performance improved by 60% and is tracking towards world-class results. key performance Indicators (KPls) for shutdown performance improved over all prior years. Team performance (on-scope, on-cost) improved by 60%. Shutdown administrative work load fell by over 50% allowing team members to focus on other areas such as reducing cost or generating more revenue. All Injury Frequency Rate (AIFR) improved, advancing a strong safety culture which is a core value of KUCC.
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47%
improvement in operational efficiency
30%
improvement in production rate
50%
reduction in change over time
Challenges
After a major capital investment at its biscuit factory at Papakura, Griffin’s needed to address several variables impacting overall conversion cost. The site was struggling with high waste, high downtime, and planning deficiencies; and overall workflow was not conducive to producing at the lowest possible conversion cost.
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For overall results, Operational Efficiency (OE), the measure of line performance relative to a theoretical maximum achievable throughput rate, was used to measure success. To achieve an OE of 100%, the line must run at its maximum theoretical throughput rate with zero plant downtime and product waste. At the conclusion of the Kepner-Tregoe engagement the plant achieved:
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€4.5M
decrease in spin-off costs
70%
non-conformity reduction in 3 years in specific departments
Challenges
Fokker wanted to increase their issue resolution maturity. This meant improving the quality and completeness of information about problems, accelerating root cause analysis and involving the right people at the right time.
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Success has been measured in a drastic reduction in non-conformities which is saving millions of euros yearly. A proactive culture has replaced the “fire-fighting” of reactive problem solving.