3 Step Checklist to Stop Firefighting & Predictably Grow Operating Revenue

Due to the pandemic, most organizations pivoted into a very reactive mode - all their plans got tossed up into the air.

Planning is not popular and we are facing the consequences.

So now,

How do we shift from fire-fighting to anticipating challenges and getting ahead of the curve?

1. Champion Planning in Your Organization

As a leader, it's important to not only to address immediate issues but to instill a culture of planning, specifically long term planning.

That focus and intentionality starts right from the top.

Demonstrate to your team by having conversations on not just the next month, but the next quarter and year.??

When they see you doing it, they will also do it.

2. Visibility with Metrics

Most tracking dashboards feature lagging metrics - relying on past performance is not the criteria for taking future decisions.

Remember that when you look into the past, it’s already too late.?

Switch to leading metrics.?

They tell you what is happening right now and what is going to happen next.

Based on those, you can course correct and positively impact future performance.

3. Master Production Schedule

This is probably the most simplest yet overlooked factor.?

What does it really mean?

It means that the manufacturing team should be told in advance what is the volume they are expected to manage.?

This foresight allows them to efficiently handle materials, staff, workforce, and operating hours to meet anticipated demands proactively.

Unfortunately in most cases, operations are working on an ad-hoc basis, so when they under-perform, it almost feels like a dam bursting.?

Order backlogs swell and that snowballs across all KPIs.

With planning in place, you can anticipate that you don’t have the capacity to produce a certain volume and act accordingly.?

That's the principle of a master production scheduling process—a strategic process designed to be proactive rather than reactive.

*****

If this was helpful,

1. Subscribe to the On Plan, On Target newsletter.

Every week, I will share 1 actionable tip to meet operating revenue targets, even in crisis, by rapidly optimizing production output.

2. Get Your Operating Revenue Scorecard

Drawing from our work with multiple billion dollar manufacturers, we'll give you the exact probability of meeting operating revenue targets & highlight specific areas of risk and concern - with a turnaround plan.

3. Review Our Clients & Case Studies

We’ve consulted multiple billion dollar manufacturing companies and produced breakthrough results in a matter of weeks.