Use Data Effectively

 Modern manufacturing or service delivery systems produce lots of opportunities for collecting data which can be used to improve those systems.  

Many firms have recognised this and have installed a system of key performance indicators (KPIs) which help tell them where things are going well, and, perhaps more importantly, where they are not.

However all this data collection, analysis and presentation can become arduous and complex.   If not done effectively, a measurement system can confuse and obfuscate the ‘truth’.

This leads to organisations attempting to implement digital technologies and computer systems which can process data more quickly and present it more simply, bringing the ‘truth’ into greater focus.

None of this is simple or cheap.

However, if you think implementing a large integrated system that produces the right information to help your planning, control  and decision-making is too expensive, try implementing a smaller, less-well integrated system and see how much that costs - especially as you grow.

There are ways of implementing systems that help reduce costs (and doing so in stages)  but you need a vision of what your intended, final , fully-integrated system will look like, so you can build towards it and put in place the potential for inter-connection, rather than trying to integrate different parts of a system later.

Most importantly, you need the right data that is going to help you uncover the ‘truth’ we spoke about earlier.

So, review your system of metrics and where and how they are, or can be, collected … and then plan your integrated performance review system.

Good luck!