Managing operational efficiency in a manufacturing setting requires detailed knowledge of how each cell works to produce a finished good. All the individual processes must connect to materialize a finished product in the most efficient and cost-effective way, all the while maintaining employee motivation and excitement for their individual tasks. Additionally, if the company is an ISO 9001-registered operation, it must strictly adhere to the standard, which will require maintaining documents showing that processes are being followed.

In such a demanding role, it is challenging to think of other ways to improve an operation beyond the manufacturing floor. Why would it benefit your business to talk about takt time, kanban boards, and kaizen on the other side of the wall? In many large organizations, there is a clear separation between business processes and manufacturing processes. These silos hurt businesses in many ways. A primary method of breaking down these walls is to share expertise and processes that can be mutually beneficial and have a tangible, positive effect on the overall organization.

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