Posts by Paul McNamara

Culture Can Keep Costs Low… when that culture is effective for dealing with the situations members of the culture confront on a daily basis. If the culture isn’t working costs are high.  When an effective culture is shared it is easier for them to trust each other and, as a result, lowers the cost of…

The Good Intentions Trap is Costly If achieving a big result looks too easy, it probably is and will probably be a costly venture.  It is a trap we are all vulnerable to.  I write about two traps and then share a real-life example that happened to Sente almost 20 years ago.  It has forever…

Lessons from History Change is happening at an unprecedented rate.  It is a time of great threat and a great opportunity where winners are easy to see and losers just fade away. Today’s new tools change the game just like they did in previous industrial revolutions. The tools of the last industrial revolution enabled the…

Metrics are very important to success.  I won’t say the most important though, because a number without a narrative that gives it meaning, relevance, and value might as well not exist. It won’t produce any change in direction or focus. If you don’t have a purpose, by definition they aren’t complete They are likely a…

Why are There Hidden Synergies in Test Operations? Our customers often make the decision to focus on synergies in test because of the capital intensity — both human and equipment —  in test organizations.  One reason it produces such a great opportunity for synergy is that people hoard test infrastructure and ultimately own more of…

Why are Maintenance Teams so Important? Because they are responsible for keeping plant and equipment up and running so that orders from customers can be quickly produced, shipped, billed and converted to cash.  Any breakdown in production inevitably leads to shipping delays, dissatisfied customers, slowed payments, reduced profitability, delays to cash and reductions in stock…

I use the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) on purpose.  We all know what it feels like to go into those organizations and attempt to be treated like a customer.  In a recent move, I learned that not all DMVs are so terrible, but none of them are good.  Good people trying hard can make…

What are the Issues? When I listen to our customers who need improved calibration services and other leaders from the calibration industry I hear the description of a difficult situation. Customers of calibrations organizations are not satisfied with the cost, compliance levels (past dues and extensions) and the speed and responsiveness of the teams (bench-to-bench…

In the Beginning Our software has always been aimed at producing important outcomes for our customers because it was designed by our practitioners who were personally responsible for delivering those outcomes. Everyone in our company was focused on delivering results that far exceeded our costs so that our customers produced a significant and measurable ROI. …

What is Active Asset Management? It is an approach that actively analyzes, targets, and makes improvements to the speed and competitiveness of asset-intensive enterprise processes in engineering and manufacturing.  It is an approach that aligns the action and urgency of every team member with the ultimate objective of their customer: to win the race! The…