Mitigating Risk & Supply Chain Management in FM

Quotes:

“It’s a simple understanding that business intelligence is about connecting business decisions to the facts of the business and the environment.”

(4:32) – AW Schultz

“You gotta be open to want to change yourself, if you want to take on an organization.”

(11:16) – AW Schultz

“That’s usually the most rewarding thing… when you’re going into a facility and trying to improve them [and] when you’re walking away and they’re talking about the next steps on it [and] where they can go next.”

(17:43) – AW Schultz

Mitigating Risk & Supply Chain Management in FM

“My one piece of advice is that you can’t change anything if you don’t bring the people along with you. You know, while having great visuals, great metrics, all the fancy tools in the world… If you can’t bring them along with you, it’s just going to collect dust and you’re not going to make that improvement that you’re hoping to maintain.”
(26:38) – AW Schultz
This past year we have faced significant issues in FM regarding mitigating risk and supply chain management.

This episode brings AW Schultz of VIsual Management Group to discuss how to create plans and processes to solve these problems. Schultz, holding an MBA, OMO, LSSMBB, and CMRP and a focus in maintenance, reliability, and data visualization. As the principal consultant for Visual Management Group, we had a lot to learn from handling the past year! The VMG group’s focus on communicating and creating manufacturing ideas guides them on the quest to become leaders in visual management technology.

Schultz has been in this business for the past 15 years, and he has seen that there has been a lot of interest in applying business intelligence to the current CMMS or ERP systems. VMG steps in and builds out customized dashboards and develops KPIs. Due to executives and managers no longer having the ability to always physically be present at their facilities, using tools like this are vital in enhancing communication and performance.

“It’s a simple understanding that business intelligence is about connecting business decisions to the facts of the business and the environment.”
(4:32) – AW Schultz
When VMG steps in to work with a facility, they are working with the managers and leaders. All change comes from the top-down, Schultz emphasizes. If you are not willing to change your style of communication and leadership for the greater good of your team, then you will reap the consequences. Change management hones in on adapting to the current needs and circumstances of your company and pivoting when need be.

Once a leader is willing to change, that is where VMG can come in to find those simple things to make quick wins and even create some momentum behind them. The process is not arduous, but it does require the leaders to engage the entirety of their workforce. The ability to create energy behind the changing of a process that may have been in place for the past couple of years is no easy task.

When it comes to education, Schultz believes it starts with knowing the benchmarks of what good actually is. This will most likely take a new set of eyes to see what is going on and where there can be an improvement. Resistance to change is expected but should be pushed against and led out nicely by the leaders.

Three things you can start with are:

1. Recognize there is a need for change.
2. See what simple changes you can implement NOW.
3. Make a plan and stick to it for a significant amount of time.

Schultz wants to change the conversation from blaming the people, leaders, or managers to blaming the process. When that happens, you then have the buy-in to make the necessary improvements.

“That’s usually the most rewarding thing… when you’re going into a facility and trying to improve them [and] when you’re walking away and they’re talking about the next steps on it [and] where they can go next.”
(17:43) – AW Schultz
When it comes to the chaos surrounding the supply chain, Schultz explains the pull theory. The supply chain needs to be in a pull system to not bottleneck. The issues come when you do not know where in the process that the bottleneck is occurring. This then has created a push where things are being supplied too quickly, and it may not even be what your customer wants.

Although the supply chain issue is a global issue, it is still affecting local suppliers. Schultz and VMG want to step into those spaces and see where they can mitigate the risk. The three keywords: sustainability, reliability, and predictability.

The FM evolution podcast is brought to you by CGP Maintenance & Construction Services. We’ll ensure consistently great performance to help keep your business running smoothly. For more information, visit CGPconstruction.com.