The Pizza Analogy
By: Rob Loughridge, Principal, Synchronous Solutions
In the beginning of a Synchronous Flow implementation, one of the first items on the agenda is to design the manufacturing engine specifically tailored for your business. This “engine” includes all the functions of operations and the time it takes to complete each function expressed in days. It has a clear beginning and a clear end. We do this to control the release of information and materials into the system to minimize Work In Process (WIP). Implementing and controlling the manufacturing engine greatly reduces the chaos associated with any business that moves information and/or materials through their system.
Next, we install a “gate” before the first day of the engine. The gate ensures that nothing gets into the system that isn’t immediately ready to work on. Having all the items required to produce a finished project is referred to as a “Full Kit.” The definition is black and white. It doesn’t mean you have enough to start a project, it means that you have every bit of information, all materials required, and the customer is ready to accept the finished product.
There’s often temptation to begin a job before there is a full kit. A customer may ask you to begin early because they want to see progress or worse yet, a contractor may want to make their customer think there is progress being made. Then you get an angry phone call from a customer saying something like, “Why don’t I have my product? You began three weeks ago, and I have nothing!” You then frantically dig into it and find that the customer didn’t provide some details that are required to complete the project. The truth is that no progress can be made without a full kit unless you prefer chaos and unpredictable lead times.
Imagine calling your favorite restaurant to order a pizza. They ask you what you would like, and you say, “I’d like a large pizza with cheese, pepperoni and mushrooms but I haven’t decided on the sauce yet. I’m not sure if I want a white sauce, red sauce or maybe an olive oil base. Go ahead and get started and I’ll let you know.” The person on the other end of the call says, “Uhhhhh, we can’t do that.” You insist, “Why not? Spread the dough out onto the pan so it’s ready to go when I call you back with my sauce selection. It’s not that hard!”
Now, image if they were to allow orders to come in this way. They’d end up with a bunch of work in process piling up and getting in the way. There would be stacks of pizzas in different degrees of completion stacked everywhere. Chaos would ensue and limit their ability to complete the pizzas for the customers who knew exactly what they wanted from the start. Does any of this sound familiar in your business?
Many businesses tend to think that not having every little detail isn’t a big deal. This is not true! Having everything (all specifications known, the jobsite is ready for installation and all material available before opening the gate to release work into your engine) is the best and most sane way to fully serve all customers. That’s not to say that there won’t be exceptions. Just make sure that measuring without a complete kit is the exception and not the rule.
Ready to reduce chaos and lead times in your business? Start with a free 2-week coaching session to see if Synchronous Solutions is right for your business. Get access here.
