Building Organizations Designed to Win
In 2009, I gathered my wife and our three children around the table and gave each of us one assignment: Write down your dreams. No limits. No judgment. Just write. We called it 100 Dreams, a 20 Dream List for each one of us. At first, the kids filled their lists with toys, bicycles, gadgets, …
Sun Tzu’s The Art of War has been guiding military strategists for centuries. But what if I told you these same battle-tested principles could be the key to running a successful business? Whether leading a company or optimizing factory operations, the art of strategy remains the same: Know your battlefield. Control your resources. Lead with …
Continue reading "Winning in Business: Lessons from The Art of War"
When I joined a new company as the Plant Manager back in 2019, the General Manager shared his dream with me which started in 2017: “Grow the company 5 times in 5 years.” That vision made me pause and think. At that moment, I knew that Lean, Six Sigma, and TOC would be essential but …
Continue reading "Beyond Improvement: The Power of Breakthrough Thinking"
When someone asks, “Why do I need that?”, it usually comes from a place of confidence—or assumption—that everything is already in order. But what if there are unseen gaps holding your organization back? At Engaged, we believe that true operational excellence starts with awareness. This is why we developed the 7 Fundamental Principles in Operations …
Continue reading "The Starting Point: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know"
In my first month as an Operations Manager back in 2009 at an Automotive and Architectural Glass company, I faced a situation that completely shifted my perspective on productivity. One day, a Marketing staff member hurried over to the production line, handed the Quality Inspector a stack of yellow pad sheets—three pages, back-to-back and labeled …
Continue reading "Real Life Story: Is High Utilization Good?"
In any production system, identifying the constraint is essential. The constraint shows the process step with the lowest capacity, directly influencing throughput and, ultimately, sales. Any improvements made to a non-constraint process will not enhance overall performance and lead to inefficiencies. Principle #3: Constraint Dictates Throughput Performance Consider a simple three-step production line: Step 1 …
Continue reading "Identifying and Exploiting Constraints in Manufacturing"
Principles are constant, observable, and logical. They offer coherence, comprehension, and consistency—providing a foundation for decision-making and guiding organizations in the right direction. These principles endure the test of time, shaping the way businesses operate and thrive. This is a culmination of decades of experience in manufacturing, supply chain, and operations management, blended with insights …
Continue reading "Master Operations Management: 7 Essential Principles for Leaders"
Every great journey begins with a purpose. And for those who dare to build something meaningful—whether a business, a career, or a legacy—the first question is always: “Why?” Why take this path? Why commit to the challenges ahead? Why step beyond comfort and into the unknown? For me, the answer is clear. I believe that …