Machan Consulting Ltd
1. Machan Consulting Blog
Latest from the Machan Consulting Blog
Incoming!
In the previous blog we likened top down corporate initiatives as either Virus or Vaccine. (see Corporate Initiative: Vaccine or Virus)Incoming is how a Site leadership or Senior Management should treat these initiatives.For each of them as they start to appear on the horizon, what do we do to respond? Does it meet a missing element in our own capability that we should harness as quickly and whole-heartedly as possible? Is it a training programme that cuts across one of our own, will it lead to confusion in our teams? In that case can we tailor it to ensure that it dovetails into our existing processes, can it be packaged as an enhancement, rather than “here comes another initiative…. what happened to the last one?” comments.Alternatively is it a new, unproven piece of work? Do you want to be the first implementation? If the resourcing is high on the first roll out you might be a winner. However do you want your people and processes to be the pilot, the sandbox?Is the timing completely wrong for your site, can you push the roll out back with plausible reasons? Is the incoming a reason to address some SG&A support?So as they appear, you and your team have a number of responses to consider. I mentioned above “appear on the horizon”. You and your team need to be tuned into what is likely to be rolling out from corporate HQ. Look out for new functional appointments, corporate announcements. The earlier you can spot them, the greater your reaction time. A responsibility you have is providing air cover for your people, managing the incoming initiatives.Corporate Initiative: Virus or Vaccine
For global giant companies, full of corporate structures with VPs, how do you initiate and prove global change?There you are, the Global VP of ??????????? (Insert Compliance, Talent Management, Ethics, Continuous Improvement, Sourcing.... etc). Your boss the CEO wants a significant reduction in costs/increase in performance of your chosen field across all Geographies. How do you do it?Many take the route of launching a global initiative. Elements might include:- A single contracted in service (recruitment, lean six sigma)
- A set of standardised methods, PowerPoint slides
- Regional appointees to manage the process through
Such an initiative is then "Rolled out" across the business onto the divisions and units that are delivering the business. Cynics might say "Rolled over".So a healthy but hard-pressed body (the business) is faced with the initiative. Now would you liken it to a Vaccine, described as:- "A mixture that is given to help stimulate the body's own immune system to produce antibodies to fight a certain disease"
Or a Virus:- "the causative agent of an infectious disease"
Of course the metrics of success can be highly visible, such as training courses run, projects completed, savings made at the Corporate P and L level. However the benefits can be harder to nail down and recognise at the local level.So taking a challenge and making it into an initiative may not always be the best route... Will it be the equivalent of a corporate Vaccine, strengthening internal processes, adding to resilience, fighting off competition, or more of a Virus, creating a sapping debilitating disease that weakens the organs?- A single contracted in service (recruitment, lean six sigma)
Urgent v Important in Operations
Operations is the most difficult environment in which to balance the Important v the Urgent. The cries of customers are near and vibrant, the pull of the shipping date insistent and the financial sword of Damocles swinging ever lower. The urgent just has to get done; the implications of failure are so visible and so immediate.The Important on the other hand can wait a while, but the implications slide up to you. You can wave pieces of paper at it, promise plans, projects, to do’s, next week. Of course the Importants are just that, they include:- Compliance, both to internal and external standards
- Personnel issues, reviews and appraisals
- Procedures being updated and reviewed
- Checking non critical documents
Eventually these are the tasks that can put you out of business. So it isn’t just a customer order that is missed but everyone’s pay packet.Solutions to this include herculean efforts, Time management courses, blocked out time and I am afraid to say in some cases fraud.A management team that understands and can balance the urgent and the important is a sight to behold. Find them, nurture them and reward them, especially for doing the non-urgent things.
2. Creative Operational Solutions
Machan Consulting helps you deliver creative operational solutions
Drawing on extensive experience in the process industries particularly the food and healthcare sectors, we provide a focused client service to arrive at solutions to a variety of key business challenges including:
- Bringing to you the experience of being the named responsible person for production on multiple MHRA Licenses
- Continuous improvement to your supply chain design to differentiate your product offering in the market place
- Challenging working practices particularly to fight far east competition
- Supporting you in thinking strategically to maximise your operations
- Improving new product development processes in regulated sectors
- Providing access to top quality procurement skills and strategies
- Supporting CSR procurement policy design and implementation
- ERP/S & OP Process design and development.
3. Clients
3.1 Testimonials
a "The contribution by Machan Consulting was key to the timely conclusion of this work"
Vice President top 10 global Healthcare Company
b "We retained the services of Machan Consulting Limited in 2008 to review the efficiency and scalability of our production capabilities, these led to very specific recommendations for process improvement. I would be happy to recommend Ian Machan to any organisation that needed a thorough independent review of its production or supply chain management"
CEO UK award winning Company
c "Ian has provided project management, change and technical/process expertise to successfully facilitate the design and implementation of a global end to end product development and delivery process. The appointment of Machan Consulting was fundamental to the project’s success"
Head of Programme and Change Management, Major Global Consumer Healthcare company
d "Ian was prepared to be challenging, good listener and very quick on the uptake. Understands the fundamentals of my business sector. Hardworking with an intensive work rate; as a customer you get a real sense that Ian wants to provide value for money"
Site Team, UK Manufacturing Site
e "Ian's expertise in the pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chain proved invaluable to us in reviewing a very complex manufacturing process"
Group CEO of a Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 company
3.2 Benefits delivered to the following clients
- Lloyds Development Capital
- Astrazeneca
- 3M
- Balkanpharma
- SSL International
- Pharmaco
- Smith & Nephew
- Cranfield University
- Lear Inc.
- Bristol Myers-Squibb
- Austin Company
- Alizyme
- Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
- Clinigen Group Limited
3.3 Global Turnover of Companies worked for (£M)
4. Healthcare
A little inspection…
- 9
There are 9 different types of Manufacturing and Wholesale Dealer's Licenses available to apply for from the MHRA
- 248
Since October 2001 there have been 248 Drug alerts issued in the UK
- 36
In the first four months of 2011 there have been 36 Medical Device alerts
- 18
In 2011, the Manufacturing Division of the FDA issued 18 Warning letters to Companies
- 100
In March 2011 the MHRA issued it's 100th traditional Herbal registration
- 164
The EMEA received 164 applications for orphan designation in 2009
- 175
In 2009/10 the EMEA carried out 175 GMP inspections
- 658
The MHRA carried out 658 GMP Inspections, 762 GDP inspections in 2009/10
- 41.4%
For devices in 2010, 41.4% of UK Adverse Incident reports triggered a manufacturing investigation under MHRA supervision.
- 461
In 2009 there were 461 enterprises in the UK manufacturing Pharmaceuticals
5. Food
Something to chew over…
In the UK in 2009 there were...
6287 enterprises manufacturing Food
936 enterprises manufacturing Beverages
The food and drink manufacturing industry is the single largest manufacturing sector in the UK, with a turnover of £76.2bn, with a gross value added of £20.9bn, accounting for 16% of the total manufacturing sector.
£1bn ⇒ 1800
Our sector invests over £1bn in to R&D each year enabling over 1,800 products to be launched in 2011.
UK Rules
The Food industry has increased the productivity of its labour force over the last 10 years by over 50% leaving food and drink workers in the UK 70% more productive than the EU average.
53% :-)
According to the FSA 53% of food businesses visited were fully compliant with food safety management requirements and 86% of food businesses were broadly compliant.
186 :-(
In 2009/10 the FSA issued 186 Hygiene improvement notices, 73 remedial action notices, and 1997 informal written warnings.
The industry employs up to 400,000 workers
From April to September 2011 the FSA issued:
62 Hygiene improvement notices
50 remedial action notices
and 1036 written advisory letters
6. Operational Excellence
Skilled and experienced in all techniques
Lean
Agile
Six Sigma
Quick Customer response
TQM
Process re-engineering
Machan Consulting has experience in all of the techniques, but focuses on applying the right ones to match your business need. Don't choose a theory; apply the practices that will work for you.
Some of the countries I have worked/consulted in
8. LinkedIn
Ian Machan
- Management and Business Consultant
- Location: Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Industry: Management Consulting
9. Contact
By Post:
1 Belvedere Close
Keyworth
Nottingham
United Kingdom
NG12 5JF
By Telephone:
+44 (0)7780 646142
By Email:
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