Based in Auckland, New Zealand, I work as an independent contractor - as a coach, facilitator, mentor or consultant.
Following are the five typical areas for which my services may be of use.
I can be reached at nilesh.pandit@collwismax.co.nz or on 027 711 7259.
Services
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Manufacturing Improvement Initiatives
These initiatives are aimed at improving product as well as service quality, labour productivity, asset utilization and upkeep, speed of product delivery as well as adherence to commitment made to the customer. Staff training and improvement in morale is a byproduct. However, the prime focus is on enhancing business performance in manufacturing areas.
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The underlying methodology is often the conventional lean thinking or productivity management techniques used extensively before the phrase 'lean manufacturing' became popular. Collwis Max framework is used to strengthen the improvement process and increase reliability.
The manufacturing improvement initiatives become relevant if the manufacturing business needs to work on complex or chronic quality issues, material or labour cost issues or delayed or inconsistent deliveries. These initiatives are also relevant if a significant change is required in processes, products, technology or people and their skills.
Supply Chain Improvement Initiatives
These initiatives are aimed at improving product availability in general while controlling and rationalizing working capital and associated expenses. In simple terms, these initiatives are usually focused on raw material costs and supply costs, availability, associated freight and other charges, inventory control, warehousing, obsolescence and continuous improvement in all the supply chain aspects. The role played by external suppliers and service providers in these initiatives is significantly more than that in manufacturing improvement initiatives.
The supply chain improvement initiatives become relevant and imperative if the raw material costs need better control, the working capital needs to be carefully managed (i.e., significant amount of stocks are not moving as originally expected), incidental unbudgeted costs of procurement are being incurred (such as unplanned air-freight or alternative and more expensive sourcing are being resorted to as a reaction to unforeseen urgencies), there are gross margin leakages through obsolescence or material being damaged during storage or freight etc.
Change Management
The change management initiatives have dual focus - people as well as process improvement. While there are usually several implications for products and/or technology too, the actual aspects of focus are invariably people and process. These can be in non-manufacturing and non-supply-chain areas too. For example, customer service, finance, sales or information technology. Change management is usually associated with one specific project or programme unlike a transformation programme but often affects the entire organization.
Typical change management initiatives include ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) implementation or any other such software / system change, new set-ups such as new branches or warehouses, mergers, acquisitions etc. Change management is imperative when the change is primarily process intensive and people side is likely to be undermined or it is the other way round. A well-managed change involves a balanced management of people, process, products as well as technology.
Transformation programme
Transformation, as the term means, is not one focused project but a radical change or a programme that entails multiple changes in the entire structure or the way business operates. This often involves multiple changes - typically all at once - in all four facets of the business i.e. people, processes, products and technology. It often involves multiple locations and also involves complex changes such as mergers and acquisitions occurring at the same time as the internal significant changes. The impact of transformation can be more complex than a focused change project. Transformation also often involves generally intended direction, but not necessarily precisely granularised objectives as such objectives unfold as transformation progresses.
Operational Leadership
Coaching & Mentoring
It is a normal scenario that technically well-minded as well as well experienced people gain seniority as well as important positions and also rise to operational leaders' roles in manufacturing as well as supply chain functions. They immensely benefit from coaching for leadership skills suited to their roles and environments. These skills are both conceptual (often extra-functional such as financial or marketing/sales) as well as behavioural skills. Creating, changing and monitoring suitable key performance indicators - using them in suitably created forums regularly, coordinating and communicating with people well and ensuring that suitable actions are initiated and completed in a timely manner is a typical texture of the leadership required in these roles. CollwisMax provides suitable coaching and mentoring for this.
Actions not being initiated, reporting missed or delayed, problems repeating, key performance indicators not known or being forgotten or misunderstood, or wrong key performance indicators being pursued while top management priorities are clearly different - are some symptoms suggesting that operational leadership coaching may help. Also, sometimes it is desirable to impart leadership coaching proactively in order to groom suitable candidates to be successors to higher positions in the future.