Operations is Your Customer

• A shift in perspective is needed to recognize operations as the primary customer of engineering efforts.
• This approach stems from an exhaustive investigation into “quality escapes,” where end-users find flaws, attributing a significant portion of these issues to the lack of communication between designers and the manufacturing floor.
• Implementing Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) principles can assist the transition from reactive problem-solving to a proactive approach, prioritizing fire marshaling over firefighting.

Steve Shoemaker challenges the conventional notion within engineering departments that their designs are independent of the operations team’s needs. He highlights a shift in perspective and advocates for recognizing operations as the primary customer of engineering efforts. This approach stems from an exhaustive investigation into “quality escapes,” where end-users find flaws, attributing a significant portion of these issues to the lack of communication between designers and the manufacturing floor. Shoemaker’s insights are further reinforced by a personal anecdote from the Earthmoving Division, where a major product launch faced significant hurdles due to minor assembly issues escalating into production halts. This situation could have been mitigated with better collaboration between design and manufacturing teams.

Shoemaker underscores the critical relationship between engineering and operations, as emphasized by Allen Ward, Ph.D., a Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) expert. Ward’s philosophy that development creates value streams for operations, and thus operations should be considered a customer, reflects a lean approach to product development. Shoemaker shares his challenges in fostering early engagement between manufacturing teams and development. He highlights the cultural and systemic barriers that often prioritize immediate production goals over long-term quality and efficiency improvements. This mindset, as Shoemaker notes, extends to external suppliers who, despite their willingness to engage early on, are constrained by the current metrics of success, which don’t necessarily align with long-term product quality.

In response to these challenges, Shoemaker advocates implementing Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) principles to transition from reactive problem-solving to a proactive approach, prioritizing fire marshaling over firefighting. By establishing cross-disciplinary teams and embedding lean principles within the company culture, Shoemaker witnessed significant improvements in product quality and reduced warranty costs, transforming new product introductions from chaotic scrambles to systematic deployments. He concludes by emphasizing the need for a cultural shift within organizations to appreciate the interconnectedness of engineering and operations, promoting a collaborative environment that enables teams to get things right first, thereby improving overall product quality, reducing costs, and enhancing employee satisfaction.

Read the full article