In a previous post I brought some comments about a very interesting survey conducted by Software Advice: Some Key Questions Before Buying An ERP.
Today I strongly recommend you a short book also published by by ERP software consultancy, Software Advice: How to Avoid ERP Implementation Failure?
You can download the book here.

By Xavier Perrin (xperrin@xp-consulting.fr)
Some of my missions consist in helping Make-to-Order companies improve their On-Time-Delivery performance (OTD). Generally, these companies set up specific OTD objectives for each department, expecting them to deliver their work on-time. Each department being encouraged for one-time deliveries, it is assumed that everyone will manage things for delivering work-orders on-time, thus [...]

By Xavier Perrin (xperrin@xp-consulting.fr)
I had recently read a very interesting survey conducted by Software Advice, a firm that analyzes ERP Software.  The survey results from an analysis of a sample of interactions between Software Advice and prospective buyers in search of guidance to find the best Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to fit their needs. Here [...]

By Xavier Perrin (xperrin@xp-consulting.fr)
Future is only present that should be put in order. Your task is not to foresee the future, but to enable it.(Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
The S&OP meeting you’re attending to today has been scheduled a year ago: you planned your agenda of this week depending on this obligation. Beyond the fact that you [...]

Par Xavier Perrin (xperrin@xp-consulting.fr)
L’avenir n’est jamais que du présent à mettre en ordre. Tu n’as pas à le prévoir, mais à le permettre. (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
La réunion PIC à laquelle vous participez aujourd’hui est programmée depuis un an : vous avez organisé l’agenda de cette semaine autour de cette contrainte. En dehors du fait [...]

By Xavier Perrin (xperrin@xp-consulting.fr)
Introduction
Most manufacturing companies strive for enhancing their customer service level, reducing their lead times and reducing their inventories. Two approaches elaborated during the last decades have significantly improved these companies’ ability to take up these challenges:
The advent of information technology allowed computer-aided planning tools to surface. In that respect, J. Orlicky, creator [...]

By Xavier Perrin (xperrin@xp-consulting.fr)
The lean approach, often discussed in this blog, is now considered essential for our companies’ competitiveness. At the same time, this approach is becoming more and more criticized. Disappointment is often observed when the results don’t meet the expectations, or don’t last. And sometimes, although the lean approach is presented as human-centered, [...]

By Xavier Perrin (xperrin@xp-consulting.fr)
In most of the recently published books about lean, an 8th waste (muda) is added to the “7 wastes according to Toyota”. Next to over-production, waiting, inventory, corrections, motion, transportation and over-processing, « unused people skills” is indeed mentioned. Blue collars immediately come to mind: appointed only to manufacturing tasks, they are constantly [...]

Par Xavier Perrin (xperrin@xp-consulting.fr)
Dans la plupart des ouvrages récents consacrés au lean, on ajoute un 8ème gaspillage (muda) aux « 7 gaspillages suivant Toyota ». En effet, à côté de la surproduction, des temps d’attente, des stocks inutiles, des corrections, des déplacements inutiles, des transports et des procédés de fabrication, on cite « l’intelligence inexploitée » des employés. [...]

Par Xavier Perrin (xperrin@xp-consulting.fr)
Lorsqu’on décide de mettre en place une boucle kanban entre une zone de stockage et une étape de production, ou entre deux étapes de production, vient le moment où l’on se pose la question de la forme que vont prendre les signaux. En effet, un kanban est un signal par lequel un [...]