Staying in Business
Improving Operations
Increasing Profit
Wingman® Knowledge Capture
A better way to do business
©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
• A simple example
Bob’s job
to illustrate
• A powerful solution
Wingman® Knowledge Capture
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
• Bob; the shipping guy at a small company
– The go to guy for anything to do with
• shipping things and
• receiving things
– A typical situation at many small companies
• Bob’s job is captured in Wingman
– Solving problems Bob’s company can’t afford
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
Productivity leaks
• TIME spent searching for
– (1) things and (2) information to do the job
• TIME spent asking others
– “Where are the things and information?”
• TIME of others responding
– “Look there for it…” or
– “Come along, I’ll show you where…” or
– “Let me explain it to you…”
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
• Process knowledge
– Not documented
– Exists only in heads of employees
• Employees
– Leave
• Process knowledge
– Leaves
• You
– Reinvent the wheel
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
Bob is clever;
Came up with a way to
do his job
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
The knowledge of
how to use it is
captured in Wingman
Bob’s clever work aid
is captured in
Wingman
Bob may leave; knowledge stays in the company.
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
The learning curve for new employees
How are things done?
Who does what?
What things do I need?
Where are things?
New employee productivity
From zero to maybe 75% in 20 weeks
Other employee productivity
Lost to mentoring and picking up slack
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
Less time asking
More time doing
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
Less time asking
More time doing
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
Bob is buried in boxes
Outgoing product shipments are delayed
Incoming material is stacking up
Other employees
Current work is lower priority and/or
Not fully utilized
BUT
They don’t know Bob’s job
“Takes too long to show them how to do...”
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
e.g. help process incoming material
Bob knows what to do but for others:
What/how, why, and when
Who does, advises, and assists
What goes in; what comes out
Information needs attached
Templates, forms attached
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
Employees identify process improvements
BUT
1. No easy way to document the need and/or
2. Changes take too long to process
So your employees do one of these:
OR
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OR
©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
Bob finds out there is a
shipment tracking feature
that will IMPROVE the
Material Returns process.
Material Returns Tracking Process Change
The way we do it now is documented in Material
Returns process
I am spending too much time answering phone calls
and sending emails
Because customers do not or cannot follow our current
process...
Use the automated email feature our shipping company
includes with our service to…
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
It takes too long to update processes
Related documents are often overlooked
Some employees don’t get the change
On a different page than everyone else
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
..save time, cut costs and
improve our customer service.
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
Bob and the Supply Chain
Manager create a process
flow for the new process.
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
• Regulations and standards compliance requires
– Documented policy, process, and procedure
– Auditable policy, process, and procedure
• Often difficult and costly to implement
• Often difficult and costly to maintain
• Seldom contribute to profit
• Quality management systems
– Should be documented and auditable
– Can be costly to maintain
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
Integrate compliance consideration
(e.g. OSHA) directly into procedures
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
Receipt inspection - Defective item discovered
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
Documented Quality Process
– Problem identified
– Problem described
– Source of problem
– Recommended action
– Action taken
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©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC
©2007 First Wave Consulting, LLC