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How EPIC CONSULTANTS takes continuous improvement to the next level – for clients and the firm

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 23:23:14 GMT

EPIC is proud to have held a long relationship with the Florida SBDC at FIU, the small business development center within Florida International University’s College of Business. This month, it had the honor to be featured as a Success Story on their GrowBiz blog and we are happy to share it here as well.

Written by Nancy Dahlberg

Originally published on:
https://growbiz.fiu.edu/2025/07/how-epic-consultants-takes-continuous-improvement-to-the-next-level-for-clients-and-the-firm

“Let’s make it better.”

For the leaders of EPIC Consultants, this is more than the company’s tagline. “We are in the business of making things better, it’s really something that we will live by,” explains Adriana Abbade, EPIC’s director of marketing, brand management and business development.

EPIC Consultants was founded by Alfredo Moran Hassan and Johnny Rojas in 2003 as a consulting firm specializing in continuous improvement. Alfredo, who is managing director of the Miami-based business, earned an FIU master’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering and is finishing up a doctorate. Before founding EPIC, he was a manufacturing manager at U.S. Holdings. FIU granted them EPIC’s first home – a small room within FIU College of Engineering & Computing.

Alfredo Moran Hassan, Johnny Rojas and David Moran

Growing through the years

EPIC Consulting quickly grew out of that little office and over the years has worked with private companies in Miami and beyond, even abroad. “We do a lot of training. We have a great relationship with FIU. We have a partnership with the College of Engineering and Computing, and we provide all their organizational excellence Lean Six Sigma training,” says Adriana. “We blend consulting and training because we really believe that as consultants, we need to prepare our customers to thrive … and keep that continuous improvement going.”

With an innovative mindset and its origins as a process improvement consulting firm specialized in training and implementation of Lean Six Sigma, EPIC Consultants successfully branched out into government construction contracts in 2010. To strengthen this strategic direction, David Moran, who came in with over 15 years of experience in the construction industry specifically in the federal sector, joined the team to lead EPIC’s Construction Division and reinforce EPIC’s ability to meet complex government contracting standards while applying operational excellence principles in the field.

Getting into the construction business came rather naturally for this entrepreneurial leadership team: They saw an opportunity to pursue and specialize in government contract work. “We could use a lot of our consulting experience in terms of processes, quality and meeting requirements and apply that to the construction business,” Adriana says.

The construction division, which has its own website, uses principles of Lean Construction and a robust management system to ensure quality, efficiency and safety. As a general contractor, the construction division specializes in interior renovations, remodeling and repairs. EPIC Construction has worked on projects with Miami-Dade County, Miami International Airport, Jackson Health System and other entities.

Entering federal contracting

About four years ago, EPIC Construction decided to expand into the federal contracting market. Now they are expanding again, with a focus on military bases and other high security facilities such as the Krome Detention Center.

Both sides of the business complement one another. Between them, EPIC employs more than 20 people between office management and field work, and the company can scale up as needed on a project basis. “We become better because we have these two sides,” says Adriana.

“Whether it is through consulting, education or construction, we believe that a better world is built by people, organizations and structures that are in constant improvement, always getting better,” EPIC Consultants proclaims on its website.

Getting assistance

All small businesses need advice from time to time. No entrepreneur is an expert on every facet of his or her business. For the past few years, EPIC has been getting guidance from the team at Florida SBDC at FIU , the small business development center within the College of Business that provides no-cost business consulting to small businesses in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.

Ray Juncosa, a longtime banker and an SBDC at FIU consultant with an expertise in finance and access to capital, has “brought a lot to the table,” says Alfredo. “His experience comes from decades in the industry and he was able to connect us to the right institutions at the time to get a couple of lines of credit,” even participating as an advisor when they were signing the deal.

“Ray brought in all that knowledge, but it’s the caring and the follow-up I will say that sets him apart. Once we established the relationship there, we also participated in a couple of financial trainings that he gives, enhancing our knowledge,” Alfredo adds.

Fellow FIU consultant Luis Batista, an expert in government contracting and procurement under the Florida APEX Accelerator program, provided the EPIC team with knowledge, contacts and guidance in this new area of growth for them, including in navigating the bidding process.

“Although we have been in business for a while, there’s always room for improvement,” says Alfredo. “What sets [SBDC at FIU advisors] apart is that experience – they understand where you’re at. In our case, breaking into the federal market has been a new adventure. They were able to advise us and set us in a good direction, and we’re seeing the results.”

Advice to entrepreneurs

Adriana’s advice to entrepreneurs is to, first, show up, be present and participate in opportunities. Then she says it is all about building long-term relationships and continuously investing in yourself, your company, and your processes.

With entrepreneurship comes uncertainty and entrepreneurs need a high tolerance for it, adds Alfredo. The way to mitigate the sleepless nights is by getting help in areas where you are lacking knowledge – it could be finance or marketing or government contracting, for instance. And that comes from organizations like SBDC at FIU, the SBA and others, he said. “There are a lot of resources available to entrepreneurs. Find them, use them.”

Nancy Dahlberg
Nancy Dahlberg is an award-winning business writer, editor and researcher, with a passion for covering entrepreneurs and what makes them tick. As host of the Florida SBDC at FIU’s GrowBiz blog, she aims to provide inspirational, educational and useful articles for growth-stage small businesses. She can be reached at GrowBiz@FIU.EDU. Follow her on Twitter @ndahlberg

EPIC Announces: Celebrating two decades of excellence setting up our new home

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 21:32:29 GMT

Since our founding, we've been dedicated to supporting our clients in their vital missions. As we reflect on the past and look toward the future, we are proud to share o ur achievements, values, and commitment to making a positive impact on the many organizations we have worked with, the thousands of people we have touched with our trainings and professional development programs and the critical structures we’ve contributed to through our construction services.

"EPIC's journey has been about improvement, about making things better and building long-term relationships. ", says Alfredo Moran EPIC’s founder and COO.

Over the past two decades, we have achieved significant milestones, tackled challenges, and, most importantly, fostered meaningful connections with our clients, partners, and employees. This year, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we made two other big accomplishments. In August we announced our strategic decision to establish EPIC Construction Company . After 13 years operating under EPIC Consultants, the Construction branch has far outgrown its parent company and earned its own identity, starting a new chapter of growth, specialization, and client-focused excellence ( read more about the spin off of EPIC Construction Company ).

Now, we are thrilled to announce that, thanks to our partnership with the Miami Foundation, we have moved to our new home! This was made possible by the Miami Open for Business program, which aims to develop historically underserved areas in Miami Dade county bringing new business, enhancing employment opportunities, and refreshing the local economy. Meanwhile, the program empowers minority-led small businesses, like EPIC, to continue to build prosperity, equality, and diversity. We are very proud and grateful to be part of such special mission.

Still, we wouldn't be here without the trust and support of our valued clients, partners, and employees. Your belief in EPIC has been the cornerstone of our success. We are deeply grateful for the relationships we've built and the opportunities to contribute to your success.

Thank you for being an essential part of the EPIC family.

Here's to two decades of making it better, and to the many more ahead!

EPIC announces a strategic spin off: EPIC Construction Company

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 16:54:00 GMT

Building upon solid past performance in controlled environments such as hospitals and airports, expertise in interior renovations of occupied facilities and 13 years of experience working with the local and federal governments

EPIC Consultants Inc, a leading provider of solutions in process improvement consulting and general construction, is excited to announce its strategic decision to split into two distinct units: EPIC Consultants and EPIC Construction Company.

EPIC was founded in 2003 as EPIC Consultants, Inc, a consulting firm in continuous improvement. With its solid expertise in Engineering and an innovative mindset, in 2010, EPIC brought in David Moran, PE and successfully branched out to perform construction contracts with the public sector. Since then, EPIC has grown and solidly established itself in the South Florida public construction environment.

This year, as EPIC approaches its 20th anniversary, we set a new milestone: EPIC Construction Company. After 13 years operating under EPIC Consultants, the Construction branch has far outgrown its parent company and earned its own identity.

“This strategic decision represents a significant milestone in our journey, marking a new chapter of growth, specialization, and client-focused excellence.”, says David Moran, Principal for EPIC Construction Company.

EPIC Construction Company comes to better serve the Southeast USA public market with the mission to build a continuously better country through:

It is built upon EPIC’s highest levels of quality, efficiency, and safety, specialized in Commercial and Institutional Construction. And grows on EPIC’s solid past performance in controlled environments such as hospitals and airports, expertise in interior renovations of occupied facilities and 13 years of experience working with the local and federal governments.

EPIC Consultants continues to empower businesses with valuable insights, strategies, and solutions to drive value and growth, maximize efficiency, and navigate complex challenges in today’s dynamic market landscape. It specializes in process optimization, continuous improvement, project management, and business transformation and excellence training and implementation.

EPIC Construction Company will operate as a DBA of EPIC Consultants Inc, not interfering with current contracts, nor its SBE, DBE and 8(a) certifications. EIN, SAM UEI (LWD4UPR26MC5), DUNS (145185224) and CAGE (3TFN1) remain the same as well as contact and banking information.

Please visit our new website www.epic-construction-co.com and make sure to follow us on social media for more relevant information and updates.

Growth and Collaboration in Healthcare Construction

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 04:08:00 GMT

The design and construction of healthcare facilities are complex undertakings. They incorporate advanced technology and innovation into the careful balance of the functional needs of the operation, and the comfort and convenience of patients and visitors. Healthcare facilities must be functional, efficient, and easy to navigate, and they should also be welcoming and calming to reduce stress and anxiety for patients, but, above all, they must provide health and safety. To guarantee this, healthcare construction meets strict regulations and standards to ensure the safety and well-being of patients and staff.

Health care construction is a very specialized industry and there are not too many contractors with the qualifications to serve in the industry. According to Amber Lawhorn, Director of Supplier Diversity and Small Business Enterprise Program at Jackson Health, “the biggest challenge that owners face in healthcare construction is contractor expertise. There are a lot of people who want to work for a healthcare organization, but it is a very regulated industry. Contractors believe that their experience in schools and other structures can transfer to hospitals, but it is a very different thing.”

EPIC has the privilege to be working with Jackson Health System, one of the nation’s largest public health systems, for the past 6 years. In 2013, JHS launched its capital plan that included new construction projects, the renovation of all existing facilities, technology upgrades, cutting-edge equipment, and infrastructure improvements. This “Jackson Miracle-Building Bond Program” came to transform Jackson into a modernized, patient-centered healthcare system that can better meet the future needs of Miami-Dade County residents and patients from around the world who travel to Jackson because of its medical expertise.

EPIC started as a subcontractor working under Turner Construction and later became a prime in several projects at Jackson South and Jackson Memorial Hospital. Through the years, EPIC was contracted to perform interior/exterior metal framing, drywall, wall insulation, stucco and EFS systems, modernization, and renovation. Projects involved erection and maintenance of ICRA walls, careful training and supervision of all workers and superior scheduling, planning and coordination. “There must be flawless communication and coordination between all parties”, says David Moran from EPIC Consultants. “It is not easy for the construction management team to coordinate the requirements of the projects with the complex demands of the operations of both the owner and its tenants.” EPIC understands this well and relies on its lean construction expertise to provide the planning, flexibility, and coordination necessary.

During the development of the new Jackson West Medical Center, a state-of-the-art campus in the City of Doral, under the construction management of Yates Construction, EPIC took growing significance throughout the project. Amber mentioned that “EPIC was so heavily involved, it became a situation where EPIC was carrying project knowledge, and that was vital when there was turnover in the construction team or Jackson’s staff. EPIC helped guarantee project continuity and maintained consistent job performance despite all changes taking place.” It was indeed a major project, faced with many changes and uncertainties, and a pandemic was added to the mix.

Projects of this magnitude add another layer of opportunity and responsibility: large teams. You must know how to work collaboratively with other stakeholders and problem-solve in the face of inevitable adversities. “We hadn’t opened a new hospital in 100 years”, said Jorge Garciga, Director of Facilities Design and Construction at Jackson Health System, “this was a brand-new undertaking for everyone, and it required great collaboration. I thank EPIC for working together with us and the contractor Yates in the Lean meetings. The pull-plan meetings with all the trade partners really helped the team come together. It was a learning curve, but it facilitated the scheduling and collaboration a lot.” Furthermore, “EPIC was always willing to collaborate with the other trade partners to find solutions to the issues that we came across on site. It was a difficult project, so I’m thankful to EPIC for their willingness to work together, to look at the big picture and help us get this project opened to serve our community.”

With all the complexities involved, owners must, above all, count on the commitment and responsibility of contractors. When asked what sets EPIC apart, Jorge says, “I can pick up the phone and call David. I can go directly to the owner and talk about any issues we may have or any growth opportunities, and they have always been there to listen to us. You guys are really looking after our needs and really trying to work with us.” “In a lot of small businesses,” Amber adds, “the owner is doing the work themselves, so they don’t have time to build relationships and problem solve with the customer. EPIC has the great advantage of offering a business development team to support the technical team in the field and provide the customer with immediate attention and resolution when issues arise.”

The design and construction of healthcare facilities are indeed complex undertakings which we can only attempt to touch upon in one article. EPIC’s expertise in Lean Construction and commitment to working in a partnership translate to a differentiated ability to manage challenges, identify creative solutions, and deliver results. Yet, guaranteeing the facilities are constantly up to date, while securing a safe space where patients and their loved ones can receive the care they need, requires another level of expertise and sensibility from owners and contractors alike. “With lives at stake, we must make sure they are safe and protected while work is being done”, said David. But that, we will unfold on a future article covering the challenges in projects involving repair, renovation, and alteration of occupied medical facilities.

EPIC Consultants Announces: ISO Integrated Management System

Mon, 10 Oct 2022 18:37:00 GMT

Consistent to its commitment to continuous improvement, EPIC takes a leap towards Certification of its Integrated Management System.

EPIC Consultants Announces: Simplified Acquisition Opportunities

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 16:58:00 GMT

Secure professional development opportunities under the Simplified Acquisition Thresholds.

MIAMI, FL – As the year-end approaches, EPIC Consultants announces new opportunities for the procurement of its services under the Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This offers a streamlined access to Professional Development programs, under 25K. Trainings are certified by Florida International University and are customizable to include subjects such as:

>> Special offering for Lean 6 Sigma Green Belt Certification!

EPIC Consultants, an 8(a) Small Business company based in Florida, has been offering these programs to the private sector for over 15 years in partnership with Florida International University. The highly skilled and experienced instructors bring practical knowledge on how to implement the subjects in your specific organization to effectively achieve: increased efficiency and quality, enhanced customer satisfaction, lower costs, reduced wastes, effective and engaged teams, and more. According to, Javier Mesa, Senior Executive at GHT Corp, “EPIC provided us the guidance and the know-how to elevate our game. If you’re serious about making an improvement in your business processes, EPIC Consultants is a great asset!”

“Typically, a single Lean Six Sigma project brings returns around 3 – 5 X the investment.” Says Alfredo Moran Hassan, EPIC Consultants’ Chief Operations Officer, and Lead Instructor. “However, organizations that promote a cultural transformation through a systemic company-wide professional development program often see results that are way beyond that and are sustained through the years.”

Learn more about our Professional Development programs or Contact Us to request a free customized plan for your team.

EPIC Consultants Announces Major Investment in Human and Process Capital.

Mon, 27 Jun 2022 15:04:00 GMT

Honor and Integrity – Their Lessons will never die

Fri, 27 May 2022 14:17:00 GMT

Memorial Day is a holiday in which we express gratitude towards the utmost sacrifice of our fallen heroes and pay our respects to those who honor them by continuing to carry their mission. At EPIC Consultants, we also take this as an opportunity to recognize the many veterans and parents of active military who work with us and the principles and values they represent. Jennifer M. Granholm once said “Ceremonies are important. But our gratitude has to be more than visits to the troops, and once-a-year Memorial Day ceremonies. We honor the dead best by treating the living well”. Thus, for EPIC Consultants, it is important to acknowledge how much we owe them for their service and for the so many lessons they have brought to our lives, which have helped to shape us as a company. According to our COO and Founder Alfredo Moran Hassan, whose two sons served with the US Army in Afghanistan and daughter is a Lt. Commander of the US Navy, “For EPIC, it is a very big deal to have so many connections to the military, having almost every branch represented”.

The military experience paves the way for brotherhood, loyalty, commitment, empowerment, and improvement, some of the key values EPIC is built on. It also brings diversity and a sense of adventure when dealing with uncertainty. “Bombs might be dropping left and right but we always see something around the corner telling us things are going to be much better.”, says Alfredo. And that is why, at EPIC Consultants, we choose to honor the memory of those who lost their lives for our nation by constantly striving to live and grow by the values and examples they fought for. John F. Kennedy once stated that “as we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them.”

Honor and Integrity

“As the first generation of immigrants exiling from the war, you develop a sense of gratitude and loyalty to the country that takes you. Your kids grow up in that environment and they want to pay it back.” Said Alfredo. “They serve the country with a great deal pride as they set off to represent more than themselves.” That sense of honor and integrity is at the foundation of EPIC Consultants.

“Work ethics is ingrained in you in the military”, says Adriana Abbade, EPIC’s Head of Marketing and Business Development whose son is currently in Pensacola, FL in training to become a Naval Aviator. “Everything from respecting chains of command, following procedures, using control systems, management, leadership and communication, to maintaining quality and order and promptly finding solutions to any complications that arise, that is all brought in such a way that it becomes who you are.”

Commitment and Empowerment

Freedom doesn’t come cheap nor easy; it is earned through the strong commitment and sacrifices American soldiers make every day. Johnny Rojas, EPIC’s VP of Operations and Founder who served the US Navy in Rota, Spain and was part of the Desert Storm Desert Shield operation, recalls how he, at 17, was able to do things he had never imagined. As an Aviation Ordnanceman, handling a series of dangerous tasks, there was “no time to think and let fear in”. “When you are faced with a situation, you fix it, and then you think about it.” … “At EPIC”, he says, “we put our necks on the line and go beyond what other companies do. We empower and prepare our employees, so they are capable and encouraged to take action.” People are relying on you to do your part. The big lesson for Johnny was, “You got to show up! Get up and be there, wherever that is.”

Improving and Pushing our Limits

Our limits are set by our beliefs. “In the military, I’ve learned to develop a ‘can do it’ attitude.” said Gubiath Rojas, a Senior Consultant at EPIC who served for the Marine Corps, the Navy, and the Airforce, “We only use a very small portion of our capacity and need to learn to challenge that.”

Obstacles are opportunities for improvement and the military discipline teaches us to not create excuses. Instead, when facing adversity, we just regroup, sharpen our skills and get the task done. Any situation can become a process with steps that must be followed to win the battle.

Loyalty and Teamwork

To have a strong team, we must help others and bring them up to speed so we can all go faster together. “We can only go as fast as our slowest men”, mentioned Gubiath. “We can’t leave anyone behind!” In the military, this is critical! “You don’t just get rid of the slowest man (or woman), you set a plan to help them improve. And that’s how you grow as a team”. Teamwork brings people together and helps us recognize that we are all united by something bigger and that makes us stronger.

Above all, it’s about brotherhood, about loyalty. At EPIC, “it’s more than a job. We hope everyone here feels that it doesn’t matter what is happening to you, we got your back.” said Alfredo. “When your life depends on your buddy, you develop that sense of connection, trust and loyalty.” And that is felt, as Gubiath said “in business, dog eats dog, but EPIC has a heart. They add a human touch to it”.

So, we wake up every day committed to make it better. We use those values that define this country in our actions. We contribute to the overall success by building on our team. As someone once said, “If you want to thank a soldier, be the kind of American worth fighting for”. We strive for the continuous improvement of ourselves, our team, and our clients, and to be a great example for others to follow. We are forever grateful for the ultimate sacrifice of those who died for our country. May their courage, dedication and honor live forever through us all.

________________________________

EPIC Consultants, Inc.

EPIC Consultants is a small business General Contracting and Business and Process Improvement firm
based in Miami, FL owned by dedicated engineers committed to building lasting relationships with our
employees, partners and clients.
SAM UEI: LWD4UPR26MC5 | DUNS: 145185224 | CAGE: 3TFN1
info@epic-consultants.com
www.epic-consultants.com
EPIC Accepts government credit and purchase cards.
SBA Certified 8(a) exit date: 8/26/2027
NAICS: 236220, 236210, 611430, 541611
PSC: Y1EZ, Z200, R420, U001

ISO as a strategic decision – PART 2: Trends of the Trade

Sat, 05 Mar 2022 05:10:00 GMT

If you’ve clicked on this article, you probably get the hype behind ISO standards and how they can be the catalyst of massive growth for your company. If you didn’t catch our first article in this 2-pronged series, exploring the strategic side of ISO, you can find it at ISO as a strategic decision – PART 1:  Commitment to Excellence .
In today’s discussion, we will explore the global and statewide trends ISO has experienced in 2019-2020 to hopefully give you an idea of which ISO standards may be worth looking into.

Global ISO Trends
Beyond the giant ISO 9001 and the popular ISO 14001 for Environmental Management, other standards that have been gaining a lot of traction are those of ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety), ISO 37001 (Anti-bribery and anti-corruption), ISO 13485 (Medical Devices), and ISO 27001 (Data Privacy). Each establishes a set of standards which companies can adhere to in order to display their higher commitments.
Based on the most recent survey posted by the International Organization for Standardization, the ISO standards that have experienced the most growth in the past year are those of ISO 45001, ISO 37001, and ISO 13485 and ISO 27001 (tied for third place). Customers are now becoming more and more interested in the ‘how’ behind company operations, thus making ISO certifications a huge advantage to those companies that have them.
The ISO 45001 standards for occupational health and safety management and has seen almost 200% growth over the past year partly because of the migration from the older British Standard BS 18001 to this new ISO 45001 (released in 2018). ISO 45001 is a much more robust standard as it not only deals with controlling known hazards, but also proactively identifying sources or situations that have potential for causing harm. This is part of a bigger shift we’re seeing toward people centeredness and risk management being baked into companies’ operations at every level. The Coca-Cola Company, among many others, is currently undergoing the transition from the 18001 to the 45001 standards.
ISO 37001 is an international standard that allows organizations of all types to prevent, detect and address bribery involving their organization. Nothing undermines institutions’ reputation and equitable business more than bribery. Although this standard has seen huge growth globally, the US hasn’t substantially started adopting this standard just yet. As the US is historically a late mover with most of the ISO standards, adopting this standard will help your organization stay ahead of that curve.
The Medical Devices QMS, ISO 13485, has seen a 15-20% increase in certifications worldwide and is expected to keep growing as the state of the world pushes this norm to the forefront of the QMS leaderboard. This standard was discussed on Part I of this article alongside ISO 9001 and the benefits of implementing a Quality Management System, as well as on our previous article Welwaze meets ISO: A Promise of Quality.
ISO 27001, Data Privacy, has also seen a 15-20% increase in certifications worldwide. ISO 27001 is an information security management system helping organizations manage the security of assets such as financial information, intellectual property, employee, or other private and protected information.   With the exponentially increasing dependence on electronic information systems and the millions of attacks experienced daily by American companies large and small, data privacy and protection is on the forefront of every organization.

Florida Trends
On a more micro scale, Florida maintains a strong hold on ISO 9001 which still sees substantial growth. ISO certified companies hold a strict vendor qualification process and commonly require ISO certification from their vendors. Therefore, small and medium companies can open significant opportunities both in the prominent supply chain for companies with important bases in Florida, like Johnson and Johnson, as well as across the Latin American market with its over 76,500 ISO 9001 certified sites.
With healthcare at the top of the game, ISO 13485 (medical devices) QMS has been seeing huge demand, particularly in big manufacturing regions. Florida is among the top US states in number of FDA-registered medical device manufacturing facilities, according to the public-private partnership Enterprise Florida, and ISO 13485 is a strong competitive advantage among them.
Florida, a top hub for the aerospace industry, also holds a big market for companies with AS 9100 certification (a QMS for the aerospace industry). According to PwC, in 2021, “the emphasis [for the aerospace industry] should be on liquidity and managing supply-chain risk, while planning for a return of volume in three to five years.” And for big players such as Boing and American Airlines, both holding important bases in Florida, and so many others, “managing supply-chain risk” comes hand in hand with strong requirements for certified quality standards, as the AS9100 and ISO 9001, from their vendors and partners.
This ISO series was simply a broad overlook of what a Quality Management System is, different ISO standards, and how these can impact your company. There are many more lessons to learn and benefits associated with the implementation of a management system. EPIC Consultants is here to help your organization with all its managing systems and ISO needs!
Reach out to us should you have any questions at all.

References:
https://asq.org/quality-resources/quality-management-system
https://www.iso.org/news/2012/10/Ref1665.html
https://asq.org/quality-resources/cost-of-quality

https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/industrial-products/library/aerospace-manufacturing-attractiveness-rankings.html

ISO as a strategic decision – PART 1:  Commitment to Excellence

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 05:32:00 GMT

Excellence. A quality many seek, but few are truly committed to achieve.  As part of the EPIC family, you know that in order to be met, the commitment to excellence must be pledged on an individual level across your entire company.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking to structure your organization, a large company looking to streamline your processes, or a vendor looking for a new contract  in the supply chain of a large corporation, ISO standards provide frameworks that have been developed, tried and improved upon by the top experts in your industry.  They’ve been through the trenches, so that you don’t have to. All in the name of… excellence.

What is ISO and their different standards
An ISO standard is an internationally agreed upon “formula” that describes the best way of doing something. Established in 1947, The International Organization for Standardization has set out to define best practices in a huge range of activities whether it be making a product, managing a process, delivering a service, or supplying materials. Companies that are ISO certified have committed to these practices and to their continuous improvement.  As a result, they achieve  higher efficiency, quality, safety, and customer responsiveness .
“ISO Standards are the distilled wisdom of people with expertise in their subject matter and who know the needs of the organizations they represent – people such as manufacturers, sellers, buyers, customers, trade associations, users or regulators.” – ISO website
By far the most popular standard is ISO 9001. “The number of organizations that are ISO 9001 certified is more than double all other ISO standards added together,” says Neifer França, Director of QMS Certification Services North America (an accredited third-party certification body, currently present in 33 countries, focusing on the certification of management systems). ISO 9001, a Quality Management System, deals with ensuring that organizations consistently and efficiently meet customer and other stakeholders’ needs as well as statutory and regulatory requirements related to a product or service.
A Quality Management System (QMS) is defined as “a formalized system that documents processes, procedures, and responsibilities for achieving quality policies and objectives… helping to coordinate and direct an organization’s activities to meet customer and regulatory requirements and improve its effectiveness and efficiency on a continuous basis.”  
Sounds fancy, but in plain English, a Quality Management System is essentially a series of processes an organization commits to follow that lead to an assurance of quality for themselves and for their customers.
Besides ISO 9001, other widely used QMSs are ISO 13485, which deals with the production, sale, and distribution of medical devices, AS 9100 which focuses on the aerospace industry, and CARF which covers medical service providers (see our Road to CARF Accreditation article for more information).

Reasons to implement a QMS
There are mostly 4 reasons organizations decide to implement a QMS:
1. As a requirement from customers or the market
2. As a regulatory necessity
3. As a general management and improvement framework
4. As a marketing tactic
However, there is another big reason that is often overlooked when organizations first think of implementing a QMS:  MONEY. Let’s explore…
Based on an analysis of 42 empirical studies, it has been determined that a well implemented ISO 9001 certification enhances financial performance  by increasing sales in two fronts:

When you put higher supply (made possible by efficient processes) and higher demand (achieved through a growing market share and reach) together, a large return on investment is inevitable. On top of this, customers will be assured that your organization is operating at optimum capacity to ensure they receive the best product/service.
According to the International Organization for Standardization, on average, every $1 invested into the Quality Management System will bring the company $6 in return! 
Every organization should have an idea of the Cost of Quality associated with their business model, and with that, understand how implementing process improvements could affect their business. A general rule of thumb is that the cost of poor quality in a thriving company will be no more than about 10-15% of operations. Effective quality improvements can help you reach this goal, or even surpass it, ultimately making a direct contribution to your profits. Welwaze  Medical, a client of EPIC Consultants, saw this firsthand with a reduction of cost of poor quality of 57% this past year .  ( see article WELWAZE MEETS ISO – a Promise of Quality ).

Why some people may not see a benefit in ISO
Neifer França suggests that the biggest reason some companies may have a sour taste in their mouth when it comes to ISO standards is because it isn’t implemented properly.
According to an ISO study, organizations that implement an ISO standard in three months or less are 50% more likely to lose their certification upon the next review. This is because there wasn’t enough time for the new culture to settle and solidify. To improve and expedite the implementation, many companies hire consultants. Besides ease the certification process, competent consultants help instill a cultural change that will ultimately elevate the organization to a new playing field. The consultant is there to make sure the entire company, from top to bottom, is held accountable for the new goals and processes set out for themselves.
“The biggest advantage a consultant brings is that he/she is a catalyst. In this process, consultancy is an accelerator; what would have taken you twelve months to properly implement on your own, may now take you six.”  attest Neifer.  He highlights that an ISO accreditation is a serious journey that requires great understanding and experience with the standards. On top of this, the time commitment during the implementation and the attention demanded from many areas of your company may not be something every organization has the resources to dedicate. Therefore, consultants are very popular in projects like these.
Nonetheless, Neifer emphasizes that “consultants aren’t there to do the work for your organization, they are there to guide you and keep you accountable with your own goals.” 
ISO standards have HUGE global markets and have seen a lot of growth over the past years. In the business environment we find ourselves today, the quality and reliability of products and services are at the forefront of our buyers’ purchasing decision. We have discussed what makes implementing ISO such a great strategic decision, in part 2 of this ISO series we will dive into how the companies of the world are interacting with such standards and how these trends compare to our home state of Florida. Stay tuned.

Lean 6 Sigma Green Belt pushes your performance and career to the next level.

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 20:44:00 GMT

Supply Chain Management is key for business recovery and growth.

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 20:53:00 GMT

Discover why it is a great moment to delve into this strategic discipline!

Supply Chain Management is the important act of orchestrating the flow of products and services across the organization, through the transformation of raw materials into final products, to maximize value and optimize profitability .
The current concept of Supply Chain Management came about, at the turn of the millennium, as an important area for future productivity improvements. With technological advancement, integration of the highly fragmented management and control of information and resources was made possible. This allowed a new range of production and distribution systems and the emergence of supply chain management as a complex series of activities focused on building value and competitiveness.
Currently, supply chain management takes on a strategic role in organizations as it aligns the organization’s operational processes to its strategic goals and sets an optimum flow that leads to increased performance, and reduced waste and delays, thus guaranteeing customer satisfaction, agility, and a better positioning of the company in the market.
Push and pull situations and Supply Chain Management
Supply Chain Management is key for the quick adaptation of the business to new situations. It is only through efficient supply chain management that companies can quickly adapt to the new demands of their customers or the pace of their suppliers. It allows companies to find new sources, accelerate or slow down the pace of production and distribution, and order to realign their supply to the customers and retailers.
In the past months, the world has seen this as the COVID-19 pandemic affected the organizations in different, but unprecedented, ways.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, we had the toilet paper effect. How do you prepare for that? You don’t. You have to react to a situation like that; accelerating production, negotiating with your supplier to get more raw material, and escalating production, warehousing space, and transportation speeding as much as you can. Everything had to be adjusted to respond to such spike in demand”, explains the expert in Integrated Supply Chain Management and instructor at FIU in the Engineering Computing Department, Marcos Rossi.
However, according to Marcos Rossi, in other situations, we have seen a total retraction. “The demand just disappeared, it wasn’t there, and companies had to adjust differently. They just had to stop production, adequate their relationships with their suppliers and stop orders even divest in production, resources, and capacity. It was a push and pull situation and supply chains were affected in different ways”, he adds.
In his opinion, the most serious impact of the pandemic on the supply chain came from the many lockdowns that forced suppliers to shut down production. “They were not supplying orders, they were late on orders and there is no quick way around that; and, for a while, there was just a lack of supply in general. And it’s just through an efficient supply chain management that you will be able to adapt and mitigate the impacts that the pandemic brought along”, Marcos added.
The acceleration of e-commerce and new market opportunities
With the health crisis and social distancing, people also have intensified the purchase of products and services online and the supply chain professionals had yet another transformation to facilitate.
“Most businesses had to reevaluate the best way to supply to their customers, but in retail, this transformation was even faster. The pandemic abruptly accelerated the transition of retail into the e-channels, and companies are all focused on adjusting their distribution to that. Professionals that are experts in that area became gold and we expect that this will not be coming back to what it was before”, says Marcos.
According to him, we also have seen many companies shifting their businesses to start providing products that were aligned to the necessities of the pandemic.
“It was a big business opportunity and many companies decided to take it on, even if it was not their main line of business but they had some commonalities, any part of the business that could evolve to provide products in high demand due to the pandemic. It was an undeniable business opportunity, and production and distribution companies alike saw in this not only an opportunity for growth but also a way to survive and go through this difficult moment that the economy was passing”, he says.
“Companies that were fast to market and could take advantage of that new demand went through this economic situation in a much better shape and supply chain was key to deliver that”, Marcos added.
The benefits of Supply Chain Management
The supply chain has always been a very relevant discipline and now even more so. The well-managed supply chain can accelerate a company’s cash-to-cash conversion cycle and can enable commercial delivery and execution especially when it comes down to the distribution of products and enabling the aftermarket support services while, on the other side, improving the relationship with suppliers. Moreover, when professionally handled and aligned with the organization’s strategy and functions such as marketing, sales, and finance, supply chain management is a powerful enabler of:

The Road to CARF Accreditation Through the Lens of DTT Coaching

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 05:35:00 GMT

Each year, markets demand higher standards of quality in each product or service they invest in. The questions that then arise are: how can consumers be assured of this quality they’re demanding, before committing to a specific provider? And how can one determine the security of an organization before committing to a partnership? In the healthcare industry, one answer is the CARF Accreditation.

What is CARF?
The CARF accreditation assures a commitment to the highest level of quality and service and is proven to be a key motivator for all stakeholders in the healthcare sector.
Per their website, the Commission of Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) is “an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services in the following areas: aging services, behavioral health, child and youth services, employment and community services, vision rehabilitation services, medical rehabilitation, and opioid treatment programs.”
CARF accredits over 60,000 programs worldwide, which, in addition to demonstrating solid business practices, also enjoy: fiscal savings, a marketing advantage, risk management, and access to an international network.

DTT Coaching’s Experience
With the goal to be the premier choice for Behavioral Health Services in South Florida, DTT Coaching took on the challenge of becoming a CARF accredited organization in early 2019 after looking into a few different accreditations available for their field.
The first step towards accreditation was to purchase the CARF manual, running you through all of the standards required of your company.
“What a challenge!”, said Damarys Clement, Director of DTT Coaching Services. We realized we needed help when we first received those 600-page manuals, and that’s when we turned to EPIC Consultants – a company we had done good work with before and we knew we could rely on.”
As the management system is implemented, all policies and procedures are reviewed, documented, and controlled. Performance measurements are monitored for continuous improvement and decisions are based on evidence. This proved to be one of the biggest challenges DTT experienced throughout this journey — balancing the day-to-day of the company with the time and effort needed to implement all of the documents and processes CARF requires.
“EPIC helped us navigate the rigorous path to implement a robust management system. The whole idea of receiving feedback and having the EPIC consultants overlooking this project was the most important investment in this process towards our CARF accreditation.” Damarys Clement, Director of DTT Coaching.
“A big lesson learned was not just the concept of continuous self-monitoring, but also, realizing how much work still needs to be done in order to effectively imbed this practice into our culture,” Damarys expressed, “This was the most important lesson that the EPIC consultants helped us learn and overcome.”
Once the system is implemented, CARF surveyors perform a 2-day audit to ensure compliance with all the requirements.
DTT Coaching was awarded a 3-year accreditation, a rather long term to be received right off the bat as a first time CARF accreditation applicant and a confirmation of the robustness of its system.
Damarys is confident that the CARF accreditation will open doors to more contract opportunities, as well as, facilitate the way through other auditing processes.
“The CARF certification is essentially a certification of quality. Organizations with the accreditation must prove, and continuously hold, the high standards of quality improvement and dedication to patients, and we are definitely committed to that.”
We congratulate DTT Coaching Services’ team for the amazing achievement and we look forward to hearing about your next accomplishments!

Meetings suck – and now they’re even worse!

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 05:39:00 GMT

Nobody likes meetings. We meet a lot , and bad meetings are not only annoying, but they also cost a lot of money. Now, with most meetings being held online, they are even worse! Technical difficulties, distractions, lack of physical presence all make online meetings harder to handle… and usually it takes a lot more effort to make them effective.
It is interesting that even though we’ve seen more and more articles giving recommendations on how to make the most out of tools and optimize communication, not enough give practical advice on how to make a great meeting.
Great meetings help you reach decisions and consensus quickly; optimizing time and energy investments. So, here are 3 tips that will help you have better meetings:

Identify Meeting Wastes
Start by identifying and measuring the enemy – (“What Can’t be Measured Cannot be Improved”):

And some wastes are specific to online meetings:

Have a Time-Based Meeting Agenda for Every Meeting
Who’s been to a meeting that you felt was unnecessary, not needed, or that the team accomplished “zilch”?
Creating an effective agenda is a critical tool for a good meeting. A good agenda should cover:

When you have clear expectations, it is easy to identify the need for the meeting, which will result in attendees coming in better prepared, and willing to participate. Also, expectations make it easy to discern if the meeting objectives were or were not met. Coupled together, waste identification and the measuring of defects make it easy to identify why objectives might not have been met, and therefore allow for corrective action.

Have an Assigned Facilitator
Last, but not least, it should be mandatory that every online meeting have an assigned facilitator. Really, it can be argued that every offline meeting should as well ( and that will be the subject of a future article ). A facilitator is the owner of the meeting process. They guarantee the agenda is covered in the allotted time, ensure everybody is involved and engaged, and that a consensus on the objective is reached.
A facilitator is like a referee, she/he enforces the rules of the meeting but don’t play. It is a key ingredient that most organizations miss in their pursuit of holding effective meetings.
Even if you do not have the opportunity of having somebody external to facilitate your meetings, you can always assign a team member to be the facilitator for each meeting. If that is the case, knowing that facilitation is not their main job function, here are a few guidelines to help her/him to be successful:

So, Let’s Make it Better with 3 tips – measure your meeting defects, create an effective agenda and allow a facilitator to manage that process.
What have your meeting experiences been? Please share and let us know what you’ve done to improve them!

EPIC Lean 6 Sigma Forum

Tue, 05 Jan 2021 05:42:00 GMT

For a while we have received requests to create a forum to discuss Lean 6 Sigma between the EPIC Family (over 2000 Black Belts, Green Belts, Supply Chain and ISO professionals) and we have done just that. Now all of us can share our experiences, best practices, solutions and challenges and get feedback from our […]

Harvesting Results with Continuous Improvement

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 05:36:00 GMT

Working on continuous improvement, the road is not always easy. Much like farming, in order to be successful, there must be a strong foundation set in the soil, intentional and proper seeds planted, watering and cultivation of these seeds, then a process of weeding to fine tune it. At the end of this process, the blossomed flowers — or shall we say financial results — are evident.
Flores Isabelita knows this process all too well — in business and at the farmland.
Flores Isabelita is part of the Falcon Farms group, a fully integrated flower company with farms in Colombia and Ecuador and distribution centers in six US states, and a major player in the supply of flower bouquets into big retailers in the US.
The Colombian-based company was first exposed to the Lean 6 Sigma methodology with EPIC Consultants in 2016. For the past 4 years, Flores Isabelita has been in a “Lean 6 Sigma Continuous Improvement” journey. Their road wasn’t easy, but success also doesn’t just fall from the sky.
With a 70% yield optimization of raw material (flowers) and an increase in production capacity of 60%, Flores Isabelita is paving the way to be the premier choice for the manufacturing of mixed bouquets in the US market.
This is their continuous improvement story as told by the Lead Facilitator, Anny Martinez Lopez.
“When we first started, it seemed like everyone but me had some knowledge of Lean 6 Sigma ,” said Anny. “This first year of implementation was marked with an environment of many dreams and expectations, and a great deal of learning – disrupting the way I saw and understood processes, systems, and methodologies.”
The first year we achieved a few wins, the first one was the discipline to work as a team. It required a new set of habits to work effectively as a cross functional team. The second one was the ability to quantify processes utilizing new tools such as SIPOC, Process Maps, Value Stream Mapping; therefore, having the ability to visualize and improve those processes. The third one was to allow the team to implement ideas and be accountable for their implementation.
By the second year, we started to see physical changes throughout the plant. The 5s Team was making an impact in key production areas. Standardization led to a reduction of 74% in accidents. We also empowered teams to improve the yield of raw material (flowers) as well as productivity levels. The teams were able to quantify financial gains and the savings were great. Nonetheless, Executives from the group questioned them because the numbers were not validated by a third party.

“Improvements are great, but validated results are better.”

With this, year three was characterized by an obsession with numbers. All cross-functional teams were methodical in tracking their weekly metrics (KPI’s) through the financial statements. It was powerful to see and feel the savings per project: yield optimization, increasing capacity without increasing costs, safety, and Universidad Isabelita. Well, by the end of the year we presented significant savings validated internally and externally: over 6 times the amount invested in the program!
All decisions based on accurate data. No fake news!
On the 4th year, everything just clicked: the Lean 6 Sigma Continuous Improvement Program is a complete success. This methodology has allowed us to have standardized processes, clear KPI’s, empowered personnel, and a system self-sustained by the process owners.
Moreover, this is a Leadership Program. Our secret weapon is that employees are eager to be part of the process improvement on the teams. Perhaps it’s the learning or the accomplishment to make changes or maybe the bonus that they receive at the completion of a successful project, perhaps it is a combination of both. It is not by chance that every year this program generates great savings, once more resulting in an ROI of over 5 times the investment on the program’s fourth year (closed on 07/2020).
Today, Flores Isabelita is the premier choice for the manufacturing of mixed bouquets in the US market. Its cellular manufacturing (takt / continuous flow / balancing) yields high productivity, low costs and high quality.
Quoting the Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Javier Mesa: “The achievements of Flores Isabelita are exemplary. Decisions based on data, continuous improvement culture, professional growth and of course the financial results reflected on the financial statements”
Fortunately, stories like these are not uncommon. Thousands of companies make the commitment to continuous improvement based on the Lean 6 Sigma methodology, reducing waste and maximizing efficiency. With the right focus, great results like these are very achievable!
Once again, we are very proud of the work Flores Isabelita has put into their incredible transformation and we can’t wait to see the results for the upcoming year!
A Lean 6 Sigma Continuous Improvement Program is definitely a great investment!

When entrepreneurial minds meet, EPIC things happen.

Tue, 03 Nov 2020 05:33:00 GMT

21 years ago, after coming back from serving the country as a US Navy Aviation Ordnanceman in Rota, Spain and recently graduating as an Industrial and Systems Engineer at FIU, Johnny Rojas met Alfredo Moran. Alfredo, a FIU Master of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering was a World Class Manufacturing Manager at U.S. Holdings. The two connected right off the bat.

4 years later, with great ideals and, above all, the commitment to take charge of their own paths in life, EPIC Consultants, Inc. was born. Relationships were always a key value to them, and the great relationship developed with Florida International University granted them EPIC’s first home - a small room within FIU College of Engineering & Computing. On that Thursday, November 13, 2003, Alfredo and Johnny set off to make their lives better by committing to the Continuous Improvement and growth of Miami businesses.

Since then, through challenges and crises EPIC always saw opportunities. In 2006, the strong relationship with FIU led to the development of External Programs at FIU College of Engineering and Computing: Lean 6 Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt, and the Supply Chain certification later on. In 2010, EPIC took on the opportunity to branch out into government construction contracts as a general contractor; incorporating the solid expertise brought in by David Moran to the innovative mindset derived from its Lean Management and Six Sigma experience.

Through the following ten years, with our core set on values of quality, honesty, and integrity, and our commitment to form long-lasting, mutually rewarding relationships with our clients and our team, EPIC has grown and solidly established itself as a leader in both branches: General Contractor and Business & Process Improvement Solutions. Nonetheless, most of all, EPIC is proud of the friendships and partnerships it created along the way.

This year, EPIC Consultants faces another global crisis with its customary attitude of heading on and making it happen. 2020 has been a year for setting a new foundation in place for further growth and opportunities. EPIC has been investing in renovating its technological infrastructure preparing the field for higher data processing capabilities, strengthening its team and revamping its corporate image and presence.

It’s been 17 years, 17 EPIC years we must say, and we look forward to what lies ahead!

Let’s make it better!

Welwaze meets ISO: A Promise of Quality

Sat, 05 Sep 2020 05:34:00 GMT

Bat appreciation month, celebrating the bilingual child month, and American cheese month… Although seemingly random, all of these trifling causes share the month of October with a much more notable cause: Breast Cancer Awareness Month .

As the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women, about 1 in 8 U.S. women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their life. Luckily, though still high, the overall death rate from breast cancer has slowly decreased as a result of treatment advances and earlier detection through increased awareness and screening.

References

1. American Cancer Society. How Common Is Breast Cancer? Jan. 2020. Available at:
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html
2. ISOUpdate. What’s the Return on Investment (ROI) on Quality? Apr. 2018. Available at:
https://isoupdate.com/resources/whats-roi-quality/

From ERP to Machine Learning and Back

Sun, 05 Jul 2020 05:37:00 GMT

I have been implementing and managing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems for several years. My ERP journey started at the FIU Computer Science department where I was working on a degree in Computer Science and had taken a few courses in Artificial Intelligence (AI). One day, I visited the Dean of the department seeking advice on what courses to take next to improve my IT knowledge and enhance my career. The Dean, a knowledgeable individual, advised me that “rather than re-inventing hot water, I should learn to use systems and applications already created by others”. I followed his advice and instead of working on a master’s degree in Computer Science with concentration in AI, I began learning and working with ERP systems at my job then as an IT Manager.

What is ERP?
Enterprise resource planning is a process used by companies to manage and integrate the important parts of their businesses. Many ERP software applications are important to companies because they help them implement resource planning by integrating all the processes needed to run their business with a single system.
Working on and learning about ERP became my passion. But ERP systems are broad and typically large, and it is not possible to know all about them, so you need to concentrate on certain areas of the system. I choose to learn the technical aspects and a couple of functional areas: distribution and manufacturing. I also learned to implement them and eventually became an ERP Project Manager. I have managed Epicor, SAGE, and Infor (Baan and LN) implementations.

Implementing ERP Systems
Implementing ERP systems is a lot of fun, you deal with different scenarios and business organizations. You also deal with lots of data and make decisions based on such data. You even try to make predictions (examples are Demand Planning and Demand Forecast) based on data with various degrees of success. The most successful models typically use intelligent algorithms. But data is just data and ERPs are information-hungry beasts. As information is data with a purpose, you first must make sense of that data before it can be used by the system.
And that is one of the reasons why I have enrolled in AI Machine Learning: from Data to Decisions, an online class with MIT Professional Education. According to the curriculum, this class will take me from understanding data, making predictions, making decisions, to understanding the results. I think I could become a more effective ERP implementer if I could help make better and more intelligent decisions. I look forward to sharing my progress with you.
After that, my next stop will be at Intelligent Supply-Chain. I feel there are plenty of opportunities at better understanding, classifying, and optimizing supply-chain data.
Orlando Duran

COVID 19 – Do you have a Crisis Management Strategy?

Fri, 05 Jun 2020 05:41:00 GMT

The world is living unprecedented times, COVID-19 has shaken some structures, and nobody really knows what the next day – or week-will look like. Right now, it is uncertain whether we will see larger and/or more frequent outbreaks, and so it is critical that businesses have a crisis management strategy.
Every company right now is facing the challenge of keeping the organization on track when it feels like all the emphasis is on the crisis. It is not an easy task, but it is one that can be faced with strong leadership and making sure we have a robust Crisis Management Strategy – a set of steps / guidelines / checklists to find the compass back to your destination.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created a checklist for businesses on how to plan for pandemic influenza. The original file can be found here , and an adapted copy can be found at the end of this article. That can be a useful resource to evaluate if we are tackling the situation from every angle.
However, there are some basic action items that can be applied to almost any company and are strongly recommended for any crisis:
1. Set an A-Team to manage the crisis

2. Create a Communication Plan

3. Weather the storm with strong leadership

We need to become more resilient and competitive in the complex and uncertain business of business. Once the crisis is over, focus on knowledge management: document and improve your Crisis Management Strategy because you need to be ready for the next one.
Here at EPIC we hope everybody stays safe, and hopefully this Pandemic will be under control sooner rather than later. In the meantime, let a robust Crisis Management Strategy get you back on the right track.
If there is any topic that you’d like to hear, please let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to work on it!

Pandemic Planning Checklist for Businesses
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Click here to download the checklist

Manufacturing investments face flexibility, sustainability and talent concerns

Tue, 07 Jan 2020 05:42:00 GMT

Major manufacturing players remains relatively upbeat about their respective sector outlooks, a new report finds. Key concerns remain however, around the development of key capital expenditure projects, as changing trends, from increased demand for flexibility and sustainability to a war for talent, take hold of the industries more widely.

The manufacturing industry faces a host of new challenges from new technologies and models, such as digitalisation, additive techniques and Industry 4.0; a scarcity in talent; and sometimes unpredictable changing, and radically different, consumer and client sentiment across global markets. Environmental and wider supply chain concerns too are becoming increasingly prominent factors to consider for the industry.

The global manufacturing industry is expected to have seen growth of 2.8% in 2016. Manufacturing production is likely to risen by 1.3% in industrialised countries and by 4.7% in developing economies. To meet the increasing demand, in the face of market uncertainties, manufacturers across a range of sectors face key strategic capital expenditure (capex) decisions that meet the various, and sometimes complex, market challenges. In a new report from Arcadis, titled ‘Industrial Capital Investment Survey 2017’, the firm interviewed 73 manufacturing industry executives to get a better picture of key current trends affecting their capex decision making.

Got Time? Value-added Tools that you can Implement

Sat, 04 Jan 2020 05:40:00 GMT

Most companies are going through rough patches: difficulties with their payroll, forecasting customer orders, uncertainty with suppliers, keeping key personnel; the list goes on.
In our last article, we shared tips on how to create a Crisis Management Strategy and asked readers to share any topics of interest.
First and foremost, thank you for your great feedback! One of the main themes that came up was: “What value-added tools could we implement with limited resources and while respecting government protocols?
So, we went into our toolbox and picked a few tools to share with you:
Equipment Maintenance (reducing / eliminating downtime)
If you have the time and manpower available, then there is an opportunity to improve your maintenance program. There are 3 main types of equipment maintenance programs: REACTIVE, PREVENTIVE AND PREDICTIVE:
1. Reactive Maintenance is unfortunately, the most common type of maintenance executed by companies. This type of maintenance only occurs when equipment breaks or fails.
2. Preventive Maintenance is when company executes maintenance periodically in order to prevent downtime. There are many ways that a maintenance schedule can be setup:

3. Predictive Maintenance is when companies utilize condition-monitoring tools and techniques based on vibration, temperature, noise and other factors to predict when an equipment is about to fail.
Right now, there is a perfect opportunity to “move up” on your maintenance level. If you find yourself only doing reactive maintenance, take initial steps towards preventive maintenance: identify critical equipment (the ones necessary for your operation not to stop), and develop preventive maintenance procedures / checklists / frequency per equipment based on existing manuals.
If you already have a preventive maintenance plan in place, evaluate it. What pieces of equipment have a higher maintenance cost? How can you move into predictive maintenance with these?
5S
5S is a famed tool of workplace organization. It consists of 5 steps for creating a culture of cleanliness and organization with three main objectives: “Improve Productivity”, “Reduce Accidentality” and “Generate a World Class Environment”:
1. Sort consists of identifying everything that is present in the workplace, as well as its usage (hourly, daily, weekly, …) and creating an inventory. This step is sometimes called “red-tagging” because it is common to use a red tag to identify each of the inventoried items.
2. Setting in Order consists of defining what stays in the workplace and what should be relocated, based on usage. For every item that stays, a clear position should be defined, with items with greater use closer to the point of use than the ones that are used less frequently. At the end of this phase you will have a place for everything, and everything will be in its proper place.
3. Shine : Clean everything inside and out. The workplace, equipment as well as everything in the area should look as if it just came out of the package. This is also where you demarcate the area, draw flow lines, workstations, material position and everything that can support what was defined I the “Set in Order” stage.
4. Standardize : Define standards (audits, cleaning schedules, area pictures, etc.) that, if followed, will guarantee everything is maintained as defined in steps 1-3.
5. Sustain : The toughest of the steps. It consists of creating a culture to repeat steps 1-4 properly in order to maintain areas clean and organized — PLANT TOUR READY.
Inventory
Many companies have complex and automated systems for controlling inventory – others have simpler controls like excel sheets. Whatever system you have in place, now is a great time to perform physical inventory; counting and accounting for every single item in the inventory.
Keeping your inventory under control can have a huge impact on costs by not purchasing unnecessary items, and not stopping operation due to lack of materials. Also, performing a physical inventory is a great way to audit whatever processes and systems you have in place for inventory control. If your inventory accuracy (the difference between your physical inventory and the system value) is substantial, it means that your current process is not efficient and thus it needs to be improved.