Operational efficiency
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Peak operational efficiency occurs when the right combination of people, processes and technology come together to optimize your business performance. Whether you’re in manufacturing or a service business, your goal should be to eliminate waste and maximize value creation. The result will be a company that’s more productive, competitive and profitable.
What challenges are you facing?
Learn how to tackle your operational efficiency challenges by checking out our content under the subject headings below.
Assessing my efficiency
To implement a continuous improvement approach, your first step should be to assess your current situation and that of your competitors'.
- Kaizen blitz: 5 steps for radical transformations in your business
- Pareto analysis: A simple tool to prioritize efficiency improvements
- Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagrams: 5 steps to find causes of complex business problems
- The 8 types of waste: How to identify them in your business
- Key performance indicators (KPIs): How to set the right metrics for your business
- Video— How to improve your company’s productivity and boost profits
- Video— What is operational efficiency?
- A 7-step structured problem-solving process to deal with your business challenges
- How to use lean manufacturing to make your business more productive
- How a focus on operational efficiency helped Durabuilt grow from 12 employees to 450
- From our blog— Your customers can accelerate your operational efficiency journey
- From our blog— Your leadership style: The key to a growing, profitable business
Reducing my costs
To truly be lean, your business must look beyond simply reducing expenses and incorporate waste reduction and green initiatives into its operations.
- 3 steps to control your labour costs
- Cost reduction: Top 5 ways to get employee buy-in
- How to cut costs in your operations
- How 'kaizen' lean manufacturing helped this entrepreneur boost efficiency
- A quick guide to thinking lean
- How to outsource: A decision-making guide for entrepreneurs
- How to use lean manufacturing to make your business more productive
Planning production/processes
The key to successful production planning is ensuring that your resources and materials are available when and where they are needed.
- What is process mapping?
- How to weather the second wave
- How to combine continuous improvement and technology
- How to create an agile workforce
- How operational efficiency helped this manufacturer grow
- Building continuous improvement into your business
- How you can improve productivity through better health and safety practices
- How to forecast production in your seasonal business
- Implementing Drum-Buffer-Rope in your production planning
- What is the 5S method?
- What makes a good production plan?
- From our blog— 5 steps to manage your operations for the COVID-19 recovery
- From our blog— Transforming your company culture
- From our blog— Facility layout: What is it and why should I care?
- From our blog— Workplace organization: How it can impact your business
Increasing my output
By improving the efficiency of your production process, you will be able to increase output and capitalize on your increased profit potential.
- This Vancouver pharmacy uses automation to address a severe labour shortage
- How to deal with bottlenecks and boost your productivity
- How to improve productivity by reorganizing your workspace
- How this entrepreneur reduced idle time by 30%
- How to improve your supervisors’ performance
- How to use dashboards to boost performance
- From our blog— Canada’s tourism sector: Strategies to build more competitive businesses
- From our blog— How to use technology to boost your operational efficiency
- From our blog— How a performance dashboard can help you achieve continuous improvement