OKR from English Objectives & Key Results, that is, Objectives and key results, is a planning methodology.
It is used both at a professional, industrial or production level as well as a personal level. Yes, it is a great tool to improve personal productivity, focus on key tasks and grow quickly.
It is not goal-based. Goals are quantifiable data. Something that we want to achieve but that can be set and measured exactly.
Although many of the methods seen so far, such as the JIT, have originated in the automotive industry, not all come from this sector. Others have also made great contributions to the industry, such as the semiconductor with the CMI (Balanced Scoreboard) or BSC (Balanced Scoreboard) in English.
Another management model that directs the strategy towards a series of goals that are related each. The main purpose of this model is to implement and communicate the strategy to be followed throughout the company, be it economic / financial, development, processes, etc., and in a near, medium or distant place.
In a world where optimization and efficiency is becoming so necessary due to limited resources, costs and environmental problems, producing while reducing the amount of waste is more than necessary. And this is where Lean Manufacturing models come into play. In this way, the productivity of the industry will be improved while reducing losses in the manufacturing chains.
This is also an added value for the end customer, since you can sell yourself as a "green brand" that minimizes the amount of resources consumed during the process without affecting the quality or the final result.
Many companies focus their efforts, to promote sales, in creating effective marketing campaigns. This is a procedure that has positive effects, and that is why large corporations invest huge amounts of money in this type of campaign. Currently, with Big Data and the data that is collected through the software we use, really effective campaigns can be generated. But even so, advertising is not everything and there are very positive alternatives such as MRP.
With MRP you can improve the profitability of a business without having to sell more quantity of products or services. This may seem counterintuitive, but it is not. These tactics also do not involve increasing the value of the products, which could be quite detrimental in terms of competitiveness. MRP practices go in a very different direction ...
In the industry, solutions are needed for each of the aspects that intervene in the process of the activity carried out by the company. That goes from production to logistics, also going through warehouse management. Currently, SGA software (Warehouse Management System) allows you to automate and optimize these storage tasks for raw materials or the final product.
On many occasions, the WMS comes as a specific module or function within the ERP software which we analyzed in a previous article. But, not all industries need a comprehensive ERP, and opt for somewhat more flexible solutions using specific software for their warehouses. Be that as it may, here I will try to decipher all the keys and characteristics of this type of software and how they could help a company.
If you remember when the subject of JIT (Just-In Time) or Toyota method, it sure will ring a bell the Kanban concept. Basically it is an information method capable of providing greater control to the manufacturing processes, making the productivity of the factory improve. Especially when there is a cooperation between several companies supplying parts or materials for production.
This system also known as card system, since it is based on the use of simple cards where the necessary information about the material is displayed, as if it were a witness of the manufacturing process. However, with the digitization of companies, it has been possible to improve the traditional card systems (post-it) to combine them with digital systems.
Companies need simple systems that allow them to efficiently and quickly manage tasks ranging from production business operations, logistics, resources, inventory, accounting, managing their clients, etc. To do this, it is best to use ERP systems, that is, a modular software that implements all this type of tools for companies and organizations.
With this type of software, you not only automate and streamline the processing of this data about the company, you also allow all that data to be integrated, centralized and connected to each other to perform analysis much easier. However, to be efficient, the most appropriate ERP system must be chosen, since not all companies and sizes require the same type of software ...
El QA it has become another stage in the industry. And not only because of the need for manufacturers to adapt their products to safety or other norms and standards that are imposed under the different regulations. Also to satisfy users who have more and more alternatives among the competition, and are increasingly informed about the quality and characteristics of the products on the market.
Therefore, it is the manufacturer himself who must ensure that his products comply with basic standards and of sufficient quality as to have happy customers (loyalty). In addition, these quality controls also serve the industry as good feedback to improve production, and lower costs derived from failures or returns.
Toyota is one of the largest manufacturers in the world and a leader in the automotive sector. There's no doubt. Japanese factories stand out for their efficiency and applied methods. So much so that a method called "Toyota method”(Or TPS of Toyota Production System) that have been adopted by the rest of industries outside and within the motor sector. That gives a clear idea of how efficient this working method can be.
This method has been called in a more generic way JIT (Just In Time) or just in time. And its name describes very well what it is for. As you can guess, it is based on how the delivery of the materials necessary for manufacturing is treated. It allows you to reduce costs, and always have what is necessary at your disposal so that production does not stop.
This method becomes so efficient that in some cases the parts or materials necessary for production are produced the same day they are installed and are already assembled in cars and other manufactured products. In fact, it is used as a test or benchmark of efficiency in the sector.
