The LONG Process Game

No, I’m not talking about golf or football!

I’m talking about the business of manufacturing atom-based products (not software).

What does it mean to be playing the Long Game in manufacturing, from the Process Perspective?

In a nutshell, it means to be serious and focused on making your manufacturing process the best it can be, with sincere and sustained efforts over time.

What do companies who are playing the Long Process Game do?

For EXISTING Processes, they understand and track the following:

• The value-add created and enabled by their existing manufacturing processes.

• How their process is superior to their competitor’s process, in terms of cost and quality.

• The potential for improvements to their process, to increase yield or improve a chronic customer problem.

• How stable and robust the “process window” is.

• How gracefully (or non-gracefully) the process can tolerate variations in incoming raw materials.

For NEW Processes, they understand and track the following:

• The value of clever process innovations and how they can enable tremendous cost and quality advantages over your competition.

• The innovation path taken to commercialize your current manufacturing process, as a reference case to build on and study. How can this translation from research/advanced development be repeated next time but be significantly improved?

• The ability to repeatedly make key samples of interest, to ensure the customer does not like a “lucky sample” that cannot be repeatedly made.

• Having multiple applications and potential customers, in case the first one fades away.

• The cost impact of key raw materials and how alternative materials might be employed to reduce price or increase performance.

The business benefits of playing the “Long Process Game” include:

• Higher manufacturing yields.

• Improved customer satisfaction.

• Increased sales.

• Improved product development capabilities.

• More profitable utilization of existing manufacturing assets.

• The ability to obsolete yourself (rather than having a competitor do this to you), by coming up with the next generation process and/or product.

Note that all of these advantages COMPOUND over time. This compounding enables exponential gains to be made over time. These gains are not available to you if you do not own the manufacturing assets.

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My main learning from this discussion is how vital ongoing focus and resources are for the creation of Great Manufacturing Processes. With consistent emphasis on Process Excellence, a virtuous Long Game can be played in which the hard won gains can be compounded over time, creating strong and sustainable results.

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CHALLENGE TO READERS

Please think about you and your organizations’ approach to the “Process Game” over the past 5 to 10 years…

• Are you playing the “Long Process Game”? What is your best example of this? What have the financial benefits been from this?

• Who are your best champions and advocates for playing the Long Process Game? How can they be constructively engaged on a current high-priority project?

I’d love to hear what your thoughts and experiences have been with regards to the “Long Process Game”. What are your learnings and insights about this? If you email us, we will get back to you promptly. Thanks!

All the Best,

Marty

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