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You don’t have to be a firefighter to deliver on time!Firefighter Image

Breakthrough in scheduling simplifies managing a plant, while making it more responsive, improving on time delivery and throughput.

Imagine if…

Every order is delivered on time, in less time, with minimal management intervention.

The Maximum Flow System is a set of tools and processes to schedule and manage your order fulfillment efforts that involve planning, management, and ongoing improvement that results in:

Despite the advances in information technology and systems, most plants manage the order fulfillment process of prioritizing and managing customer orders as if it were an art, using a craftsman approach, rather than treating order fulfillment as a system, requiring a process to manage and control.  Rarely is the order fulfillment process treated as a process, with sequential steps and appropriate controls.  Instead, order fulfillment is delegated to the resource owners (the plant) who have more incentive is to be “efficient” than deliver on time.  As a result, the important task of customer satisfaction is an afterthought in process improvement.  In the end, orders are thrown over the wall from sales to production, like hand grenades that might explode into a product that satisfies the customer.

"The beauty of the changes we have made has been that it was accomplished with a low tech common sense approach that yielded nearly immediate results of a magnitude I would not have thought possible. Two year increases in billings of 28% and 40%, with increases in our bottom line of five fold, and three fold. In short, the process has totally changed the look and feel of our business, and made it a better place to work."

 Bob Page, President, Graphics Systems

The Maximum Flow System causes people to synchronize their day to day efforts towards the delivery requirements of the customer, which results in on time delivery of the customer’s order, with less effort and management intervention.

The Maximum Flow System

The maximum flow system is built around identifying the bottleneck resource in your order fulfillment process, then consistently focusing all activity around maximizing the output of that resource.  This happens by:

Typically, there is no special software or additional overhead expenditure required to run the system, but the appointment of a full-time scheduler is required.  This person is usually moved from another position and does not increase overhead.  In fact, the implementation results in a reduction of costs related to poor process management in the form of reduced overtime spending, premium freight, and waste.

The process structure looks like this:

For a small plant with about 100 people, the numbers would look like this:

Overtime 50% - $140,000

Scheduler - $70,000

Increase in Sales 5%  - $250,000

 

Reduction in Inventory 15% - $100,000

 

+  $490,000

-  $70,000

We often think that a complicated model is the only one that can be used to make good decisions.  The truth is that we don’t need a complicated model, because our data is inaccurate.  The range of error in our decision making is within the data error range.  Put another way, it doesn't matter if the road is 10 feet wide or 11 feet wide.  As long as we turn when we're supposed to, it doesn't affect when we decide to turn. Therefore, the trick is to make a

"Gross profits from operations increased 174%"
Joe Merritt, President, Dixie Iron Works

simple model with selectively accurate information and buffers to compensate for variation. 

The Maximum Flow Scheduling process results in a shift in thinking and behavior:

As a result, your plant becomes a much easier and more profitable place to work.

There are implications in the day to day give and take as well. 

Production managers will sacrifice control over priorities (as if they had them to begin with), but what they gain is full control over their resources.  They have a clear understanding of how they’re doing and a clear process for action.  No more last minute priority changes, no taking orders from several different people about what to do; your people are allowed do their work without interruption, thus improving job satisfaction and productivity.   

Sales People, Project Managers, and other Managers like the results of the system as well. 

While they may sacrifice their ability to walk on the floor to change priorities, they gain greater reliability in shipping performance, consistent revenues, and a predictable system.  In fact, after awhile, they don’t want to go on the shop floor to “help”.

The Maximum Flow System Online Coaching Program

I have been working with scheduling systems and solving supply chain management problems for over 20 years.  In that time, I learned that while there are many different kinds of production, the problems they share are similar.  That’s why I was the first to develop a process to systematically implement a drum-buffer rope system in manufacturing (in fact, I was one of the first in the world to implement one at all). 

These implementations were universally successful.  However, many organizations cannot get the backing to hire me and my team for a $100,000 transformation project.

That’s why I developed the Maximum Flow System Coaching Program.  I’ve found that for managers who are committed to making things better, I don’t need to be physically present to implement the solution, I can teach you how to implement the system yourself (I've taught many consultants how to implement, so why not you?).

"Mark is a great business thought leader. He understands and teaches the concepts well, throughout an organization, and is able to implement changes in concert with the employees such that the knowledge and ability is resident in the organization once the engagement has concluded.”
Jay Poffenberger, Managing Director, MCM Capital Partners

The Maximum Flow Scheduling System Coaching Program will teach you not only what you need to do to improve performance, but the sequence of implementation steps and the obstacles to success.  Everything you need to consistently deliver on time while eliminating the firefighting and chaotic nature of the plant.  Enrolling the program will make you the beneficiary of the lessons I’ve learned in organizations from small to large, from simple to complex, from custom products to standard products, and more.

The program covers:

In short, the program offers you not only the ability to gain new knowledge, but guidance on implementation.  If you’ve ever tried to learn to play a musical instrument, you understand the difference between reading the music and having an experienced player teach it to you.  It makes all the difference in the world.  That’s what the program is all about - you learning to play your own "music". 

How it Works

I will host 10 live workshop sessions in a webinar format for a very small number of companies.  I expect that each of these will be serious about improving on time delivery and the quality of their organization’s work life.  In each session, I will be delivering content with examples and application.  We will then have a discussion about application.  Each session will conclude with an assignment for implementation or further study or both.

Each live workshop session incorporates a live coaching session along with the learning content. 

During the sessions we will discuss your implementation, your homework and any questions you have.

You can ask your questions live or you can send them ahead of time by email

There is a group discussion and chat functionality that allows you to interact with the other participants.  In fact, I expect that this will be one of the most valuable parts of the experience.

Each session will be recorded.  You will have the ability to review any sessions again or make up for any sessions you may have missed.

Since the sessions are recorded, you will also have the ability to share the material with others in your organization.

We’ll continue the sessions for 3 more months.  Each month, we’ll meet again to share the victories and learn how to overcome your obstacles.  These sessions will help you stay on track to continued success.

The design of the Maximum Flow Scheduling System is based on my years of working with plants and learning what it really takes to substantially improve due date performance, reduce lead-times, and reduce chaos in order fulfillment.

The Lessons?

Resources

Each attendee will receive:

The Pinnacle DBR game – a tool to teach your team how to plan and execute your order fulfillment process.  A critical tool to get buy in from your team.

A personalized copy of my book, The Manufacturer’s Guide to Implementing the Theory of Constraints.

Templates for each of the policies and procedures you’ll need to implement; examples from past implementations from a variety of organizations.  This has never been offered to the public before, but reserved for clients purchasing the complete process reengineering projects.

I estimate the value of these to be $980!

Guarantee

If you make an honest effort to follow the system and don’t get results, I’ll be happy to refund your enrollment fee.  I guarantee that if you don’t get at least $5,000 value from the session, I’ll refund your enrollment fee and you keep all the materials, a $980 value.

OUR 100% GUARANTEE: If you participate in all the sessions (live or recorded) and complete your homework, but don’t receive at least $5,000 in value, you will receive a 100% refund of your enrollment fee.

Guarantee

Investment

The investment for this event?  $4,488 USD.

 
A PayPal Account is not required.

Questions?  Need More Information?

Visit the frequently asked questions page or drop me a line.

Next

I hope you'll join us in the program and invite me to be your coach in one of the most rewarding career experiences you'll have.

I'm going to hold this program open until I have 10 companies or June 21, whichever comes first.  I don't know when or if I'll be doing this again.

Don't delay, enroll now!

Enroll in the Maximum Flow System Coaching Program