A common observation in business, and particularly in operations, is the hesitance or resistance to get a fresh set of eyes on a problem. Folks in manufacturing and distribution just do not like other people giving their opinions about the state of a facility.
Contrast that with the general acceptance of a doctor wellness visit. While most struggle to actually meet the suggested schedule, the majority (62%) of US adults get annual physicals. Over 90% of U.S. adults say these visits are important and at least attempt a more regular schedule.
The reason most operators and operations leaders are resistant to consulting with outsiders is most often “we have all the experience we need in-house” or “we just don’t have the time”. But we have more experience in our bodies than anyone else and we all know that we have to make time to protect our health.
After all, we are talking about the health of our company, it’s team members’ careers and the financial health of all the stakeholders. And unlike our bodies, there are others with experience in our field.
Another interesting analogy can be made with healthcare. If our doctor wants some assurance, he will consult with other doctors who may have more or different experience. Often, our doctor will send us to a specialist for work more unique than a general practitioner is equipped to manage.
Many operators, on the other hand, are as likely as not to move a manufacturing facility themselves, redesign a manufacturing line in-house or pick a new ERP without specialized help.
While some see this as arrogance or hubris, and a touch of that is usually present, it may have as much to do with modern U.S. operations culture. While leadership will readily accept legal, finance, accounting, marketing or other help, many think that operations is the easy part. That’s the stuff the minions do.
The reality is that most operations deal with moving real objects in physical space. Mistakes are often permanent and rework costs more than just time. Changing code can have a major impact in any function of a business, but operators have to make changes in the physical world which is encumbered by the laws of physics and other constraints. Changes here are much more complicated and throughput and capacity are at play.