In focus: Manufacturing and Distribution Businesses
On Demand | 20 minutes each
These are challenging times. Nonetheless, we know that business leaders are looking ahead. We are pleased to offer a video series focused on a range of operational and management subjects. The 12 topics covered are available for viewing below. To stay up to date on other Elliott Davis news, articles and videos releasing, sign up here.
Risk Management
COVID-19 has reminded us to recognize that unexpected and adverse developments do happen. Every business needs a robust and effective risk management system.
Change Management
COVID-19 has forced leaders to make hard decisions in a compressed timeframe. Looking ahead, there will be key organizational decisions to be made as businesses emerge into a changed economic and competitive landscape. Possessing the required change management tools will be indispensable.
Managing a Merger/Acquisition
While many strategic and institutional buyers are currently pressing pause, most observers believe the post-COVID period may see an unprecedented level of M&A activity. Beyond target identification, valuation, and due diligence, planning for an acquisition and the related post-merger work-streams are important.
Quality Systems Transformation
There is arguably no greater contributor to business success – or failure – than product and service quality. Sustained success for most enterprises will hinge on quality systems.
Strategic Planning
“Black swan” events remind us that unexpected disruption may be around the corner and that brilliantly developed plans can be rendered ineffectual, practically overnight. That said, effective strategic planning clearly remains crucial to long-term business success and perhaps is more important than ever.
Supply Chain
COVID-19 has sparked a vigorous debate among supply chain experts. Is longer-term system risk reduction worth the short-to-medium-term cost?
IT Strategy
Most businesses are experiencing some operational disruption. As businesses move forward toward post-COVID, many will be challenging their current-state systems and processes. In many cases, IT will be a focal point. The system-related decisions made over the next couple of years will be key drivers of future business performance.
Managing Projects, both large and small
Project management is a science, not an art. Successful project execution depends on defined processes and discipline. Most of the key success factors are the same, regardless of project size and complexity.
Improving Operational Performance
Many managers are currently learning how to produce with fewer inputs and pre-existing operational system weaknesses are coming to light. How best to position for volume volatility and still achieve sustained performance improvement?
Cost Reduction
Many businesses have recently taken steps to sharply cut costs. Most of those efforts were likely emergency-tactical in nature. A more fundamental and long-term look at cost structures may be key to sustained profitability.
Growing the Top-Line
There is clearly an element of “art” in revenue generation and growth, particularly in the functions of product development and marketing. That said, most winning and losing arises from the processes and product strategies that support customer service and order fulfillment.
After COVID-19
There will be an economic rebound. That said, businesses will ramp up with varying rates of speed and success. New businesses will emerge. Relative competitive positions may be changed, some previously “axiomatic” business practices and ways of thinking may go the way of the dinosaur. Which might those be?
