VELOCITY - DEE JACOB [134]
“May I ask why?”
“Dramatic effect,” said Amy.
“I’m not sure I understand.”
“We’ve decided that Godzilla is the bottleneck – the primary constraint – that will determine the throughput of the Oakton plant.”
“Correct,” said Murphy.
“And we want – we need – everyone to recognize this fact. We want everyone to subordinate all other operations to servicing the demands of the system constraint, and to synchronize their actions with Godzilla. Right?”
“Yes, also correct.”
“So,” said Amy, “it hit me last night that one way to get people to pay attention would be to move my meetings out here to Oakton and hold them right here on the plant floor. We already have a portable conference room that’s part of the trade show display we used at the Composites World Expo. Have you ever seen it?”
“Just pictures,” said Murphy.
“It’s nice. Carpeted, recessed lighting, inlaid hardwood ceiling – and big glass windows, so everyone can look out at Godzilla. So I’m thinking what better way to signal that this, right here, is the center of the company?”
Murphy nodded thoughtfully, chuckled, and said, “Well, it’s a bit unusual. But actually I rather like the idea.”
“I promise we will not interfere with anything. And it won’t be forever,” said Amy. “I think that after a month or maybe six weeks, people will have gotten the message.”
“I cannot promise you, Amy, that it will be entirely comfortable for you here,” Murphy warned. “It can get quite hot in this area.”
“We can install air-conditioning,” said one of the salesmen.
“And Godzilla makes a lot of noise during the venting procedure,” Murphy added.
“For how long?” asked Amy.
“A few minutes.”
“All the better. It’ll make everyone pay attention,” said Amy.
She turned to the salesmen.
“How soon?”
“We can have it set up by tomorrow afternoon if you want.”
“Does that work for you?” Amy asked Murphy.
“Yes, ma’am, that works just fine for me.”
A little more than a month after Oakton went to an unbalanced system with a constraint – a description certain to chill the blood of most corporate executives, at least the uninitiated – the midquarter metrics for all Winner businesses were posted. Within twenty-four hours after this event, Amy Cieolara got a phone call from a livid Nigel Furst.
“What in the world are you DOING down there?!” Nigel demanded.
“Nothing!” Amy said reflexively. “Wait! Sorry, I mean, we’re doing lots of things! We’re implementing our turnaround tree! I mean, our turnaround plan!”
“Peter Winn called from Rio de Janeiro. He wants me to terminate you – right now,” said Nigel.
“But why?”
“Because he’s been on the WING and he’s seen your numbers! And frankly, I’m not sure I disagree. Amy, you promised me during our little talk that you would not allow the situation at Hi-T to get any worse.”
“Well, it hasn’t! In fact, it’s getting better! We’re really turning the corner, moving the needle in the right direction!” she insisted.
“Oh, really? Then how do explain – just to pick a few items from the WING report summary – that resource utilization at your Oakton plant was down from ninety-four percent to a depressing seventy-eight percent? Average productivity per line employee, down eleven percent. Direct labor, up twelve percent. And work-in-process inventory, up fifteen percent! Oh, wait. Sorry, WIP was down fifteen percent. Anyway, you get the point. Amy, performance is clearly deteriorating. I’m afraid that –”
“Hold it, hold it, hold it,” said Amy. “This is all from WING, isn’t it?”
“That is what we use within the Winner Corporation, yes.”
“Then I know what’s happened,” she said. “Let me grab my copy.”
She did this while composing her thoughts for a defense.
“I’m waiting,” said Nigel.
“Right, got it. Now, let’s look at the larger picture. Look for instance at the output of the Oakton plant as a whole for the most recent month. That metric has gone up. We’re shipping more, which is why WIP is down, and just as important, if