Rethink, Retool, Reuse

The purpose of this blog is to discuss the application of someone else’s thinking to a situation that may present itself. We are in no way advocating trade mark evasion but rather encouraging you to explore solutions that have been employed by others in addressing supply chain issues you may be experiencing so you can avoid reinventing the wheel. An existing methodology may not be an exact fit to your specific situation but you might be able to adapt and apply it in another way to suit your needs. Perhaps something that met with limited success in one industry may be successful in another. By adopting and utilizing solutions that have been optimized by others you gain additional time, energy and resources to devote to other endeavours.

We all grew up hearing the reminder “Say thank you” and if you’re a parent you hear yourself saying the same thing to your own kids. There is a certain pride in realizing that they’ve picked up and mastered this social nicety. It’s not that we stole the idea but rather were taught to do something that is the expected and completely appropriate response. We weren’t left to fumble about looking uncomfortable as we tried to express gratitude. “Thank you” is straightforward and gets the job done. Once we had the basics down however, we were free to adapt it and put our own personal stamp on it. Perhaps it became simply “Thanks” or you decided to give a tip of the hat or a handshake instead. The message you’ve sent is still in line with a proven method but has been adapted so it’s more meaningful to and indicative of you.

Think about the invention of velcro: an idea borrowed from nature. George de Mestral liked to walk the paths in Switzerland. On one such walk he took a very close look at the burdoc burrs that had attached themselves to he and his dog. He noticed that the burrs had a type of hook on them and thus from this walk and a little effort on his part came the invention of Velcro. This adaptation from nature is now something most of us couldn’t imagine living without. While it’s most commonly used in apparel and footwear someone realized along the way that with a few modifications, Velcro could have uses in the medical world. It was Velcro that held a human heart together during the first artificial heart surgery and it is now used in a number of surgical devices.

In a previous blog we discussed End to Ends, a term that was brought into mainstream thinking by SAP. It’s widely believed however that the actual origin of this term came from a 1981 paper by Saltzer, Reed and Clark entitled “End to End Arguments in System Design.” Within the paper the term was used to discuss how application-specific functions ought to reside in the end host rather than in intermediary notes. Essentially by focusing on the end goal of a process and guiding all intermediary steps towards it, you can increase efficiency. An idea from a paper was broadened in scope and applied in other situations and has now become a well-known, widely used benchmark process.

Often we develop tunnel vision and blindly travel along the same path doing things the way we’ve always done them. Too often we hear new ideas being shot down because apparently they simply won’t work in a given industry. Our reply to this type of thinking is that you’re closing your doors to a world of possibilities. Open yourself up to other alternatives. Take a look at the way things are being done in other companies regardless of industry. If there’s something you think is truly innovative, consider modifying it so it would work in your organization. Because of the internet, accessing information has never been easier. It doesn’t matter that an industry expert is an ocean and 20 countries away; with one click of a mouse we can readily tap into their wealth of knowledge. We are surrounded by information and ideas so use these to invigorate your creativity and look at things with fresh eyes. In 1997 Apple introduced their “Think Different” campaign. Since that time Apple’s technology has gained renown and recognition worldwide. Thinking differently has worked out extremely well for them but the question for your company is how can you expand your thinking to leverage information more broadly?

RSVP for Change: Everyone has operational day-to-day responsibilities that simply must be accomplished and cannot be delegated. While you’re undertaking these tasks, ask yourself if there’s a better way to perform them. But, don’t stop by asking the question, continue to with a plan to execute.

Management Insight: Encourage employees to look beyond what they are doing now and expand their viewpoint. When creating work teams include people of various and diverse backgrounds (age, gender, capabilities and functional expertise) which can foster more “outside the box” thinking. Help support networks so there is a better flow of knowledge and information within the company. Having access to more information could spark new ideas.

Linda Craig (@LindaCraigRSVP)
More Supply Chain insights at www.Retention.ca