M AY 2 0 2 1 | W W W. W I R E N E T. O R G
25 INDUSTRY
Consultants YOU SHOULD KNOW
O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E W I R E A S S O C I AT I O N I N T E R N AT I O N A L
F E AT U R E
Consultants This first-ever WJI feature presents 25 industry consulting firms from seven countries that collectively cover a wide range of industry focuses, with entries from production and technical experts to safety and starting up a new company in Latin America. In an industry facing continued loss of expertise from retirements, they can be a vital resource. It also includes thoughts from a related association.
Society of Professional Consultants: how to choose an expert The Society of Professional Consultants (SPC), a professional development organization for consultants, solo professionals and entrepreneurs, provides networking, mentoring and education for its members. Below, SPC President Rick Pollak shares his advice for companies seeking to choose the right person. For more details on SPC, go to www.spconsultants.org. See second item on p. 46. WJI: How does a manufacturer pick the best consultant? Pollak: Here’s an effective selection criteria to help you choose the best consultant for a project of any size, scope or sector. If you’re considering two or three consultants who have the same qualifications, ask them to submit both a written proposal and give an oral presentation to your team. You can determine the best fit for you by giving their proposals and presentations an “I” exam. WJI: What do you mean by “I” exam? Pollak: Be wary if the consultant overuses the word “I” throughout a proposal and presentation. Consultants often think the more they talk about their qualifications and successful projects, the higher their chances of getting chosen. Their submittals should focus on
44
your unique problem and how they can help you solve it. The more the consultant mentions “you” instead of “I,” the likelier it is that they’ll be a good choice. The “I” exam will give you a 20/20 view of who’s the best consultant for your project. WJI: What else should I look for? Pollak: The best consultants are good listeners. Your consultant should be asking you and your team detailed, open-ended questions about your situation. They shouldn’t offer you solutions until they’ve thoroughly researched the problem that you’re hiring them to solve. You should also look for a detailed statement of work that specifies what’s included in the project scope, what’s not, and the process to issue a change order for unexpected or additional consulting work.
W I R E J O U R N A L I N T E R N AT I O N A L M AY 2 0 2 1
Rick Pollak WJI: How can I make sure the consultant’s plan gets implemented? Pollak: Too many projects fail because of insufficient planning in getting your team to change from the status quo to the consultant’s recommendations. Make sure the consultant gives you a detailed implementation plan that extends past the time he or she finishes the project. The plan should give you guidance on how to convince everyone in your organization to go along with the recommended change. W W W. W I R E N E T. O R G
F E AT U R E
Doug & Carole Anton: quality certification partners, and more Our company, AEM Consulting Group, Inc., has 27 years of experience and expertise consulting in the operations side of businesses. Our clients are typically small to midsize, both public and private, in a wide range of industries including wire and cable, technology, aerospace, construction, energetic materials and EV batteries. We offer: • Development, implementation and maintenance of Quality and other Management Systems: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100 and others. We offer a range of practical tools to help customers. See p. 74. • Lean Enterprise process improvement utilizing: Kaizen, setup reduction, Kanban, continuous/1 piece flow, inventory and lead time reduction, and 5s. These methodologies are effective for manufacturing, warehousing, and office processes. • On-site/remote services include: compliance auditing, advisement, and education/training for management systems, lean enterprise, and internal auditing. Projects are customized to best fit a company’s particular needs. We use popular web conferencing platforms, and we maintain robust working relationships with customers by adhering to three attributes: 1. Respect. We listen carefully to our clients, learning about their organizations and their issues or concerns, treating all people in the company respectfully and with good cheer. 2. Perspective. We offer expertise and resources to help clients with timely and effective design and implementation. Experiences with diverse companies helps us discern how existing processes work and identify improvement opportunities when ISO standards or lean principles are applied. 3. Results. Collaborative, fixed fee projects with specific objectives and corresponding metrics ensure successful outcomes. We take responsibility for our projects, and rely on being prepared, focused and friendly with all concerned. This is true whether activities are done on-site or remotely.
Doug and Carole Anton AEM Consulting Group, Inc. Ashland, Oregon Tel: 541-488-0202 Cell: 541-441-0394 doug@aemconsulting.com anton@aemconsulting.com www.aemconsulting.com
Lloyd Askew: a wealth of electrical problem-solving experience Founded in 2009, my company, Lloyd Askew Consulting, provides a full range of technical and quality-focused services to suppliers, manufacturers and stakeholders in the wire and cable industry. I have more than 40 years of industry experience, but one thing that offers me a greater scope is that I held key positions at 10 different companies. I saw what worked and didn’t work, and have encountered just about every problem that could happen. My background: Lake Cable/quality and technical manager; Kalas Manufacturing/director of engineering; Judd Wire/engineering manager and R&D manager; Rockbestos/quality manager; Reynolds Metals/quality assurance and technology manager; Hendrix/process engineering manager and materials manager; Rome Cable/manager of process and facilities engineering; Prestolite/department superintendent; and C&M/quality engineer. What it taught me. I learned that difficult-to-solve problems often include elements from multiple causes. It takes a lot of experience and tools to identify, sort and analyze the major sources of problems. The most effective way to solve a process problem is to drill down to the core issue, and not simply treat the symptoms. I like to design experiments to assess the current process repeatability, consider the results, and from that determine the most effective way to correct shortcomings. I gather the facts, and any solution has to be both timely and economical. It may require a product redesign or testing process. One huge problem area I can definitely help with is out-of-control scrap numbers that result in lost profits, wasted time and dissatisfied customers. I can review the economics of your situation and develop lasting solutions to get your scrap numbers back under control. Beyond troubleshooting, a foundation of quality is essential. I can help implement and use ISO-9001, as well as industry-specific ISO/TS 16949 (automotive); AS9100 (aerospace); and ISO 13485 (medical) to improved opportunities and increased revenue. I am able to work remotely through Zoom/Video conferencing, as well as on-site.
W W W. W I R E N E T. O R G
Lloyd Askew Lloyd Askew Consulting Ludlow, Massachusetts Tel: 413-475-0686 lloyd_askew@ lloydaskewconsulting.com
M AY 2 0 2 1 W I R E J O U R N A L I N T E R N AT I O N A L
45
WIRE JOURNAL
®
INTERNATIONAL
FREE — SUBSCRIBE TODAY! Wire Journal International (WJI) is the leading technical publication for the wire and cable industry. SUBSCRIBE to the monthly publication FREE of charge!
ONLINE FORM
goo.gl/fzHdZ3 Company business type: (REQUIRED - SELECT ONE) WIRE & CABLE MANUFACTURING:
LAST NAME
FIRST NAME
M.I.
JOB TITLE
10 20 30 40 50 53 55 60
Aluminum & Aluminum Alloys (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire, Both ) Copper & Copper Alloys (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire, Both) Steel & Steel Alloys (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire, Both) Other Metal (Rod/Bar, Bare Wire, Both) Electrical Wire & Cable (Insulated Wire) Communications Wire & Cable (Insulated Wire) Fiber Optics Fasteners, Wire Forming, Fabricating, Springs
SUPPLIER TO THE WIRE & CABLE INDUSTRY: 72 Machinery 74 Process, Accessories, Materials
COMPANY
WIRE AND CABLE END USER: 11 Appliance, Transportation, Other Wire & Cable End User
BUSINESS OR PERSONAL
OTHER 80 90 91 92
CITY/TOWN
STATE
ZIP/POSTAL CODE
Service Centers, Distributors & Warehouses Consultants Student/Faculty Government, Library & Allied
Primary job function: (REQUIRED - SELECT ONE)
COUNTRY
PHONE
(include area code — when applicable include country and city code)
E-MAIL ADDRESS (REQUIRED)
10 20 30 40 50 60 90
General & Administrative Management Engineering/Operations/Production Technical/R&D/Quality Control Purchasing Sales & Marketing Student/Faculty Other (please specify): _________________________________________
YES! I wish to receive a FREE subscription to the Wire Journal International. Print Digital BOTH—Print & Digital
Scan & email or mail this form to The Wire Association International.
STREET ADDRESS/P.O. BOX
00 / 00 / 0000 DATE
2021
SIGNATURE (REQUIRED)