"Blind spots on-site" in private enterprise business management: The farther away from the workshop, the closer the problems are
I. The office dependence of business departments: Using reports to replace on - site inspections and discussions to replace observations
The longer one stays in a private enterprise, the easier it is to discover a common problem - the decision - making logic of business departments is often based on "imaginations in the office". The sales department calculates growth by staring at the order volume in Excel, but never realizes that it takes 4 hours to change the model in the workshop. Only after signing an urgent order do they find that they can't meet the delivery deadline. The procurement department tries to cut costs by bargaining with suppliers based on the quotation sheets, but has never seen the steel they bought break during the stamping process, which causes the reject rate to soar from 3% to 15%. The technical department modifies the design while holding CAD drawings, but can't operate the numerical control machines on the production line. Only when the drawings are put into production do they find that "this arc simply can't be processed".
Even more typical is the "pointless discussion" in the meeting room: The production department says "the production capacity is insufficient", while the planning department says "there is no problem with production scheduling". The two sides argue heatedly until they are red in the face, yet no one is willing to take a look at the workshop. In fact, the employees of two production lines have been transferred. The skilled workers have gone to the new line, and the efficiency of the old line has dropped by 20%. All the claims of "incompetent people" that can be argued out in the office essentially stem from "failing to go to the site to see the truth".
II. The "Transmission and Deformation Chain" of Information: Each additional layer of retelling adds an extra layer of lies
Information is the foundation of management, but information divorced from the on - site situation is essentially a "second - hand processed product". For example, when the workshop reports that "there is a shortage of 100 pieces of Material A", it becomes "the supplier has not delivered the goods" when it reaches the purchasing department, and "the supply chain is about to collapse" when it reaches the general manager. However, the actual situation is that Material A is piled up at the innermost part of the workshop shelf and the employees just haven't seen it.
Another example is that the quality department reports that "today's product hardness is unqualified". The technical department analyzes that "it's a problem with the process parameters". But when they touch the barrel wall of the extruder on - site, they find that the cooling water valve is not fully opened, and the temperature is 5℃ higher than the standard. Every time the information is passed on, a layer of "subjective judgment" will be added. The production department, afraid of taking responsibility, will say that "the supplier didn't deliver" instead of "they didn't look for the materials themselves". The technical department, afraid of trouble, will say that "it's a process problem" instead of "it's an equipment problem". Only by going to the site, observing with eyes, touching with hands and measuring with instruments can we get the "unfiltered truth".
III. The essence of on - site management: Manage the "dynamic flow", not the "static resources"
Many people think that "on-site management" means "managing the things on-site", which is actually incorrect. The core of the on-site is "flow": people are flowing (temporary job transfers), materials are flowing (from the warehouse to the production line and then to the finished products), and information is flowing (the production volume is updated every 10 minutes). In essence, managing the on-site means "following the flow".
For example, at 8 a.m., you need to go to the assembly line to check the material rhythm: Can the materials from the previous process be delivered exactly once every 10 minutes? If they arrive early, they will pile up beside the workstation and take up space; if they arrive late, the employees will wait for the materials. At 12 p.m., you need to go to the packaging line to check the personnel allocation: Currently, 3 people can package 100 pieces per hour. If you add 1 more person, can the output reach 150 pieces? Or will it become slower due to the limited space? At 10 p.m., you need to go to the night shift to check the equipment temperature: Is the bearing temperature of the cold rolling mill above 70°C? Since no one monitors it during the night shift, a high temperature may burn the motor.
Everything on-site is "dynamically changing." There is no "once-and-for-all report," only "unceasing follow-up steps" — what you see as "normal" today may turn into "abnormal" tomorrow due to employee leave, damp materials, or equipment aging.
IV. The Right Approach of Management by Walking Around: Wear Problem-Solving Glasses and Look for Variation Signals
"Visiting the site" is not "strolling around the workshop". Instead, it means looking for "abnormalities" with "standards" in mind. You need to know "what normal looks like" first before you can tell "where the abnormalities are".
For example, if the normal cycle time of the production line is 12 seconds per piece and it becomes 15 seconds today, you need to squat down and observe: Is it because the employees' gloves are too slippery, causing them to screw the bolts more slowly? Or is it that the conveyor belt is off - track and needs adjustment? For example, if the normal stacking limit of materials is "no more than 2 boxes" and there are 5 boxes stacked today, you need to ask: Is it because the speed of the previous process has increased? Or is the machine in the subsequent process broken? For example, if the normal amount of aluminum chips in the scrap box is 10 catties per day and it is 20 catties today, you need to feel the temperature of the aluminum chips: Is it because the cutting tool is worn, generating more heat during cutting?
After noticing an abnormality, one should "trace it back to the very root"—for example, if more aluminum chips are found, don't ask "Why are there so many defective products?" but ask "Why does the cutting tool wear out quickly?" "Is it because the material of the cutting tool has changed? Or is the concentration of the cutting fluid insufficient?" "Why is the concentration of the cutting fluid insufficient?" "Did the employee who adds the fluid forget to add it? Or is the metering pump broken?"—by asking three consecutive "whys", one can dig out the "root cause" from the "phenomenon".
V. The "On - site Password" of Quality Management: Make Front - line Employees Become the "First Sensors"
When we produce aluminum profiles, the most troublesome thing is "process variation during continuous production". A temperature fluctuation of 0.5℃ in the extrusion line can cause the product hardness to fail to meet the standard. In the past, quality inspectors measured the temperature once an hour. However, often the temperature would rise right after the measurement. By the next inspection, 100 meters of substandard products had already been produced.
Later, we changed our approach: We transformed "quality inspector inspections" into "first feedback from employees". Since the assembly line workers can sense the rising temperature just by touching the outer wall of the extrusion cylinder, and can tell if there is abnormal pressure by listening to the sound of the extruder. We trained the employees: "When you find the cylinder wall hotter than usual or hear an abnormal 'buzzing' sound from the machine, don't wait for the quality inspector. Press the alarm button immediately."
So, what was the result? The abnormal response time was shortened from 1 hour to 5 minutes, and the scrap rate decreased by 35%. Frontline employees are actually the most sensitive sensors on - site. This is because they are in constant contact with products, equipment, and materials. What managers need to do is to transform their intuitions into transmittable signals.
VI. The Hidden Value of On-Site Management: Turn Management into Something Alive While Walking Around
Many people think that "on-site management" is about "solving problems", but in fact, its value goes far beyond that. It is "the shortest path for transmitting management instructions", "the best classroom for cultivating employees' problem awareness", and "the optimal field for training managers' systematic thinking".
For example, if you see an employee arranging the materials neatly on - site, you can praise them on the spot: "By arranging them like this, colleagues in the next process can save 2 minutes. This is efficiency." - This is more effective than posting 10 posters about "sorting and straightening". If you see an employee not wearing protective gloves, you can pick up the gloves and say: "Last time, Xiao Wang didn't wear gloves and got his hand scratched by a burr and had to rest for three days. We need to protect ourselves." - This is more impressive than holding a "safety meeting".
Another example is when you lead your employees to find problems: "Look, are the cracks on this workpiece all in the same position?" The employee says, "Yes, I noticed it yesterday but didn't pay attention." You say, "Let's check together. Is it possible that this part of the mold is worn out?" ——Next time when the employee sees the cracks again, they will actively touch the mold.
Managers' "systems thinking" is also developed on-site: When solving a quality problem, you need to consider "man (whether employees know how to operate), machine (if there are any problems with the equipment), material (if there are any changes in the raw materials), method (if the process has been adjusted), environment (if the temperature in the workshop has risen)" - instead of simply blaming "employees for not being serious", you should look for answers in the "system".
Conclusion: On-site management means "using your footsteps instead of your mouth"
All management problems of private enterprises will ultimately come back to the "site" - the closer you are to the site, the closer you are to the root cause of the problem; the more frequently you visit, the higher the management efficiency will be.
There are no "on-site problems that can be solved while sitting in the office," and no "truths about the production line that can be clarified through discussions." Good management has never been about "making hasty decisions while sitting in the meeting room," but rather about "squatting in the workshop to look at the materials at one's feet," "standing beside the production line to listen to the sound of the machines," and "holding the employees' hands to teach them how to find problems."
The essence of on-site management is to "plant the roots of management in the soil of the workshop".