Operations consulting for manufacturing
Connect operating performance with the growth the business needs.
Late deliveries, excess inventory and constant escalation can signal problems across the whole operation. Duggan works with manufacturing leaders to design how work moves, decide what needs to change and support the workforce in putting that design into practice.
Discuss your operating challengeWhat working with Duggan looks like
Where we start
Begin with the business requirement
Discuss what the operation needs to enable: reliable delivery, additional demand, a production transfer or recovery from repeated disruption. We connect that objective with the operating constraints and improvement work already underway, then identify a practical starting scope.
What we do together
Define the work that will change it
Agree the combination of flow design, education, facility planning and implementation support that the challenge requires. The proposal identifies deliverables, responsibilities and the support cadence. Experienced consultants and Operations Engineers can add capacity alongside your own workforce.
What this can enable
Delivery that supports opportunity
Build a more connected operating system with visible priorities and responses. The aim is reliable execution and a clearer view of capacity, so leaders can spend less time expediting and more time on customers, new products and growth.
Scope, deliverables and success measures are agreed around your operation.
Begin with the operating problem
Delivery is unpredictable
Work moves between engineering, fabrication, assembly and support functions, but the connections do not reliably support the customer promise.
Capacity is hard to judge
The plant is busy, yet leaders cannot clearly see how product mix, shared resources and demand constrain output.
Growth adds complexity
New products, acquisitions or expansion change the requirements of the operating system.
Improvement does not hold
Individual initiatives make progress, but daily execution still depends on management intervention.
What makes Duggan different
Give the improvement work a defined destination
Design how customer delivery will work
Product families, customer demand, capacity and shared resources shape the future-state design. This Customer Delivery System connects work from order through production and delivery, so changes serve an agreed operating purpose.
Make the operating rules practical
Mixed-model and shared-resource flow methods address the variety in manufacturing. People learn how work is released, what moves next, and how to recognize normal and abnormal flow.
Build capability through education and application
Duggan teaches the concepts and supports their use in the operation. Defined responsibilities and responses help the workforce sustain the design and create more leadership time for growth.
Start with a conversation about your specific need. An operations consultant can help connect the business objective with the flow, capability and implementation work it requires.
Define the right scope
The initial discussion connects the business objective to operating conditions. That may lead to value stream design, lean implementation, facility and flow design or a focused operating capability need. The method follows the problem and the scope agreed with the client.
Executive perspective
What must the operation enable: more dependable delivery, capacity for growth, a production transfer or leadership time to develop the business?
Operations perspective
Where does work wait? How are priorities set? Which handoffs, resources and missing inputs make the schedule unstable?
From operating design to daily practice
A future-state design gives the implementation a clear destination. Training and hands-on support help people understand how the design works, recognize abnormal conditions and apply defined responses.
Scope can include mapping product families and flows, developing the future state, planning changes and supporting implementation. Deliverables, responsibilities and timing are agreed for the engagement.
Add capacity to implement the change
Duggan can add implementation capacity through Senior Associates and Operations Engineers. Support is tailored to the pace of change and the work your operation can absorb, from periodic coaching to more intensive on-site involvement. Responsibilities and availability are agreed in the scope.
This can include design workshops, employee education, implementation planning and on-site support. The proposal sets the outputs and cadence. Consulting support and an embedded interim leadership appointment are separately scoped services.
Explore the relevant service
- Lean consulting and implementation — connect improvement work with an operating design.
- Value stream design — define how work will flow end to end.
- Facility and flow design — translate operating requirements into physical layout.
- High-mix manufacturing — address product variety and shared resources.
- Interim operations leadership — discuss a temporary leadership role.
Examples from Duggan engagements
Engagement example
Industrial manufacturing: connect flow with growth
The engagement connected manufacturing, quoting, logistics and supplier flow.
The published case reports 30% more quotes per day and 75% less quote-processing time. These measures relate to the quoting process.
Read the case study →Examples relate to the stated engagements. Outcomes depend on the starting conditions, scope and implementation.
Questions about the engagement
How do we decide which service we need?
Start with the business objective and the operating problem. The first conversation helps distinguish flow-design needs, physical layout changes, implementation capacity and a temporary leadership gap.
What do we receive?
The proposal defines the relevant outputs, which may include product-family analysis, current and future-state designs, implementation planning, education and on-site support. The scope follows the operating need.
How long does consulting take?
Design and implementation are separate phases. Timing depends on the number of value streams, operating complexity and the pace of change the business can support. The scope sets milestones and the support cadence.
Can we add implementation capacity?
Yes. Senior Associates and Operations Engineers can provide education and practical support alongside your people. Responsibilities and availability are agreed for the engagement.
Let’s discuss the operating challenge
Tell us what the business needs to achieve, where delivery or implementation is struggling and what the organization has already tried.
Use the enquiry form below to start the conversation.
Let's talk about your challenge.
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Email thealey@dugganinc.com or call +1 (401) 601-7286 and we'll respond within 2 business days.