The challenge: ambition without a daily operating framework
The manufacturer had capable people and clear goals, but lacked the management framework to translate them into daily execution. People wore multiple hats, roles were unclear, escalation was informal and recurring production issues remained unresolved because no one owned a disciplined response loop.
Leadership needed more than someone to keep the operation running. It needed an embedded operator who could establish structure quickly, coach frontline leaders and turn what the team needed to do into a workable system for how to do it.
Engagement at a glance
Three tiers
One meeting cadence connecting frontline teams, production leadership and support.
24-hour actions
A practical accountability loop for the next business day.
First two weeks
Strong client feedback on the pace, drive and quality of the work.
What Duggan did
Duggan embedded an interim Director of Operations inside the client team to establish a practical daily management system.
- Connected the operation through three meeting tiers. Frontline teams, production leadership and plant support worked around shared daily priorities and 24-hour actions.
- Built Leader Standard Work. Production and support leaders defined what effective leadership looked like each day and week.
- Facilitated problem-solving at the source. Vague discussions became clear problem statements, sequenced actions and decisions the team could close.
Implementation: making accountability practical
A tiered meeting system
Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 meetings connected direct labor, team leads, plant leadership and support functions. Discussions followed a common structure covering people, equipment, material, schedule, escalations, maintenance, quality and urgent actions.
A 24-hour accountability loop
Whiteboard actions were limited to items that could be completed by the following business day. Longer-term issues were broken into immediate next steps, creating momentum instead of an unresolved backlog.
Leader Standard Work and coaching
The work began with production leaders, defining the behaviors, daily tasks and weekly checks that make team leads effective. Weekly submission and review of standard work were supported by one-to-one coaching and training plans to close skill gaps.
Structured resolution of chronic issues
When meetings became stuck in debate, the embedded leader helped define the real problem, sequence the required actions and close issues through follow-up decisions. Practical blockers included labor clocking logic, inventory control and FIFO rules that did not match the physical reality on the floor.
Results: control today, capability for tomorrow
- Leadership confidence and trust built quickly. Within the first two weeks, client feedback praised the pace, drive and quality of the work.
- A daily operating rhythm was established. Informal communication and reactive escalation gave way to a defined cadence, visible priorities and one-day action closure.
- Management capability was being built, not rented. Team leads and support functions began creating and using Leader Standard Work, with training and coaching designed to leave the client stronger after the engagement.
Why it worked
The engagement created a repeatable system for communication, accountability and decision-making. Issues became visible in the right forum, leaders received coaching in role clarity and follow-through, and actions were framed to be completed rather than left to drift.
The value of an embedded Director of Operations was the structure and operating rhythm brought to what the client already had in place. It helped the business move beyond maintaining the status quo.
We design a customer delivery system that enables Operational Excellence, then transfer the capability so your team can run it daily.