Look at your in-plant from an outsider’s point of view.

A new article in Ricoh’s Production Printing Resource Center encourages in-plant managers to look beyond the demanding rush of the day-to-day operations and view their in-plants with an objectivity that sees the big picture: how does the in-plant support the parent corporation or institution?

To get a clearer picture, writes Ricoh’s Greg Cholmondeley, look at your operation from an outsider’s point of view. Study it as if you were considering buying the shop, or perhaps as if it were a major competitor. Where are the strengths and weaknesses? What are the opportunities and threats? What seems to work well? Where are things not working as they should?

When you view your operation this way you can develop a fresh understanding without the explanations and excuses you may use to rationalize the way your existing operations have evolved. This gives you a new look at your strategy, along with insights into staffing, training, operational capabilities, flexibility, responsiveness to market conditions, and more.

Once you have this broader perspective, it’s time to dig deeper and examine your operation with respect to productivity, the ability to grow efficiently and how well prepared you are to take advantage of new opportunities.

Examine Your In-plant from an Outside Point of View