How USC Consulting Group Accelerates Your Process Improvement Efforts
At USC Consulting Group, we’ve been empowering performance for more than 50 years. What does that mean?
It means we’re an operations management and process improvement firm that empowers your people and processes to achieve operational excellence.
The below graphic lays out our experience and the areas we specialize in:
Let’s look in more detail at how USC partners with you to accelerate and augment your process improvement efforts.
What we focus on
Operational excellence. We help clients define and implement a strategic approach to achieving and maintaining the highest levels of operational performance. It’s about eliminating waste, improving quality and ramping up productivity.
Process improvements. We look at your processes through the lens of efficiency and effectiveness. We identify bottlenecks that might be slowing down your workflow, assessing the “we’ve always done it this way” processes that every business has. We find that a fresh set of eyes on these types of long-held processes can yield more effective ways to achieve results.
Optimal efficiency. This is about the “well-oiled machine” factor. Everyone knows what that is, although it’s different for every company. It’s when you’re cooking and booking, churning and burning, and achieving the maximum throughput for your efforts.
Supply chain optimization. In the post-Covid era, we’re still seeing supply chain disruption and the headaches they cause. We help companies analyze their supply chain networks and spot inefficiencies and bottlenecks. Is there a supplier closer to home? Is it time to reshore? Can we improve procurement or logistics?
Change management. Many of the process changes we recommend involve new ways of doing things – perhaps significant changes. With training and development, strong communication and getting feedback and input from stakeholders, we can help companies embrace change for the better.
Asset Performance Management. At USC, we focus on getting the most out of the assets you already have. Heavy investments in new technology is not always necessary, especially if your old workhorses just need some care and feeding. Applying predictive maintenance to reduce unplanned downtime, usage that doesn’t cause more wear and tear than necessary, and processes to extend the lifecycle of the tools you rely on.
EBITDA improvement. This refers to a company’s Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization. Sounds like your worst day in the accountant’s office, right? But it’s really about helping clients look for cost-savings opportunities, revenue enhancement, and more. It’s also about everything else we do – productivity improvement, asset management, operational efficiency, cost reduction and more.
How we do it
How do we enhance our clients’ operations? We’re experts in process improvement methodologies and tools, like:
Lean Six Sigma. LSS is a combination of two powerful methodologies, Lean, which focuses on limiting waste in a process, and Six Sigma, which focuses on increasing quality.
Sales, Inventory, and Operations Planning (SIOP). In a nutshell, SIOP aligns sales, inventory and operations planning functions to improve demand forecasting, efficiency, supply chain performance and more.
Employee Involvement Prototype Process. One of the cornerstone techniques USC uses to validate and measurably implement changes to elements of the MOS with full client personnel engagement. Your employees are the most vital components to every project, especially the workers in the trenches on the shop floor or production site. We involve them every step of the way.
System Reviews. We do a comprehensive analysis of your systems, processes, procedures and more. System Reviews tell the story of a company’s process and depicts the future state MOS with the deficiencies from current state corrected. It shows the flow of data, actionable information and decision-making points in a closed loop environment.
LINCS advanced reporting tools. The Lean Information Control System (LINCS) is a state-of-the-art software application that facilitate fact-based decision making from the shop floor to the boardroom. It includes modules for advanced planning, manufacturing and logistics, value stream mapping, scheduling, inventory analysis and more. Operators are able to see and evaluate their work as it takes place, while executives and managers are better equipped to prioritize activities based on accurate, actionable information.
AI, Machine Learning, and Predictive Analytics. Much like Netflix’s use of predictive analytics created a seismic shift in consumer expectations, this new technology is transforming operating procedures and processes. Predictive analytics helps companies better understand what’s occurring in any given process, refine and optimize processes, and more. But, it also needs the human touch. People aren’t getting replaced by the bots in this area any time soon. To learn more, download our free eBook: AI and Machine Learning: Predicting the Future.
Our 55-plus years of experience covers a wide variety of industries, including:
- Mining & Metals
- Food & Beverage
- Manufacturing
- Building Products
- Automotive
- Pulp & Paper
- Life Sciences
- Oil & Gas
- Utilities & Energy
- …And many more
We have a defining principle to our approach that guides every project. We do not swoop in and tell companies how to do it better.
We are partners in the process. We work with your team to implement the changes at the point of execution.
We listen to what makes your company tick, observe your current operations, get a handle on the issues, involve your frontline employees in the process, and implement a plan for change.
We play the long game, delivering results our clients can maintain for years to come. We don’t have our 98% customer satisfaction rating for nothing.
That’s how USC Consulting Group empowers YOUR performance.
