SAFETY IN NUMBERS?

You know what’s working. You’re seeing improvement opportunities from automation and other initiatives. You’re even able to predict problems before they have an impact on productivity, quality or performance. And then, in come the accountants with their crude, elementary operational measures, questioning your performance. No one would listen to them…except they are speaking about the company’s financial results.

The accountants tell you the way costs are calculated. They don’t answer your questions, you get nowhere. You know you’ve done the right things operationally, so why won’t they take a different and very logical look at what is going on? This situation is very common. Logical cause and effect insights aren’t going to win the day with accountants focused on external financial statements, especially not in the short term. The accountants have a job to do, and it requires following financial statement rules, even if they fly in the face of logic… and frequently good sense.

The question is, how can you change the game over the longer term to better align operational and financial metrics? The Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) International is a worldwide not-for-profit community of manufacturing companies, information technology hardware and software suppliers, systems integrators, consulting service providers, analysts, editors, academics and students. The combined purpose is to improve business results and production operations through information technology and best management practices.