Start Smart, Finish Strong: Forging Your Path to Operational Excellence and Long-Term Success in the Manufacturing World

Most manufacturers are good enough at many aspects of their business, but surprisingly few are excellent at what matters most. In fact, all manufacturers can still do better at their most critical competencies. How can your company improve and grow?Start Smart, Finish Strong helps you answer that question—and then gives you practical ways to achieve true transformation at your company. For over 25 years, Rebecca Morgan has helped manufacturers leverage their resources to be more successful. Along the way, she has discovered the behaviors, capabilities, and best practices that drive excellence in manufacturing.In this landmark book, Morgan shares 58 powerful strategies to help any manufacturer dramatically improve. Follow Morgan’s expert advice—on everything from effective leadership to supply chain management—and you’ll forge your own path to operational excellence and long-term success. This practical guide to manufacturing offers key insights about how to:•Develop an effective leadership strategy and strong strategic vision•Achieve operational excellence and implement lean manufacturing•Master your supply chain and create a problem-solving culture•Harness the power of data and embrace new technologies•Define a powerful competitive advantage and plan for the future

Growing and processing poultry. Forecasting interest rates. Making macaroni and cheese. Producing state-of-the-art blades and vanes for the high temperature / high pressure sections of jet engines. Becky Morgan succeeded in each of those industries as she quickly learned how to see and leverage commonalities and distinctions. After those 14 years in the corporate world, she founded her consulting business in 1990. For the past 26 years she has transformed operations, transforming business for manufacturers in a broad spectrum of operational environments. Process, discrete, and job shops. Consumer and industrial. Chemicals, metals, plastics, rubber, electronics, precious stones, ceramics, assembly and more. And she loves them all! Her thought leadership is expressed through consulting, writing, and speaking—the Johnny Appleseed of manufacturing operations strategy.  In addition to her books Strategic Profits and Start Smart, Finish Strong: Forging Your Path to Operational Excellence and Long-Term Success in the Manufacturing World, Morgan has published hundreds of articles in highly regarded journals like INC Magazine, IndustryWeek, Target, and the American City Business Journals. Her expertise has been tapped by journalists for articles published in The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Business Week, Wired and a wide variety of industry publications, and on local and national radio programs. Becky has degrees in Economics and completed post-graduate work in Business Administration. She is Board Approved in Operations Management by the Society for Advancement of Consulting, is certified as a Fellow by The Association for Operations Management (APICS) and was awarded Lifetime member status of the Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME). She is also a member of the esteemed Summit Global Network-a network of top global boutique consulting and advisory firms. While accomplishing all that, Becky always makes time for sports, motorcycle riding, and world-wide travel. Work-life balance is her existence, not just a goal.