Connecting the Dots
When envisioning the need for new construction, funding and how to design such a facility can be difficult as to the best pathway to take to maximize your overall operational processes. These challenges can certainly be overwhelming.
Whenever expansion needs arise (commercial warehouse to increase operational space) or a secondary healthcare storage area (centralize collection point which will allow you to bulk purchase to reduce healthcare costs) you need outside help. There are five specific areas that most facilities cannot seem to get beyond when interning project design phasing.
YOU SIMPLY DON'T HAVE BUCKETS OF MONEY AVAILABLE
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Challenge #1 - how to select the best design that will save funding and increase future efficiencies. Without a doubt, saving operational costs is directly associated with your design approach. If your design is poor, your facility will not be profitable. But what factors make up design? It begins during pre-schematic phasing, where vision must be transformed into reality. To do so, you must go beyond Best Practices / Lean Design / Carbon Footprint and begin to think outside the box when it comes to designs: available floor space / type of equipment needed / manpower requirements / functional processes. You must Connect the Dots to look at the larger picture!​
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Challenge #2 - finding ways to extend the life of your assets (asset management). The first condition to addressed: (a) future growth capabilities within your four walls; (b) how specific equipment technologies can increase your capabilities. Today many facilities depend on the Architectural Firms to develop a short-list of qualified manufactures; most of which have appeared on short-lists previously, but their abilities to determine proper design functionalities are based on limitations within your budget. Would it not be better to outsource this requirement to an independent / non-bias consulting firm for proper vetting that will save you money by maximizing design concepts that will meet your future demands. Salesman will talk a good talk and sell you what you think you need. Acceptance their suggestions will not offer long-term sustainability. Most designs have build-in limitations to guarantee and lock in priority equipment (higher costs to expand). Connecting the Dots properly design your future needs.​
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Challenge #3 - the ability to get more work done with fewer resources. Manpower (project labor shortages and increased operational costs) and lack of asset control (assets management) is critical to success. You can minimize costs through the purchase of automated processes, thus save money (the right equipment doing the job requires someone who knows industrial standards and functional capabilities).​
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Challenge #4 - making changes without having all the facts and / or lack of staff buy-in for execution. Most facilities do not control processes - processes control them. They are not where of the many resources out there to assist them. WMS (Warehouse Management Software) was designed specifically to control SKUs levels, but who do you trust to purchase the correct software? An independent consultant can vet all functional processes to ensure you make know the differences between vendors (true vetting not having guesswork as a factor).​
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Challenge #5 - Vendor Management (GPOs in Healthcare or Preferred Providers in an industry environment) will certainly offer materials in a timely fashion, but at what cost? Costs for material acquisitions are a direct function of purchasing volume levels; the greater the volume the less it costs. Software, equipment, inventory levels, and personnel needs must be a seamless operation to be truly efficient. When others control your operational levels and / or software design you become co-dependent and not controlling your future.
CONNECTING THE DOTS IS CRITICAL TO MEET TOMORROW'S NEEDS