The Capex Trap
Your factory is maxed out. Orders are delayed. Your instinct is to buy another expensive machine or build a new shed. But wait. Often, the bottleneck isn't the machine capacity; it's the process inefficiency. Before you spend crores on expansion, you should consider digital transformation for manufacturing SMEs and Lean principles.
The "Gemba" Walk
Lean Manufacturing experts start with a "Gemba" walk walking the shop floor to see where value is created and where it is wasted. They see things you miss because you are too close to it. Workers walking 10 minutes a day to get tools? That's waste. Inventory piling up between stations? That's cash tied up. Changeover times taking 4 hours? That's lost production. A virtual COO for hire can often spot these issues remotely by analyzing your production data.
Optimization Before Expansion
By reorganizing the floor layout, implementing 5S (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain), and balancing the line, a Lean consultant can often squeeze 30-40% more output from your *existing* assets. It turns out you didn't need a new building; you just needed a new perspective. Efficiency is the cheapest form of capital you can access.