The Just Don't Get It!

In a matrixed organization, you rely on multiple functions that directly impact your ability to execute— and yet, they don't report to you. They have their own bosses, their own priorities, and their own scorecards. Still, their choices shape your ability to get it in run, keep it in run, at target speed. Planning is tasked with hitting forecast accuracy and inventory turns. Those goals are vital for the business, yet the strategies that protect them can disrupt product sequence and make it harder to stay in run. Quality is charged with protecting the customer and the brand. Standards are non-negotiable, but meeting them without collaboration can mean more downtime, slower speeds, or higher scrap—all of which erode your ability to keep it in run. Sourcing is rewarded for driving down material cost. That discipline is essential, but lower-cost materials can introduce runability issues that prevent the plant from “keeping it in run”. Sales is driven to win business and keep customers happy. Sometimes that means making commitments that stretch capacity or capability. Their success creates opportunity—but also headaches.

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