Ramp Up and ...

We have just entered the deepest crisis of our modern world. A disruptive scenario like this one had never happened to us before. So how can we emerge from this unprecedented crisis unscathed?

None of us are Mandrake or David Copperfield nor pundits of what’s next, but our guts feeling says to us “you better move fast, my friend”. Isn’t?

Over the past 30 years, I’ve been involved in many ramp-up programs especially on the way out of the crisis as was the one in 2008. What’s struck me the most? How we believed we were ready, acted irrationally, missed suppliers' risk and failed to deliver part of our ramp-up targets.

If we want pivot quickly and get out of this turbulent period stronger, we should consider these 7 essentials topics:

1. Build alternatives scenarii from the best to the worst one (including short, medium and long term actions) and the adequate required Dynamic Management for each of the scenario
2. Current facts observed and analyzed – balance the existing capacities with constraints to come.
3. Cash is King with no doubt, indeed. However, to adapt to the day after, identify what are the key strategic and operational priorities – necessary investments, key projects to be accelerated to deliver rapid results, necessary dematerialization and digitization ….
4. Reduce rapidly the cost structure to the activity – Adjust costs to keep EBITDA rate
5. Analyze the impact of the crisis on the sustainability of Clients and Strategic Suppliers and cherish all (good) ones
6. Adapt the organization to the market realities – The right people at the right place
7. Accelerate the Innovative ways of doing business

..... and in any case beside these considerations (as we mentioned in a previous article), the Ramp Up success will rely on our ability to execute.

About the author

INUO Strategy