Practical guides for operations and finance leaders.
Short, specific write-ups on what the problems in manufacturing, distribution and field service really cost, how to measure them, and how to decide on AI with confidence. Useful whether or not you ever use AI Station.
- Manufacturing
3 min read
How to find your biggest production losses in 30 days
A practical 30-day method for small and mid-sized plants to measure OEE, record downtime properly and find the one loss worth fixing first, without new software.
- Field service
3 min read
What an AI dispatcher should and shouldn't do
A practical guide for service companies with 5–50 technicians: which dispatching tasks to hand to AI, which to keep human, and how to measure the result.
- Purchasing and supply
3 min read
How to stop material shortages from stopping your line
A practical method for small and mid-sized plants to see material shortages days ahead: track three dates per order, measure cover against the real schedule, and run a short daily shortage list.
- Manufacturing
3 min read
What unplanned downtime really costs a plant (it's more than the machine rate)
Most plants undercount downtime by pricing it at the machine's hourly rate. The real cost includes lost margin, idle crews, overtime, expediting and penalties. Here is how to count it.
- Manufacturing
3 min read
Five questions a board should ask about plant reliability
Plant reliability affects margin, delivery and safety, yet it rarely reaches the board in useful form. Five questions for executives to ask operations leaders, and what a good answer sounds like.
- Distribution and supply
3 min read
The cash hiding in your inventory: a finance lead's guide to stock on hand
Inventory is often the largest use of cash in a distribution or manufacturing business. How to measure what stock costs to hold, where the cash is trapped, and what to check before the next buying cycle.
- Distribution and supply
3 min read
Expediting is a margin tax: the true cost of rush orders and emergency freight
Rush orders and emergency freight look like a service cost, but they are usually a planning problem with a price tag. How to measure expediting, find its causes and reduce it.
- Field service
3 min read
First-time fix rate: the service metric that decides your margin
First-time fix rate shows how often a technician resolves a job on the first visit. How to define and calculate it, why it drives margin, and what to change first.
- Field service
3 min read
Before you automate dispatch: a readiness checklist for service company owners
Automated dispatch works when the basics are in place. A readiness checklist covering job data, technician profiles, written rules and approvals, to check before you add AI to scheduling.
- Leadership and governance
3 min read
Approving your first AI tool: a governance checklist for Canadian leaders
Before approving an AI tool, leaders should know what data it uses, who approves its actions and what happens when it is wrong. A practical checklist for Canadian businesses, including Quebec's rules on automated decisions.
- Leadership and governance
3 min read
Why every AI pilot needs a number agreed before it starts
Many AI pilots end with a good demo and no decision. Agreeing one measurable outcome, a baseline and a stop rule before the pilot starts is how leaders get a clear yes or no.
Tell us what's costing you money.
Describe one problem that happens every week. We reply within two business days with whether we can help and how a pilot would measure it.