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Higher management ultimately makes the decision regarding the in-plant's future. Any reports to management must gain and hold its interest. Otherwise, you waste all the work you put into preparing the report. In our experiences, there is a strong probability that higher management has:
* A limited attention span in areas that it does not understand;
* An abhorrence for inaccurate data;
* A strong math ability, particularly when dollars are involved;
* Concerns about the organization's core product;
* A quick grasp of questionable statements;
* An excellent knowledge of what the competition is doing; and
* Bottom-line thinking.
Obviously, this means that in-plant managers will have a more difficult time with their presentations than the core-product managers.
Limited attention spans
Very few members of higher management understand what is involved in operating an in-plant. Thus, anything that is too technical will likely be "tuned out." Therefore, reports should minimize or avoid "technicalese." What does "This press has additional form rollers" mean to someone who hasn't a clue to what a form roller is? "This press provides greater ink coverage resulting in higher quality" has some meaning, but too much of this statement will result in lost interest. Management does understand "During the past year, we had two complaints about quality out of 9,214 jobs." Further enhance it with, "Both were reprinted to the complete satisfaction of both customers."
Also, try to keep each area short and pertinent.
PowerPoint presentations
Most executives have experience with PowerPoint presentations. However, according to some computer publications, a few organizations have banned them. If your organization has banned PowerPoint presentations, please skip to the next section.
When properly presented, PowerPoint presentations help to:
* Ensure attention;
* Let management know the inplant manager better; and
* Show current technology skills.
Inaccurate data
Remember that all data can be either verified or discounted as fallacious. If the latter holds true, then the credibility...