You use off-shore suppliers, and work with them on a regular basis. You know that it’s important to keep up the ‘personal touch’ throughout the chain, but you also know how costly and time-consuming that can be…
If you use off-shore suppliers, or have an off-shore facility, you are aware how difficult it is to justify a visit to their location for a ‘minor’ event –

–>provide training to your suppliers on Root Cause/Corrective Action, SPC, or other quality tools courses;

–> closure of a nonconformance or corrective action you’ve issued to them;

–> a quality or environmental audit; supplier certification of a new product;

–> to verify that changed procedures have been implemented;

–> characterization of a new process;

–> qualification of remote personnel;

–> tracking down a yield issue;

–> ensuring changes are being done throughout the supply chain;

and more…

The travel expense of these trips, in addition to the overhead and salary costs to send one of your personnel, makes these trips prohibitive on a frequent basis.
Responding to customer requests, The McDonald Consulting Group developed a service to answer your needs - scheduled trips to Asia to investigate our clients’ unique problems or issues for you. The McDonald Consulting Group can save on costs vs. sending over an employee.

The McDonald Consulting Group employs experienced professionals to work hand-in-hand with your personnel to understand the issues. We sign confidentiality agreements with each client to ensure that we are protecting your assets. Our 5 step process includes:

1) Consultation with each client individually to understand exactly what you’d like us to address while there; and to understand current and previous issues you may have had with EACH supplier. This in-depth pre-trip interview is the tool to highlight areas and review past actions and performance, and typically take 90-120 minutes/supplier. This is done in person or via phone with your personnel, approximately 4-7 weeks prior to the trip.

2) We agree on a layout of a remote visit schedule, including an agenda that will be sent to each supplier/remote facility. There should be no surprises when we get there; our hosts should know why we are coming and what information and data we are looking for. If we have multiple requests to visit the same supplier, we will treat each meeting as unique (no information from customer A is covered or reported on to customer B).

3) Visit to accomplish agenda and gather information. We can also provide an objective set of eyes to provide evaluation of undocumented requests from you, such as “how is contamination control in the facility?” or “are they really following protocol for ESD?” “How is the supply chain working?”

4) We will leave a report with each supplier in the form of a formal facility visit report, which details both the positive areas and areas where we note nonconformance, noncompliance, or findings; we also document opportunities for improvement to provide information for their continual improvement efforts; and note best practices in the facility. This report is sent to the remote facility and to you immediately after the site visit.

5) Finally, we provide a more detailed customer debrief to you, detailing who we met, what we saw, and capturing our observations. This report also details important info that is outside the scope of the formal report visit, and is your “boots on the ground” intelligence report.

We have the ability to devote time to your unique issues, and work with your engineering, environmental, quality, safety/health, and production personnel to address your concerns at these remote locations, acting as your agent at the supplier or remote facility site.

Let the McDonald Consulting Group help you conserve you time and money. By combining trips for more than one client, we are able to save on travel expenses (both fiscal and time); more importantly, we perform a comprehensive investigation of your concern while freeing up your personnel from exhausting travel and remote location support, allowing them to work on other issues while the one in question is being handled remotely for you.

Contact us today for more information or to reserve your project for our upcoming trip: info@mcdcg.com. Our next trips are planned for January, 2008 - Seoul and Singapore [fully booked - taking no more clients in 1/08]; May 2008 (to Shanghai and Shenzhen; third location TBD based on customer demand); July 2008 (3 Locations: TBD based on customer demand - not Beijing![Olympic Games]); September 2008 (Shenzhen, Taiwan, and Shanghai) [fully booked - taking no more clients in 9/08]; new dates added - November 2008 (locations TBD).
5 Reasons to Choose The McDonald Consulting Group (McDCG) for your Supply Chain/Remote Facility Needs:
More Efficient – You Keep Your Resources Close to Home
Cost Effective – Low Overhead Costs
Dedicated Personnel - Assigned to Meet Your Unique Requirements
Customized Solutions – Tailored Services to Meet Your Needs
Great Value and Customer Service – 100% Customer Satisfaction

Business Processes

Engineering Tools

Management Systems

Management Tools

Auditing Remote Facilities

Courses

State of Texas Information Services Offerings

Six Sigma is a management philosophy, first developed at Motorola, which emphasizes setting extremely high objectives, collecting data, and analyzing results as a way to reduce defects in products and services. The Greek letter sigma is used here to denote variation from a standard. The philosophy behind Six Sigma is to systematically eliminate defects in a process in order to get as close to perfection as possible. In order for a company to achieve Six Sigma, it cannot produce more than 3.4 defects per million opportunities. (Source: Definition of “six sigma” copyrighted and used with permission of whatis.com (http://www.whatis.com/) and TechTarget Inc.)

There are two Six Sigma processes: Six Sigma DMAIC and Six Sigma DMADV. Six Sigma DMAIC is a process that Defines, Measures, Analyzes, Improves, and Controls existing processes that fall below the Six Sigma specification. The Six Sigma DMADV (Design for Six Sigma - DFSS) process is slightly different, in that it Defines, Measures, Analyzes, Designs, and Verifies new processes or products that are trying to achieve Six Sigma quality. All Six Sigma processes are executed by individuals who are trained in process improvement tools, often termed Six Sigma Green Belts or Six Sigma Black Belts, and Six Sigma Master Black Belts. These terms are taken from martial arts to signify the individual’s level of expertise, and were originally used by Motorola.

Six Sigma proponents claim that its benefits include:

** up to 50% process cost reduction,
** cycle-time improvement,
** less material waste,
** a better understanding of customer requirements,
** increased customer satisfaction, and
** more reliable products and services.

It is acknowledged that Six Sigma can be costly to implement and can take several years before a company begins to see bottom-line improvements. (Source: Definition of “six sigma” copyrighted and used with permission of whatis.com (http://www.whatis.com/) and TechTarget Inc.)

Many of the tools used by Six Sigma practitioners can be implemented without implementing a full Six Sigma program.

TIme Balance ™ is a simple program that allows you to analyze your Outlook calendar via our Excel program, to determine where you spend your time vs. where you should be spending your time. When you answer a few simple questions about your highest priority issues, and provide your Outlook calendar, we’ll do the analysis and also provide you with a personalized list of actions to take - immediately - to gain back time in your day.

And who can’t use some additional time in their day?

Course: Introductory Management Skills
This three day course gives each attendee the tools to become a high-performing manager/supervisor. Our course not only explores what our definition of “better” manager is, we give you the skills you need in order to improve you skills - no matter what your level of expertise is. This modular course works with new managers and supervisors to help them to develop the critical skills they need in order to become the best they can be.

Course: Rewards and Recognition – The Path to Retention
This one day course reviews the drivers that motivates employees, and provides some general information on how these drivers change by gender and generations. What motivates a mature workforce is different than what motivates a Gen Xer. This course will give you insight to these differences so that you can design a rewards and recognition package that aids in employee loyalty and retention.

Course: Seven Intelligences and how to bring out the best in employees
Seven Intelligences and how to acknowledge these to bring out the best in employees is based on the work by Dr. Howard Gardner, who first developed the notion of different intelligences.

Do you have a franchise or distributorship? Would you like coaching to make that business more profitable?

Our Franchise/Distributorship Support program is designed to help you optimize the time you are spending working on your business vs. the time you are spending working in your business. We can help you set aside time in your busy schedule to make your calls, get your training, and bring along others into the business.

Contact us today to get more info on our program - info@mcdcg.com

Course: Teamwork and Teambuilding
Teamwork and Teambuilding focuses on allowing each team member to become a contributing and important part of the team. This course also focuses on leadership and shared leadership within each team to make it an ideal source of information for improving individual leadership skills in a team setting.

Course: Internal Quality Auditor Workshop
This interactive, three-day workshop covers all elements of ISO 9001:2000, including changes to the new editions where applicable. During this workshop attendees learn through examples, through hands-on experience, and role playing, to emphasize the basic clauses of the standard. We also cover how to effectively audit to this standard., We cover the requirements of ISO 19011 as part of this curriculum.

Course: Internal Quality Auditor Refresher Workshop
This interactive, one-day workshop covers a review of all elements of ISO 9001:2000, including changes to the new editions where applicable. Attendees review their own auditing style to learn where they can improve their effectiveness, through examples, through hands-on experience, and role playing. Attendees leave this fun workshop revitalized to audit.

Course: ISO 9001:2000 Overview
This one day class provides a high level review of the elements of ISO 9001:2000, including changes to the new edition where applicable. Through examples and a review exercise, students leave understanding the standard and with ideas about how their organization may benefit from implementation. This course is suitable for secondary implementers of the standard

Course: ISO 9001:2000 All Hands Meeting Review
This two hour review of the ISO standard focuses on what is necessary for each of your employees to understand, and is geared for the majority of your employees. We cover what an auditor will ask you, how to quickly review your responsibilities, and where to go for additional support.

Course: ISO 9001:2000 Executive Review
This four hour course covers what top management’s responsibilities are while implementing ISO 9001:2000, and will cover what is necessary for an effective management review, what the ISO standard calls out as top management requirements, and how to respond to an auditor’s most frequently asked questions. A great concentrated training for your executive management.

Course: Internal Quality Auditor Workshop
This interactive, three-day workshop covers all elements of ISO/TS 16949, including changes to the new editions where applicable. During this workshop attendees learn through examples, through hands-on experience, and role playing to emphasize the basic clauses of the standard. We also cover how to effectively audit to this standard. We cover the requirements of ISO 19011 as part of this curriculum.

Course: Internal Quality Auditor Refresher Workshop
This interactive, one-day workshop covers a review of all elements of ISO/TS 16949, including changes to the new editions where applicable. Attendees review their own auditing style to learn where they can improve their effectiveness, through examples, through hands-on experience, and role playing. Attendees leave this fun workshop revitalized to audit.

Course: ISO/TS 16949 All Hands Meeting Review
This two hour review of the ISO standard focuses on what is necessary for each of your employees to understand, and is geared for the majority of your employees. We cover what an auditor will ask you, how to quickly review your responsibilities, and where to go for additional support.

Course: ISO/TS 16949 Executive Review
This four hour course covers what top management’s responsibilities are while implementing ISO/TS 16949, and will cover what is necessary for an effective management review, what the ISO standard calls out as top management requirements, and how to respond to an auditor’s most frequently asked questions. A great concentrated training for your executive management.

Course: Internal Environmental Auditing Workshop (Including Transition to 14001:2004)
This interactive, three-day workshop covers all elements of ISO 14001:2004 with emphasis on the recent changes from the 1996 version. Within this auditing workshop attendees learn through examples, through hands-on experience, role playing to emphasize the basic tenets of the standard as well as how to effectively audit to this standard. This course serves as a guide on how to transition an EMS from the 1996 to the 2004 standard. We cover the requirements of ISO 19011 as part of this curriculum.

Course: Internal Environmental Auditor Refresher Workshop
This interactive, one-day workshop covers a review of all elements of ISO 14001, including changes to the new editions where applicable. Attendees review their own auditing style to learn where they can improve their effectiveness, through examples, through hands-on experience, and role playing. Attendees leave this fun workshop revitalized to audit.

Course: ISO 14001:2004 Transition Overview
This one day class provides a high level review of the elements of ISO 14001:2004 with emphasis on the recent changes from the 1996 version. Through examples and a review exercise, students leave understanding the standard and with ideas about how their organization may benefit from implementation. This course serves as a guide on how to transition an EMS from the 1996 to the 2004 standard. This course is suitable for secondary implementers of the standard.

Course: ISO 14001 All Hands Meeting Review
This two hour review of the ISO standard focuses on what is necessary for each of your employees to understand, and is geared for the majority of your employees. We cover what an auditor will ask you, how to quickly review your responsibilities, and where to go for additional support.

Course: ISO 14001 Executive Review
This four hour course covers what top management’s responsibilities are while implementing ISO 14001, and will cover what is necessary for an effective management review, what the ISO standard calls out as top management requirements, and how to respond to an auditor’s most frequently asked questions. A great concentrated training for your executive management.

Manual: Integrating Quality, Environmental, Health and Safety Systems
Course: Integrating Quality, Environmental, Health and Safety Management System

This three day course will walk attendees through a high level review of each of the individual management system, then demonstrate how these systems may be integrated for more efficient and effective implementation. The course is highly interactive – we work through assignments in teams to ensure that each attendee is aware of how to implement these standards.

Course: Statistical Process Control

Statistical Process Control, or SPC, is a technique used by design, manufacturing, process, and quality engineers to determine whether a process (manufacturing, service) is being run consistently.

Course: Simplified Design of Experiments

This course is designed to minimize the complex theoretical aspects of DOE and focus on the practical uses in industry today. The simplified approach makes it useful for technicians and engineers who are not familiar with advanced statistics to apply the discipline of DOE to their investigations and studies.

Design and Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis (DFMEA, PFMEA)
Course: Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA)

FMEA, is used by design, manufacturing, process, and quality engineers to determine that failure modes have been addressed in the appropriate stages (either design or process) of manufacture. FMEA also highlights potential failure modes that have not yet occurred, and designs out these modes to prevent future failures.