Culture Powers Business™ 

POWERS Playbook: Optimize Resource Flow to Crush Lost Time

resource

If it feels like your team is constantly playing catch-up, waiting on materials, tracking down approvals, or dealing with machines that should be running but aren’t, it’s probably not just bad luck. It’s broken resource flow.

This playbook walks you through how to find those issues by mapping how materials, information, and time really move on the floor, and how to make changes that improve flow right away. No fancy software required.

What Do We Mean by “Resource Flow”?

Every production line runs on three things:

When any one of those flows gets disrupted, it drags the rest down with it. You get:

And often, you don’t even see the real problem until it’s already cost you hours, or days, of production.

Start Simple: Map One Flow

We’re not talking about a complete value stream mapping, which is more intensive and we’ll dig into that in another playbook. Here we want to focus on an area that’s consistently a bottleneck. You simply need a pen, a pad, and about 20 minutes.

Pick one area to map, ideally something that’s already giving you trouble, or a high-volume process that impacts a lot of orders. Then sketch out what actually happens:

Stick to reality, not how it’s supposed to work. Walk the line, follow the flow, and jot down the hold-ups.

A simple process map like this can reveal issues you didn’t realize were so costly, like materials arriving too late to prep, or three steps that depend on the same supervisor to sign off.

Watch for These Common Chokepoints

Once you’ve mapped it, look for these usual suspects that tend to kill flow:

None of these seem huge in isolation, but stack up five of them and you’ve got a multi-hour slowdown every day.

Quick Wins: What You Can Fix Today

The good news? You don’t need to fix everything to make a real difference. Focus on what’s slowing things down right now and look for low-effort changes with high return:

  ✅ Move critical tools, parts, or paperwork closer to the work
  ✅ Post simple instructions or SOPs at the workstation
  ✅ Prep all materials and job packets before the shift starts
  ✅ Assign a lead to walk the floor and clear known hold-ups
  ✅ Create visual cues to flag missing materials or status

If it helps one shift get through their work faster without needing more people, you’re on the right track.

How You Know It’s Working

You’re not looking for perfection, you’re looking for momentum. These are signs your flow is improving:

When flow improves, so does everything else, from quality to safety to morale.

Let’s Optimize Your Resource Flow, Together

POWERS specializes in helping manufacturing teams uncover hidden losses and streamline the flow of resources, information, and time, turning daily chaos into predictable output. When resource flow breaks down, the result is more than just slowdowns, it’s lost time, missed targets, and wasted potential.

Our proven approach equips frontline leaders to identify chokepoints, remove inefficiencies, and align shift behaviors with performance goals. The result? Higher throughput, better control, and sustainable productivity gains using the team you already have.

To support these gains, we built DPS, a next-generation Digital Production System that helps supervisors stay ahead of the day. DPS makes it easier to see where flow breaks down, flag issues early, and make fast, data-driven decisions that keep production moving. No guesswork. No extra labor. Just better use of your existing resources.

💡 DPS includes:

  • Daily tools for shift leaders to track resource flow and performance
  • Real-time dashboards to catch and correct issues early
  • Accountability tools that drive better frontline execution
  • Seamless integration of lean methods with practical, digital tools


Ready to eliminate bottlenecks and make the most of every shift?

👉 Contact POWERS to learn how our team and the DPS platform can help you reduce lost time, improve resource flow, and unlock the full potential of your operation, without adding headcount.

Get the latest Culture Performance Management insights delivered to your inbox

About the Author

Dr. Donte Vaughn, DM, MSM, Culture Performance Management Advisor
Dr. Donte Vaughn, DM, MSM

Chief Culture Officer

Dr. Donte Vaughn is CEO of CultureWorx and Culture Performance Management Advisor to POWERS.

Randall Powers, Founder, Managing Partner
Randall Powers

Managing Partner

Randall Powers concentrates on Operational and Financial Due Diligence, Strategic Development,, and Business Development.