SAI Industrial ConsultantBusiness Consultant · Vadodara Start a Conversation
  1. Home
  2. Insights
KPI & Reporting Systems

Case Story: The 37-Minute Daily Meeting That Ended the Dispatch Rush

3 min readBy Deepak B. Gondkar

The problem

An engineering plant we work with was losing its afternoons to dispatch. Problems came to light only when a truck was waiting: a part not inspected, a document missing, material short for the last few pieces. The owner was pulled in every time, and the managers felt they were being blamed for problems nobody had raised in time.

There were meetings, but they had no fixed time, no fixed agenda and no written actions. The same issues came up again the next day.

What we built

Together with the managers, we designed one structured daily meeting with four timed parts:

PartMinutesWhat happens
Focus7Everyone settles and turns attention to the day ahead
Team alignment10Each head says where their department stands today
Dispatch review10Every dispatch due is checked against the dispatch plan
Critical issues10Each issue gets its impact, an action, one owner and a same-day deadline

The total is 37 minutes, every day, at the same time.

Six meeting rules were agreed by the team and printed on an A3 poster in the meeting room, together with a short deck to train new members. A simple problem-solving worksheet was added, so each manager could put a problem down in writing and be heard, and the leadership could see what was blocking the floor.

The meeting did not add work. It moved the same problems from the end of the day to the start of it.

The 37-minute daily meetingThe 37-minute daily meeting: 1. Focus, 7 min (Everyone settles and turns to the day); 2. Alignment, 10 min (Each head says where the department stands); 3. Dispatch review, 10 min (Every dispatch due checked against the plan); 4. Critical issues, 10 min (Impact, action, one owner, same-day deadline)1Focus, 7 minEveryone settles and turnsto the day2Alignment, 10 minEach head says where thedepartment stands3Dispatch review, 10minEvery dispatch due checkedagainst the plan4Critical issues, 10minImpact, action, one owner,same-day deadlineThe 37-minute daily meetingThe 37-minute daily meeting: 1. Focus, 7 min (Everyone settles and turns to the day); 2. Alignment, 10 min (Each head says where the department stands); 3. Dispatch review, 10 min (Every dispatch due checked against the plan); 4. Critical issues, 10 min (Impact, action, one owner, same-day deadline)1Focus, 7 minEveryone settles and turns to the day2Alignment, 10 minEach head says where the departmentstands3Dispatch review, 10 minEvery dispatch due checked against theplan4Critical issues, 10 minImpact, action, one owner, same-daydeadline
The 37-minute daily meeting

What changed

  • Dispatch problems are raised in the morning, when there is still time to act, instead of when the truck is waiting.
  • Every issue leaves the meeting with one owner and a same-day deadline.
  • The owner no longer has to chase each department; the meeting does it.
  • Managers say they feel heard, because problems are written down and followed up.

What other plants can take from this

  • Fix the time and the length, and keep to them.
  • Split the meeting into parts with their own minutes.
  • Review dispatch against a written plan, not from memory.
  • Never let an issue leave the room without one owner and a date.
  • Put the rules on the wall, so new members follow them from day one.

Key points

  • A daily meeting works when it has a fixed time, fixed parts and written actions.
  • 37 minutes in four parts: focus, alignment, dispatch review, critical issues.
  • Every issue gets an impact, an action, one owner and a same-day deadline.
  • The rules are agreed by the team and kept on the wall.

Questions owners ask

How long should a daily production and dispatch meeting be?

Short and fixed. In this plant it is 37 minutes, in four timed parts, and it always starts at the same time.

Who should attend the daily dispatch meeting?

The heads of production, dispatch, quality, stores and planning. Each comes with their own numbers.

Written by Deepak B. Gondkar

Principal Consultant & Founder, SAI Industrial Consultant

Deepak B. Gondkar founded SAI Industrial Consultant in 2015. He brings 34+ years of industry experience and 11+ years of active consulting, and works on-site with MSME manufacturers in Vadodara and across India.

Do your problems come to light in the morning or when the truck is waiting? Start a conversation with us.

Start a Conversation
Back to Insights