Howie Fenton, Principal, Howie Fenton Consulting, and a long-time industry consultant, explains how workflow and operational excellence are the key for companies looking to reduce their manufacturing costs and increase their turnaround times, but notes that there is not a lot of attention paid to it. Fenton explains that operational excellence is not like "fire fighting" but more "fire prevention" where it is necessary for companies to document issues, identify the root cause and create a plan of action.