Q1 Strategy Lab — Apex Manufacturing
Apex Manufacturing · Manufacturing · mid market · Facilitator: Chip LaFleur
Captured Hypotheses (2)
We cannot hire skilled CNC operators fast enough — 12 open positions, 8-month avg time-to-fill
Assumption: We need experienced operators, but the real bottleneck is training infrastructure, not talent supply
Partner with local community college for accelerated 6-week CNC certification. Hire 5 entry-level candidates. Measure productivity against experienced hires at 30/60/90 days.
Fill 5 positions within 60 days. New hires reach 70% productivity of experienced operators by day 90. Training cost < 50% of extended vacancy cost.
Our regulatory compliance costs are 3x industry average, eating into margins and slowing product launches by 4-6 months
Assumption: Current compliance processes assume all products require full FDA review, but 60% could qualify for expedited pathways
Identify 5 products currently in full review pipeline. Engage regulatory counsel to assess expedited pathway eligibility. Run parallel submissions for 2 qualifying products over 90 days.
Reduce avg time-to-market by 30%. Decrease compliance spend per product by 25%. Zero regulatory rejections.