The Obsession with Systems: A Double-Edged Sword for Plant Owners

There is a growing obsession with systems among plant owners, and I’ve seen this firsthand during my career in various organizations. While systems have a vital role in ensuring efficiency and smooth operations, there is a deeper reason for this obsession—fear. Many plant owners fear that without well-defined systems, they could be blackmailed or taken advantage of by their employees. While this fear may occasionally have a basis in reality, most of the time, it’s far from the truth. Unfortunately, in the quest to protect themselves, some owners become overly reliant on rigid systems, often to the detriment of the very organization they’re trying to safeguard.

Who are the villains?

Is the Obsession with Systems Good?

To answer this, let’s consider some ancient wisdom: nothing in excess is good. It’s a principle that has stood the test of time across cultures. Be it food, money, power, or control—too much of anything tips the balance and creates more problems than it solves. Systems in a plant are no exception.

Plant owners often believe that if they can enforce a foolproof system, the business will run smoothly and efficiently, and they will be protected from potential threats. On the surface, this belief is logical: systems bring order, ensure compliance, and maintain accountability. However, the problem arises when the reliance on systems overshadows the human factor.

The Role of People in Systems

We must never forget that people create systems. It is the human element that designs processes, sets operational goals, and determines how these systems will work. Furthermore, it is people who run and manage these systems. No matter how advanced a system is, it’s ultimately humans who monitor, adjust, and make it successful.

Without people, no system can survive. Even the most technologically advanced systems require human oversight, critical thinking, and decision-making to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. So, when plant owners place systems above their people, they risk alienating their workforce, stifling innovation, and losing the very thing that makes systems effective: human intelligence and creativity.

What Happens When Systems Are Put Over People?

I’ve witnessed a real-life example of this at a plant where the owner was fixated on implementing systems for every aspect of the business. It didn’t take long for the plant to find itself in big trouble. The rigid systems suffocated the employees, leaving them frustrated and disengaged. While systems were supposed to streamline operations, they instead created bottlenecks and inefficiencies because the workforce was no longer empowered to think critically or make decisions on their own. The human element was stripped away, and it soon became clear that the systems were actually failing, despite the owner’s good intentions.

Balancing Systems and People

The key to success is balance. Systems are necessary, but they must be flexible and adaptable to the ever-changing landscape of a plant’s operations. People should always come first, and systems should serve as tools to help them achieve their goals more effectively—not as restrictive measures that undermine their abilities.

When you put people on top of systems, you allow for creativity, adaptability, and responsiveness. Employees feel valued and empowered, which in turn leads to better performance. They are more likely to engage with and improve the systems themselves, creating a cycle of continuous improvement and growth.

Why People Should Always Be on Top of Systems

At the core of every successful plant are its people. You can have the best machinery, the most detailed processes, and the most advanced technology, but if you neglect the human element, your systems will ultimately fail. People are the lifeblood of any organization. They bring experience, intuition, and the ability to respond to unforeseen challenges—something that no system can replicate.

To make systems work, you need motivated, engaged, and capable people running them. It’s a symbiotic relationship: people improve systems, and systems make work easier for people. But the moment you prioritize the system over the person, you set yourself up for failure.

Conclusion

The obsession with systems often stems from fear, but in most cases, it’s a misplaced fear. The real power lies not in systems but in the people who create and run them. When owners put systems above people, they risk not only alienating their workforce but also causing the very breakdowns they were trying to prevent.

Ancient wisdom tells us that balance is key. People should always be on top of systems, guiding them, improving them, and ensuring their success. A system is only as strong as the people who run it, and to overlook that is to risk the failure of both the system and the organization.