Scott Kruse PE
I help small and mid-sized manufacturers improve operational performance by increasing throughput and reducing costs. Using a practical system developed through decades of hands-on experience and factory benchmarking, I help leadership teams align people, priorities, and execution.
Problems I Solve
I help manufacturing organizations overcome execution breakdowns, operational bottlenecks, and misalignment that limit performance. These issues are rarely caused by a lack of effort, but by a lack of focus, ownership, and timing.
Services
I provide practical operational support ranging from focused assessments to ongoing execution leadership. Engagements are designed to move from diagnosis to sustained improvement, not reports that sit on a shelf.
Philosophy and Results
This work is grounded in a simple idea: results come from clarity and alignment. I focus on making sure the right people are working on the right problems, using data and benchmarking to cut through noise and turn strategy into execution that actually sticks.
EXPERIENCE
With over 20 years in manufacturing and operations, I bring hands-on experience from the factory floor to the executive level. My perspective is shaped by real-world execution, not theory or templates.
About Me
My background spans hands-on manufacturing work and senior operational leadership. I focus on practical improvement grounded in real shop-floor experience, not theory or consulting theater.
Problems I Solve
Execution & Alignment
• Closing the gap between leadership strategy and day-to-day execution
• Helping organizations focus on the right improvements at the right time
• Ensuring improvements are sustained rather than temporarily fixed
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Flow & Operational Performance
• Identifying, prioritizing, and eliminating operational bottlenecks
• Simplifying processes and ensuring they are followed consistently
• Breaking down siloed thinking across functions and departments
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Quality & Cost
• Reducing scrap, rework, and costs driven by poor quality
• Addressing supplier quality issues through effective root cause and corrective action
• Evaluating, simplifying, and standardizing quality management systems
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People, Structure & Behavior
• Building effective teaming structures and a culture of accountability
• Establishing metrics that reinforce the right behaviors rather than simply reporting activity
Services
Operational Assessment & Diagnosis
Short-term, focused engagements to understand where performance is breaking down and why. This includes evaluating flow, quality systems, leadership alignment, and execution discipline, with clear findings tied to business impact.
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Improvement Roadmaps & Execution Support
Practical, phased improvement plans designed to be executed in the real world. I work with leadership and frontline teams to prioritize the right initiatives, align ownership, and ensure improvements are implemented and sustained.
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Fractional COO / Operational Leadership
For organizations that need experienced operational leadership but do not require a full-time executive, I provide fractional COO support. This includes owning operational execution, driving accountability, supporting leadership teams, and translating strategy into consistent results over time.
Typical use cases include:
• Growing companies that have outpaced their operational structure
• Organizations preparing for scale, acquisition, or leadership transition
• Teams that need steady operational leadership rather than short-term consulting
Philosophy and Results
Philosophy and Results
I help manufacturing organizations stabilize operations, reduce quality escapes, and improve performance by aligning strategy, people, and execution. My work focuses on ensuring the right problems are being solved by the right teams, using data and benchmarking to cut through noise and drive durable results.____________________________________
What I Do
I work with manufacturing leaders facing persistent quality issues, operational drag, or misaligned improvement efforts. These are often environments where capable people are busy but not aligned, initiatives compete for attention, and performance problems are chronic or normalized.I help leadership teams clarify priorities, align engineering, quality, and production around what matters most, and translate strategy into executable work that survives contact with the shop floor.____________________________________
Representative Results
Since 2022, I have delivered more than $3M in documented continuous improvement savings.I led initiatives that reduced product returns by 60%, eliminating more than 5,000 hours of rework.I designed and implemented a custom Python-based quality metrics and analytics system to expose systemic issues and guide corrective action.I reduced legacy product support requirements by 40% through structured Lean Six Sigma work and supported production systems exceeding $250M in annual revenue.____________________________________
Benchmarking and Perspective
My perspective is grounded in first-hand exposure to many factories, operating models, and maturity levels rather than a single site or product line.I have conducted and participated in operational benchmarking and facility assessments across multiple plants, evaluating how different organizations approach quality systems, engineering support, test strategy, continuous improvement execution, digital tools, and leadership behaviors.This allows me to help leaders understand where they truly stand and apply best-observed practices in a right-sized, realistic way.____________________________________
Strategy, Alignment, and Execution
I view strategy as a practical alignment problem rather than an abstract planning exercise.Strong performance comes from ensuring the right people are working on the right problems at the right time, with clear ownership and feedback.Much of my work focuses on clarifying priorities, eliminating competing signals, and aligning teams so effort converts reliably into results.____________________________________
Executive Communication and Thought Leadership
I have been selected to present at corporate and division-level knowledge-sharing conferences attended by executive leadership at the highest levels, including multiple division and corporate presidents.My speaking topics include building practical digital quality infrastructure, driving culture change through teaming and accountability, and understanding the impact of digital transformation on teaming culture, communication, and day-to-day execution.____________________________________
Credentials
Professional Engineer licensed in Florida.
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.
MBA with a Mechanical Engineering foundation.
More than 20 years of experience in regulated manufacturing environments, including ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 systems and direct interaction with government customers.
Experience
• 20+ years of experience across manufacturing, operations, engineering, quality, and leadership
• Hands-on experience building product on the assembly line, with a deep understanding of shop-floor realities
• Factory benchmarking and operational assessments across multiple manufacturing sites nationwide
• Contributor to capability development supporting multi-million-dollar business initiatives and acquisitions
• Experience working with organizations through growth, transition, and operational change
• Trusted advisor and presenter to audiences ranging from executive leadership to frontline teamsPractical experience, not theory, informs every engagement.
About Me
I’m a manufacturing professional with over 20 years of experience across operations, engineering, quality, leadership, continuous improvement, public speaking, and process optimization.I began my working career at a car wash while attending college. Even in that role, I was constantly looking for better and faster ways to work. That early experience sparked a lifelong interest in how processes, people, and systems interact, and how small changes can lead to meaningful improvement. It also shaped how I think about leadership and customer service, lessons that still guide my work today.After graduating, I began my career as a manufacturing engineer in electronics manufacturing, where my first assignment was hands-on product assembly alongside production teams. That experience grounded my understanding of what it actually takes to make things and the daily constraints faced by technicians on the shop floor. I’ve carried that perspective with me ever since.Over the past two decades, I’ve worked in and around manufacturing operations across the United States and Canada, benchmarking facilities, identifying improvement opportunities, and supporting operational capability development. I’ve contributed to strategic initiatives tied to multi-million-dollar business decisions and have presented to audiences ranging from executive leadership to hands-on operators.My approach to improvement is simple and practical: the right people, doing the right things, at the right time. The idea itself is straightforward, but misalignment in any one of those areas is where most organizations struggle, and where improvement efforts often break down.