From System Plan to Shop Floor Reality: The Questions That Expose the Strategy / Execution Gap in Manufacturing

Across manufacturing, COOs and VPs of Supply Chain keep running into the same frustration: plans that make sense on paper don’t hold up once execution begins. Responsiveness lags, buffers grow, and improvement efforts introduce more risk than relief. These issues aren’t isolated. They show up across plants, initiatives, and planning cycles.

I’ve seen this pattern repeat throughout my career, working alongside manufacturing leaders as a third-generation industrial engineer. My grandfather fought for marginal gains with a stopwatch; my father optimized with the creation of the first handheld work sampling and time study software by his company. Today, we have more data than Deming could wish for, yet the same uncomfortable questions persist.

Across different industries and operating models, the details change, but the underlying issue remains consistent: The strategy/execution gap. It’s the space between a beautiful three-year strategy slide deck and the boots-on-the-ground reality of a Tuesday afternoon on the production line.

What’s different now is the cost. In 2026, COOs and supply chain VPs know they can’t “buffer” their way out of the gap. When execution can’t keep up, the impact shows up directly in margins, service, capacity, and confidence. That’s why the questions leaders are asking today feel tougher, more urgent, and harder to ignore.

As I’ve worked with executives to overcome these hurdles, I’ve noticed that most of their questions tend to cluster around four recurring themes. Over the coming weeks, we’ll explore each of these themes in more depth. For now, let’s take a quick look at the four themes and the underlying questions.

Theme 1: “Paper versus pavement”

Why doesn’t what we plan actually happen?

1. Why do our plans look like masterpieces but execute like tragedies? The breakdown rarely starts in the planning office. It starts when the shop floor realizes the plan doesn't account for reality, so they revert to "tribal knowledge" to keep the lines moving.
2. Why is our “agility” just a fancy word for “chaos?” Most companies have plans for all kinds of scenarios, but when something actually happens, the latency in their feedback loop is so long that by the time they respond, the window of opportunity has closed.
3. Why are we still arguing over whose data is “right?” When planning, scheduling, and execution are looking at three different “versions of the truth,” it’s no wonder that trust disintegrates into doubt and sometimes conflict. In 2026, data siloed is data wasted.

Theme 2: “Silent killers” (workarounds)

If the systems worked, people wouldn't need spreadsheets.

1. Why is “shadow IT” (spreadsheets) still our backbone? Teams don’t use Excel because they love it; they use it because enterprise systems are too rigid for the friction of real-world manufacturing.
2. Why does “making progress” feel like wading through molasses? Every improvement initiative seems to hit a wall of hidden dependencies. Most organizations aren’t lacking ideas; they lack an environment that can actually absorb change without breaking.

Theme 3: “The economic reckoning”

The balance sheet doesn't care about your “digital transformation goals.”

1. Why is our inventory “fat” but our service “lean?” Some companies are carrying record-levels of safety stock, yet they still miss on-time delivery (OTD) targets. That’s the ultimate proof of a broken link between intent and execution.
2. Where did our capacity go? Models say your plant is at 80% utilization, but the shop floor feels like it’s at 110%. That “invisible” friction is where margin goes to die.

Theme 4: “Ownership, continuity, and controlled change”

Ownership is the only way out.

1. Who actually “owns” the strategy/execution gap?  Supply chain owns the plan. Operations owns the output. IT owns the tool. But who owns the connective tissue? Usually, the answer is “no one,” and that’s why the gap persists.
2. How do we modernize without bringing things to a grinding halt? The fear of disruption often keeps brittle legacy systems in place. Manufacturers need a way to upgrade the engine while the car is moving at 70 mph.
3. How do we close the gap without creating culture chaos? Real progress starts with digital strategy assessment that values the shop floor as much as the C-suite. It’s about finding where the friction is today so you can build the bridge for tomorrow

From tough questions to disciplined alignment

In my experience—and you probably suspect this too—the most durable solutions aren't the ones with the most "AI" buzzwords. They are the ones that align human execution with digital strategy.

Closing the strategy/execution gap doesn’t mean technology “rip and replace.” A pragmatic approach is establishing disciplined alignment. And it means making sure that when a VP asks a tough question, shop floor people have the data to answer it.

If your organization is ready to shift gears and start answering your toughest questions, check back for the next article addressing the strategy/execution gap, or contact On Time Edge for a digital strategy assessment.