Meet Alfonso Aramburo – Helping Manufacturers Turn Gaps Into Roadmaps
Manufacturers are rarely short on ideas.
There may be a wish list on the owner’s desk, a half-finished improvement project in the plant, a process change that never fully stuck, a bottleneck everyone knows about, or a growth opportunity that is exciting but also exposing the limits of the current operation.
The challenge is knowing where to start.
That’s where the MCIE Manufacturing Modernization Assessments program comes in. Through the Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire, regional manufacturers have access to experienced consultants who can walk the floor, review key performance indicators, listen to leadership, and help identify practical opportunities for improvement.
Our lead consultant, working with MCIE manufacturers through the program, is Alfonso Aramburo, a manufacturing and operations professional with more than 18 years of experience helping companies find and close operational gaps.
Alfonso is a mechatronics engineer with a master’s degree in business and certifications in lean manufacturing, Six Sigma Black Belt, project management, and supply chain management. His background includes work as a continuous improvement engineer, plant manager, general manager, and VP of Operations.
Alfonso has worked with lower- and middle-market manufacturers, family-owned businesses, companies after acquisition, high-volume environments, high-mix custom production, sourcing, automotive projects, and complex manufacturing operations.
His specialty is straightforward: production gaps.
“Anything where somebody touches a product or a part, that’s been my specialty,” Alfonso says. “The more tailored or custom the part or product is, the more complex the manufacturing, that’s where I’ve specialized.”
For manufacturers participating in the assessment program, Alfonso and the consultant team begin by understanding the company’s current state. The process may include an introductory meeting, a plant walk, review of KPIs and indicators, conversations with owners and key leaders, and a close look at how the operation is actually functioning day to day.
“We walk the floor,” Alfonso explains. “We take a look at the visual inspection, as well as what is on paper. We get the KPIs, we get their indicators, and we take all of that information so we can understand the current state and map out the gap.”
That gap may not always be the first issue a manufacturer has in mind.
A company may come in thinking about automation, AI, funding, workforce, expansion, supplier issues, or delayed shipments. Those may all be valid concerns. But the assessment may also reveal that the highest-return opportunity sits somewhere deeper in the operation: workflow, cross-training, process discipline, visual management, accountability, layout, job knowledge, or the ability to flex when revenue rises or falls.
That is why the assessment is collaborative. The consultant team is not there to impose a generic answer. The goal is to work with the owner, CEO, operations leader, production manager, supervisors, and other key team members to understand what success should look like for that company.
For Alfonso, one of the most important questions is: “What would you love to get out of this?”
From there, the assessment helps clarify whether the company’s stated priority aligns with the biggest opportunity for improvement. The roadmap then translates that work into practical initiatives that can help the company move forward.
Sometimes the value comes from identifying something new. Other times, it comes from helping leadership put numbers around something they already know.
“A lot of the work is not necessarily telling them something new,” Alfonso says. “Sometimes it is helping them see it from a different perspective and putting it in numbers.”
On a plant walk, Alfonso looks for signals that many owners will recognize: Are delayed shipments becoming a pattern? Are machines sitting idle because of supplier issues or missing parts? Are people walking too far to get tools or materials? Are KPIs visible? Can a manager tell at a glance whether a line is performing well, or is the operation running without clear visual management? Are changes reverting back to the old way? Are too many initiatives competing for attention without moving the needle?
He also looks for the issues that appear differently than they feel. High turnover, for example, may not be only an HR issue. It may point to unclear expectations, weak systems, lack of accountability, training gaps, poor workflow, or an operation that is harder to work in than it needs to be.
For smaller and mid-sized manufacturers, that perspective can be especially valuable. A larger company may have deeper resources, specialized departments, and more flexible budgets. A smaller company often has to build resilience in different ways: through better process discipline, stronger cross-training, clearer job responsibilities, smarter use of existing people, and better prioritization.
Alfonso understands that reality because he has worked in those environments.
“I’ve seen both sides,” he says. “I’ve worked for a family-owned business, I’ve run operations for a family-owned business, and I’ve also worked after acquisition. The needs are much different depending on the company size.”
That experience makes him a strong fit for MCIE’s bread-and-butter audience: manufacturers that are entrepreneurial, practical, resourceful, and busy, but that may need additional support to prepare for growth, stabilize operations, or move key initiatives forward.
Outside of manufacturing, Alfonso is an educator at heart. He has taught as an adjunct professor, developed courses, and enjoys reading and writing. He is also an experienced hiker and former trail runner who has spent significant time outdoors, including long-distance and mountain hikes. These days, he says, he is less interested in racing the clock and more interested in recreational hikes, especially waterfalls.
That shift may say something about his consulting style, too. Alfonso knows how to move quickly, but he also knows the value of slowing down enough to see what is really happening.
For manufacturers considering the Manufacturing Modernization Assessments program, that may be the real opportunity: to bring in experienced outside eyes, walk the floor, ask better questions, identify the gaps that matter, and turn what may already be on the wish list into a practical roadmap for action.
Manufacturers interested in learning more about the Manufacturing Modernization Assessments program can contact Sandra Sisco or Debbie Smith at the Manufacturers’ Council of the Inland Empire to discuss eligibility, next steps, and scheduling.