Results measurement is a subject that not every employee is comfortable with. Some are anxious feeling that the manager watches over their shoulders to monitor their work. Others feel offended that there is a lack of trust. In many businesses, the approach to results measurement creates conflicts between business units,… [More]
Articles: Operational Excellence
Does Reorganization Fix Process Problems?
After a third reorganization of its operations team over the past five years, a financial services company faces poor morale and increasing employee turnover. The reorganizations brought some improvements but real operational problems were not addressed. Reorganization tends to be considered as a quick solution to operational concerns. Businesses move… [More]
Design for Process Exceptions
Process exceptions are productivity dampers. Some exceptions are caused by human errors such as incorrect data entry. Others are triggered by unanticipated situations such as a customer request that doesn’t fall into any predefined categories. With evolving customer needs, exceptions will arise more often. They pose as challenges to established… [More]
Advancing the Yardstick for Transformation Success
Operational transformation is an undertaking that spans across different facets of a business. There are the general goals of automation, cost reduction, and better service. Businesses have no problem in identifying the improvements they desire. However, the level of success hinges on how well they define the improvements. The approach… [More]
Why Structure is Vital to Businesses
The strategic objectives and actions for a business were drafted by the executives in a company. They were shared with the parent company for approval to proceed with execution. At the same time, there was a directive to create a dashboard for reporting on progress and performance. While this looks… [More]
From Functional Excellence to Integral Collaboration
Paper maps have been a staple in my luggage when I travel as I rely on them to get myself oriented in a new city. In my recent trip to France, I managed to rely fully on my smartphone. Prior to departure, I did some research to get myself oriented… [More]
5 Ineffective Practices with Rules You Want to Avoid
Running an effective operation requires rules. Businesses need to establish rules for acquisitions of materials and labour, capital requests, quality control, and other operating procedures. These rules formulate a framework that enables smooth execution. A lack of them, or failure to follow these rules, would lead to adverse effects. Here… [More]
Five Reasons Why Modernization Initiatives Deliver Lack-lustre Results
Modernization initiatives are supposed to be transformative. Expectations for return on investment are high. Despite the commitment for resources and executive support, these initiatives often deliver lack-lustre results. There are five reasons for the lack-lustre results. 1. Conservative approach Concerned about potential chaos created by sudden drastic changes, the business… [More]
Operational Alignment to Remove Customer Irritants
Every customer has unique expectations from her purchases. These expectations range from quality to unfaltering customer support. The challenge posed to every business is its ability to orchestrate the operations to meet these expectation. Failure to do so translates into irritations for customers. Here is a list of eight customer… [More]
A Framework for Process Management
Excelling businesses are supported by well integrated processes within and across different functional areas. In order to maintain high performing processes in a rapidly changing business environment, it is essential to have a sound process management framework. There are six elements to a process management framework. Ownership A plant foreman… [More]
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