 |
|
 |
 |
Inside the November issueQuestion of the month: How do you know if there is too much waste in your organization? Find the answer at the end of this newsletter.
BY Chris Anderson After focusing primarily on Computer, Network and IT Policies and Procedures in October, our articles in November were focused on quality principles. Whether it is recognizing and eliminating wastes, or “magically” making the impossible happen, quality tools can be powerful foundations for organizational improvement. Working Smarter vs. Working HarderHow do you know if you are working harder or working smarter? We all work hard to some degree. We are pressed for time, take work home and yet still struggle to meet deadlines as we juggle multiple projects. Working smarter requires that we understand and eliminate the waste that occurs in our organizations. This releases tremendous amounts of capacity within your organization, dramatically improving productivity. Read more about eliminating waste and working smarter…. Process Improvement and LayoffsUse of quality tools releases hidden capacity, increasing productivity and minimizing waste. With company growth, you have to increase capacity by either adding people (scale) or increasing productivity (process improvement). If change management is faster than revenue growth + attrition, then layoffs will occur. So, if you don’t plan for the use of extra capacity resulting from process improvement, layoffs might be inevitable. Read more about process improvement and layoffs… Getting the Most from a Training CourseTraining is one of the most important elements of any business process improvement initiative. As companies undertake quality or process improvement programs, new skills and concepts are required. Therefore, the content and methodology is critical for the training course to be effective in changing behaviors and outcomes. With significant investment of time and money, it is very important that the design and delivery of the training class is done right. Read more about getting the most out of your training investment… Making the Impossible, PossibleIf you truly believe in quality, then anything is possible. Quality tools like Six Sigma, Lean Thinking and the Theory of Constraints are virtually worthless if you have not addressed your organization’s belief system. If the organization does not believe in quality then you will not be able to sustain the changes needed for success. Once you know how the quality “trick” is done, you will realize that the impossible is just an illusion. Read more about making the impossible, possible… Quality tools can go a long way in transforming your organization’s effectiveness and productivity. However, sustaining this transformation requires buy-in from your stakeholders, including management and employees. Without a strong belief, quality tools can end up looking like short-term fixes, which they are not. Quality is a continuous process which is supposed to provide tangible, long-lasting benefits. Reader FeedbackMany of you have told us that you regularly read the articles that we email you and that those articles are helpful in understanding the concepts they cover, or in carrying out your everyday duties. Some of you have also expressed disagreements on some of the ideas introduced in the articles. Either way, your feedback is paramount in our efforts to provide you with informative, useful content. Thank you. Please keep your questions and comments coming. And let me remind you that an excellent forum to share your questions and answers is PnP-Focus, the policies and procedures discussion community. On That NoteAnswer to this month's question: Waste is really any activity that absorbs resources, but creates no real value. Forms of waste in an organization can include: overproduction; idle time, waiting or delay; unnecessary transporting, conveyance or movement; unnecessary processing; unnecessary inventory; unnecessary motion; defects, correction, repair or rework; and underutilization of employees, inspection or oversight. Identifying and eliminating waste, then, is crucial to put your resources in good use where they are creating value for your organization. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or comments that you may have about our products, services or articles. Also, please let us know if you'd like any specific topic addressed in our future article-series. Best regards, |
|
 Quote of the MonthWe are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. - Aristotle Previous Issues
Upcoming
|
