Our business processes and systems drive our business. Occasionally talent will out perform processes, in the short term... So why do so many of us put up with poor systems and processes in our businesses?
I like the phrase 'hit it until you hit it'. It sits well in my mind about the practical usage of the PDCA cycle (Plan, Do, Check and Act). Our improvements rarely work out the first time around and this mantra reminds me of this. What approach do you use?
Sometimes when we look at a process improvement opportunity we struggle to quickly identify the benefits that the business will receive. The idea might feel right, but the initial review of the benefits might come up short. What do you do in this situation?
Many businesses have continuous improvement teams set up. They are without hierarchy and free to organise themselves. In many cases they work extremely well. On the other hand, these teams sometimes fail to generate the results that people expect. What do you do when the results aren't forthcoming?
I think it is an interesting question. Your answer will most likely make a big difference to the results you achieve . And, to keep it simple, I think there are two main answers (based on my experience of watching what people do):
It's amazing just how much people will put up within a business. The wrong tools, the wrong process, unclear instructions... what can become normal is fascinating. Let me give you an example from the back end of last year.
I was talking to a business the other day that had a good MRP system in place within their very large business. But, they weren't truly using it! They had set up most of the parameters, and the system was certainly working as expected, but they still weren't using it the way they should. They didn't trust it!