Proven Systems Approach to Performance Improvement Gets Measurable Results

MINNEAPOLISãApril 19, 2005ãMany years of experience in senior management and management consulting have enabled the staff of Process Management to develop a systems approach to performance improvement. References in healthcare, university, and wireless industries will testify to the dramatic success they have experienced with the Process Management model.

The Process Management system begins with an innovative strategic planning and deployment approach labeled Strategy Management. Mr. Schultz spent many years in senior management with the responsibility for the annual strategic plan much of that time. Using different outside consultants did not prevent a large document that ended up sitting on the shelf without being utilized. There had to be a better planning method. Consulting along side of Dr.s Deming, Tribus, and Kano revealed a Socratic dialogue consulting style that could be adapted to strategy planning. A set of proprietary questions in 21 categories is supplied to clients to research and present findings to the planning event. The planning team then generates a list of strategic issues to be addressed, which are processed and prioritized, and a work plan developed. A recent client included 435 people in the event and they generated 2200 strategic issues.

The performance improvement activity follows with an approach called the ADAMS system. The acronym stands for assessment, discovery, act, manage, and sustain. The self-assessment, Performance Profile, uses the Baldrige criteria with rigid scoring guidelines. Since it is a self-assessment, rich discussion of areas to improve ensues with a list of actions items resulting. The discovery activity consists of taking the actions items from Strategy Management, Performance Profile assessment, and elsewhere and prioritizes, determines proper approach such as take immediate action, Six Sigma, Lean Thinking, PDCA, QFD, or whatever method is called for and assembles them into a Project Portfolio. Work plans detailing responsibility, what action is to be taken and why, estimated completion date is used to manage the action.

Sustaining the improvements usually involves addressing the culture of the organization to make sure the continual improvement mentality is able to transcend changes in positions, ownership, leadership, etc. To do this, a review of the ≥quality masters≤ of the United States and Japan is made with a set of Operating Principles developed to guide management and all other employees in their behavior. This review is based on the book, Profiles in Quality, Learning from the Masters published by SPC Press, Inc. of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Process Management LLC is located at 7701 France Avenue South, Suite 660, Edina Minnesota. They can be reached by phone at 952-831-0575 or email at lou@processmanagement.us. For additional information, check www.strategymanagement.us or www.processmanagement.com.

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