Published work.

Smarter, faster, betterThe outcome of any process or operational change programme should be that the process, technology or teams work smarter, faster, and better. Ideally, it’s best to hit all three outcomes - I call that the Optimisation Trifecta – but even hitting one will make the programme worthwhile.

Humans are at the heart of operationsI’d like to change gears a bit this week and talk about roles and responsibilities and why that matters in an operational context. When I think about an ‘operational context’ it’s always about delivering something – following process steps to deliver a product or data, for example, or a project that

Why do things need to change anyway?Let’s face it: the vast majority of people don’t like change, and many actively resist it. But whether we want to admit it or even perceive it, change is the only constant in any organisation.

Back to the beginning to talk about ‘waste’Just about everyone in business in the English-speaking world has heard of or read “The Toyota Way” by Dr Jeffry K. Liker.

What makes best practice ‘best’?What makes best practice ‘best’? ‘Best Practice’ is a tricky thing. All too often it’s misunderstood and misapplied.

If you want solid process change, listening comes firstProcess Improvement Step 1: Listen and examine Let’s go back to the Process Improvement Lifecycle and look at each stage in turn. This blog post is going to focus on what it means to ‘listen and examine’ when kicking-off a process improvement effort and why that has to be the first step.

Process Improvement Step 2: Understand and assess. Or as Covey said: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” Stephen R Covey’s blockbuster management book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, published in 1989, is still very relevant today and helpful as we think about any Process Improvement programme. The fifth habit “Seek first to understand, then to be understood” is an important practice when wo

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