The Triple Crown of 21st Century Operational Improvement Methods

As a result of the recent economic downturn, organizations are being driven to obtain greater visibility and control over their critical operational processes. Many have turned to continuous improvement (CI) as their primary approach to taming bulky processes. However, with more than 70% of organizations reporting increased financial pressure, CI teams are struggling to keep up with a growing appetite for accelerated operations improvement.

Organizations must acquire new knowledge and capabilities in the use of Lean, Agile, and Rapid Cycle Process Improvement methods, as well as identify best practices for integrating these critical new methodologies into all facets of their CI initiatives. They must not only acquire a practical appreciation for these critical new capabilities, but also be able to evaluate potential cultural risks associated with adopting these methods, assuring there is a complementary human dimension to blend with these essentially technical tools, which is a critical success factor for Superperformance.

This will lead them to:

• Understand the trends and best practices at the Superperformance frontier, in order to make informed decisions and gain competitive advantage,
• Identify and quantify the potential cost savings of adopting Lean, Agile and Rapid Cycle Process Improvement best practices,
• Apply learning in simulations and cases,
• Network with peers facing similar goals and challenges, and
• Develop an action plan to incorporate repeatable and predictable Lean, Agile, and Rapid Cycle Process Improvement methodologies into CI initiatives.