What and where do I start to improve? This is a common question and while we need to balance the cost and impact to identify the real bang for the buck let’s start with the basics. Here are some things to be aware of that are indicators that you can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your business. You may hear people saying this indeed you may say it yourself, well these are the places to start and you don’t need to do an organizational self-assessment to uncover them.
- There is too much paperwork
- Too many reports are needed (are they actually being used?)
- Too many mistakes are being made
- Procedures are too cumbersome
- Decisions take too long (too much red tape)
- Costs are too high
- Quality is unsatisfactory
- Operations are completed late
- Bottlenecks cause delays
- Resources are not coordinated
- Communications are confused
- Some people are over worked
- Things are not going as planned
- Teams and individuals are not prepared
- Meetings last too long
- Enthusiasm is dying
About the Author
Denis Leonard
Denis Leonard has a degree in construction engineering, and an M.B.A. and a Ph.D. in quality management. He is a Fellow of the American Society for Quality and has been an Examiner for the Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners, a Judge on the International Team Excellence Competition, and a Lead Judge on the National Housing Quality Award. He has experience as a quality manager in the home building industry as well as construction engineer, site manager, and in training, auditing, and consulting with expertise in strategic and operational quality improvement initiatives. His work has achieved national quality, environmental, and safety management awards for clients.