In search of operational excellence
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There’s an interesting article at Optimize Magazine enttiled “The CIO As Business Predictor.” It talks quite a bit about the uncertainties prevelant in business today, something I’ve talked about frequently here.
At one point the article says “No management decision will ever look perfect after the fact, but operational excellence isn’t about managing in hindsight. Rather, it’s about making the best decisions based on all the information that’s currently available.” Great point. And, operational excellence needs to be managed throughout the organization.
As we talk to manufacturers about building a competence around Response Management, one of the things that we discuss is the difference between the planning process - which tends to be quite centralized and done by a small number of people - and the response process - which tends to be very decentralized and done by a large number of people. Response Management can support operational excellence by really empowering people to respond effectively to change. Each unexpected change is an opportunity to demonstrate operational excellence. But this can only be done if the people “where the rubber meets the road” are armed with the right information and tools to respond. Aa the article says, “it’s about making the best decisions based on all the information that’s currently available.”
