The Executive Checklist: A Guide for Setting Direction and Managing Change by James M. Kerr

Author:James M. Kerr [Kerr, James M.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781137337450
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 2014-02-03T14:00:00+00:00

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CHECKLIST ITEM 3: CHOOSE AN APPROACH

Clients and prospects alike often get engaged in lengthy debates over which process improvement methodology to select for implementation. These deliberations often turn into arguments because passions flare and egos become bruised over the merits of a given Total Quality Management (TQM), Lean or Six Sigma approach.

After being part of many of these discussions, I have come to realize a dirty, little secret—it does not matter which one you choose! At the end of the day, it is more important to pick an approach and work to institutionalize it than it is to spend cycles attempting to discern the absolutely best possible improvement methodology ever invented.

That is not to say that they are all the same. There are, indeed, differences that may lend themselves to an easier implementation within a given concern. However, an organization really can’t make a mistake by selecting any of them as its standard approach as long as it commits to doing the more essential work of homogenizing it for use within the enterprise. If your organization tends to get stuck on making the perfect choice, see A Simple Selection Screen, for some additional perspective on each of the major approaches.

It should be noted that, there are literally hundreds of vendors that specialize in delivering services in each of these methods. Many, in fact, have introduced their own twists and interpretations in order to differentiate their offerings. The selection of the “right” vendor can make or break your organization’s methodology implementation.

My advice is to choose the vendor wisely. You may be better off with a management consultant, with no ties to a specific vendor or approach, to act as your general contractor. The consultant will work on your behalf to limit the risks to the overall business renovation program, by managing the methodology vendor and dealing with the clean-up work if a selected vendor proves ineffective.

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