Book Description
Improve quality and productivity in most any organization
Based on W. Edwards Deming's model, this guide offers an integrated approach to testing and improvement?one that is designed to deliver quick and substantial results. Using simple stories to illustrate core ideas, the authors?all active consultants?introduce a new, flexible model for improving quality and productivity in diverse settings. They draw from research conducted in a variety of areas?manufacturing, government, and schools?to present a practical tool kit of ideas, examples, and applications. What's more, they've included a Resource Guide to Change Concepts so even beginners can utilize the tested techniques of some of the world's most experienced practitioners.
Customer Reviews:
Very helpful. One omission distresses me........2007-06-09
Clear, practical, and empowering. The authors are ambivalent on whether or not they will keep the focus on business operations; from the start they're keen to promote to a fully generic application, but the examples veer to and away from the business world, finally settling there a bit awkwardly.
The Change Concepts index near the end is a great idea, but the scope is confused along the lines I've already cited, and you might feel stuck in the QC department by the time you get through it. That's a bit of a shame, because one wonders if the challenges so elegantly met by the improvement model couldn't be cast in a more universal mode. (One also realizes one doesn't have the time to pursue this thought to fruition.) More pertinently, I'm trying to learn business process engineering, and it's easy to see a list dedicated to that discipline would be different. So despite the book's opening claims to a generic application, I felt stranded in one small tributary of the mighty River Improvement.
Nonetheless, I feel enabled by the book to succeed in my company where others have failed. It's so easy now to see how attempted improvements went wrong, through poor planning or inappropriate opening scope or simply through a failure to acknowledge real benefits when they happened. These pitfalls can be avoided, and the book shows how.
Now, I will mention an important omission. In my workplace I have to test and pilot and implement changes that are complex because a single change has no effect -- rather, two or more changes must be made at the same time, because they are mutually contingent. Management is not sure about A, nor about B. I would like to test A and get a decision, and I would like to treat B as a separate decision path. But they depend on each other, so things aren't so simple. (This is a point where Darwin's theory of cumulative biological mutation fails, if you care to know.) A mechanic troubleshooting your car's ignition system could give you concrete examples, but unfortunately, I couldn't find any in this book. My sense of empowerment has suffered correspondingly.
I just read the Philippy review..........2007-05-16
...and feel compelled to write in response. I must say it is hard to believe that Mr. Philippy and I are looking at the same book. I wrote an extensive review of this book already some time ago (it is listed below) and still feel the same way, even stronger. The Improvement Guide has continued to be, for me and my students/clients/mentees the "here's how" of Dr. W. Edwards Deming's philosophy. I am at a loss to find any hint of self-promotion of the authors in the book, save what one could reasonably infer about the competency and knowledge of the authors given the wealth of useful, in depth examples it contains. These could only come from deep knowledge of the theory and extensive successful experience in its practice. This book is as devoid of self-aggrandizement as any I have ever read.
I take considerable comfort from the fact that given the principles exemplified by the book, it is unlikely that the authors will over-react and over-adjust their professional aims in response to a single review, and will instead continue the fine work that has been done in this volume. My only question is, will there be a second edition? I would love to see it. In tenor and tone, I for one hope that it is exactly like this one....
David Wayne
[...]
Shallow and Pedantic.......2007-01-22
I should qualify this review by stating that I am not an expert on the subject of improvement. This book will not make you or even guide you to expertise. The only shining concept within the book, PDSA, is a great format for structuring improvement within a company, but could have been summed up successfully in 20 pages or less. BOOKS SHOULD NOT SPEND A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THEIR VOLUME ADVERTISING THEMSELVES!
The Improvement Guide.......2006-03-11
A very clear update of performance improvement process for business. Can be used as an introduction to the concept for newly trained staff and an everyday reference for those working on real projects.
A must read for all Black Belts.......2002-08-13
This is a very practical and powerful guide for improvement.
1. The first revelation this book brings is: improvement is a change. From this viewpoint, the fundamental questions faced by the improver (e.g. Green Belts and Black Belts) are:
(1) What are we trying to accomplish? (Define phase)
(2) How will we know if a change will result in an improvement? (What are the key Y's?)
(3) What changes can we make that will result in improvement?
(What are the key X's and their settings to affect Y's)
Appropriate tools from `6-sigma' tool sets can be used to seek answers to (2) and (3).
2. The Guide emphasizes testing a change in small scale before full implementation so we can learn and improve the proposed change using the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle. This significantly improves our typical `trial-and-error' approach.
3. The Guide classifies improvement into 3 categories:
(1) Eliminate Quality Problems (the aim of many `6-sigma' projects)
(2) Reduce Costs while maintaining or improving quality (the goal of many internally focused improvement efforts)
(3) Expanding Customer Expectations
Specific advises and examples are presented for each of these categories.
4. Best of all is a list of 70 Change Concepts categorized under 9 sessions, e.g. standardization under Manage Variation, Synchronize under Improve Work Flow.
Using these change concepts can significantly reduce the time to develop the specific changes.
This book is very easy to follow and contains a lot of examples. It is a must read for all improvement practitioners including Green Belts and Black Belts.
Book Description
Why do so many world-changing insights come from people with little or no related experience? Charles Darwin was a geologist when he proposed the theory of evolution. And it was an astronomer who finally explained what happened to the dinosaurs.
Frans Johansson’s The Medici Effect shows how breakthrough ideas most often occur when we bring concepts from one field into a new, unfamiliar territory, and offers examples how we can turn the ideas we discover into path-breaking innovations.
Customer Reviews:
Better than it would appear.......2007-10-01
This book is about developing ideas. It starts out very slowly and it seems like just another rehash of the tales told a hundred times before. It goes through the normal diversity is better arguement, which is a plus and a minus (he never gives us the minus). But as the book develops he provides a family of keen insights. He reviews much of the literature in an interesting way. Even old news is presented nicely. For example, at this point most people know that brainstorming does not really get you anywhere. Indeed, individuals will come up with more ideas than a team all working together, one after the other. He goes through this and then suggests alternatives. By the time I was done with the book I was impressed and I would recommend it to others.
Nice Book.......2007-08-01
You actually feel inspired when reading it. Just get done and you'l feel real effect.
Good for getting in an innovative and integrative mindset.......2007-06-04
This book was really easy to get through and I came away thinking more about how to keep my mind open to ideas from lots of different disciplines. It provides good examples of cross-discipline collaboration and why you should care. The book provides a few little tricks to get you thinking in a different way, but I found the subject matter itself to be more inspiring than directly applicable.
Interesting, thought provoking and you really can learn "creativity" from it .......2007-03-13
Copied from pg 2, "The idea behind this book is simple: When you step into an intersection of fields, disciplines, or cultures, you can combine existing concepts into a large number of extraordinary new ideas." Somehow you may vaguely have a similar concept as the author's in mind. What he did much more than the rest is that he had studied and consolidated on it, given it a an exotic name "The Medici Effect", and furnished it with plenty of vivid, interesting and memorable examples for others, presumably less bright people like me, to read and follow. In short, quite outstanding in the sea of books on creativity and innovation. Really helpful! Highly recommended!
Ultimately society decides whether an idea is both new and valuable...It is impossible to determine if a person's products are innovative if they have never been seen, used, or evaulated. pg 15
In essence, these people (Marcus Samuelsson, Charles Darwin) succeeded at breaking down their associative barriers because they did one or more of the following things: exposed themselves to a range of cultures; learned differently; reversed their assumptions;, took on multiple perspectives. pg 45
The most successful innovators produce and realize an incredible number of ideas....Pablo Picasso produced 20,000 pieces of art; Einstein wrote more than 240 papers; Bach wrote a cantata every week; Thomas Edison filed a record 1,039 patents. This holds true today. Prince is said to have over 1,000 songs stored in his secret vault, and Richard Branson has started 250 companies. pg 91
Research has shown, in fact, that the vast majority of successful new business ventures abandoned their original business strategies when they began implementing their initial plans and learned what would and would not work in the market. The dominant difference between successful and failed ones, generally, is not their original strategy. Guessing the right strategy at the outset is not nearly as important to success as conserving enough resources (or having relationships with trusted backers or investors) so that new business initiatives get a second or third stab at getting it right. Those that run out of resources or credibility before they can iterate towards a new strategy are the ones that will fail. - Clayton Christensen pg 130
Risk homoeostatis: people will compensate for taking higher risks in one area of life by taking lower risks in another. - Gerald Wilde pg 167
The most effective way to combat fear is to acknowledge it...For starters, you have to come to terms with what is at stake and admit that you might lose it. Often this means that you must be comfortable enough to know that if everything is lost, you can still move on. pg 180
interesting book but need to be better.......2007-03-04
1. the author have something to say, and he say it in a easy way that friendly to understand. it's good. But the author seems too hush to run into the conclusion, it seems if he spend more time in detail study, this book will be much better;
2. For the same topic, I suggest "A Technique for Producing Ideas" which is short but powerful; and it from a master's hand, if you compare that book with "Medici Effect", you will find how good it is, ;-);
Customer Reviews:
Great Book for Beginning Process Engineers.......2006-09-19
This is a very thorough book that leads you through the entire redesign process. I especially liked Chapter 10, "Document Processes", as it is a good place to start the book. This is a very good book for process redesign training - not too detailed to bore training participants, but thorough enough to provide the trainees with a solid process redesign foundation. Packed with useful information and very, very good illustrations - examples that bring the point home. After reading this book, a good follow up is "Business Process Improvement Workbook" by Harrington, Esseling and van Nimwegen ....
Good for process redesign team.......2004-10-06
The authors introduced comprehensively a lot of important topics in process redesign effort, such as core processes identification and performance measurement. These are good to any process redesign team.
The weakness is that there is no clear roadmap by the sequence of content in this book. Many chapaters show in-depth explanation, but looks lack of logic once put into practices. This confuses many process redesign teams.
The best entry level book on the subject.......2004-07-28
A few years back, I developed a jones over process improvement. I went to a few national book retailers and a large respected university bookstore and researched Amazon to examine different texts on the subject. When I came accross this text, I was immediately taken by its clear descriptions and practical advice. It supplements the specific topics with useful tables and workplans. There exists more thorough texts on most of the topics. For example, volumes have been written about reengineering or continuous improvement. However, the vast majority of people looking for guidance will find more than enough information here. Another nice thing is that the authors don't waste time trying to persuade the reader, as some other books do, that these topics are important. They simply and clearly describe the subject at hand and show how to implement. The brevity, clear descriptions, and inclusion of only the most relavent information make this book a must-have for anyone who is concerned with process improvement.
Satisfactory.......2003-01-10
I use this book to teach business process management for the MBA class. It does not have the depth or rigor of a textbook, but does a decent job of addressing the major issues.
Comprehensive and full of excellent info & ideas.......2001-05-27
I got this book based on a friend's recommendation because I was struggling with a process design application called iGrafx Process (also available from Amazon).
I learned that there is much more to process design than basic models based on entry, task, validation and exit criteria. For example, performance measurements and performance efficiency were two areas where this book strengthened my understanding of process design and implementation. They also and enabled me to effectively use iGrafx Process to its fullest.
Other chapters that taught me a lot addressed improvement planning, continuous improvement and process benchmarking. I was able to immediately incorporate the knowledge gained into processes that I was developing, and it made a significant difference in the quality of my work.
The best chapter, in my opinion, was in installing the improved processes. I gained a lot of knowledge and techniques for overcoming barriers and how to objectively measure the degree of improvement. This was reinforced by material that is provided in the appendices, including case studies and an excellent description of Six-Sigma analysis.
Overall, this is a valuable book to anyone who designs or implements new processes, or reengineers existing ones. Most of my work is new design and implementation, so that was the context in which I read the book. If I were assigned to a reengineering project this would be the first book to which I'd turn for guidance and information. It earns a solid five stars and a permanent place in my professional library.
Book Description
The latest edition of this comprehensive publication concentrates on the practical applications of fracture mechanics to fracture and fatigue control in structures, emphasizing the driving force and the resistance force. It also examines fitness for service, or life extension, of existing structures whose design life may have expired but whose actual life can be continued. Finally, it provides case studies for the practicing professional engineer or graduate engineering student, which illustrate the effects of toughness, constraint, loading rate, failure analysis, and other factors that demonstrate the application of fracture mechanics to real-world structures. Five sections cover: Introduction to Fracture Mechanics; Fracture Behavior; Fatigue and Environmental Behavior; Fracture and Fatigue Control; and Applications of Fracture Mechanics - Case Studies.
Customer Reviews:
A very incomplete, but interesting book.......2007-09-23
This book is very good at showing how basic fracture mechanics can be used to understand real fatigue and fracture problems in construction grade steels. The down side to this book is that the authors tend to promote their point of view and give little attention to other points of view. For example the authors spend numerous pages on their CVN to fracture toughness prediction method, yet give the master curve method only a few sentences, and ignore most of the other 20 some CVN to fracture toughness prediction methods that can be found in the literature. The reader might want to also keep in mind the most of the information in this book is based on late 1980's technology in the U.S. construction steel industry.
Mechanical and aerospace fatigue/fracture engineers will probably not find much useful information in this book.
A "practicing engineer's" Fracture Mechanics!.......2002-06-23
This is an excellent book for the practicing engineer who wants to use fracture mechanics to solve fracture and fatigue problems used in industry today. The author explains fracture mechanics and fatigue in terms the practicing engineer uses on a daily basis. For example, different material properties used in fracture mechanics are compared to Hook's Law, yield strength, and tensile strength, material properites common to structural engineers.
Also, the author gives precise definitions of fracture and fatigue, how it can be used during the design phase, why structures fail structurally, and how to use fracture and fatigue analysis to solve these real-life problems.
Excellent Book.......2000-04-04
Excellent for practical engenieers that face fracture mechanics problems and need to solve it very quickly. Tons of experimental data and estimations from simple-->cheaper test to get important proprieties as KIc. Very general book covers a lot of subjects as weldings, inspections routines and many others briefly.
Book Description
"This book covers almost every aspect of the field and provides definitions and summaries of various BPM concepts, business improvement practices, data integration technologies, application integration technologies, workflow technologies, BPMS products and BPMS standards. …a good resource for those who are interested in BPMS and are involved with integrating data, systems, and people." ? Karthikeyan Umapathy, The Pennsylvania State University, Information Technology and People, Vol. 19, No. 2, 2006 Business Process Management Systems: Strategy and Implementation discusses business management practices and the technology that enables these practices. It analyzes the history of process management practices and proposes that BPM practices are a synthesis of BPR (radical change) and TQM (continuous change) practices. Both business and IT professionals receive an integrated view of how various management practices merge into BPM. This volume describes the many technologies that converge to form a Business Process Management System (BPMS), illustrating BPMS standards and service-oriented architecture (SOA).
Customer Reviews:
Very good entry to BPM.......2006-07-31
I've found the book very easy to go through. Comming from an IT backgroud, it does give you very good general background on BMP business past and current business trends.
The IT concepts described in the book are very well described for such a book.
References coverage in each chapter is the most valuable part. You can see easily the book is a result of several years of work.
Average customer rating:
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Forensic Engineering Investigation
Randall K. Noon
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ASIN: 0849309115 |
Book Description
Forensic Engineering Investigation is a compendium of the investigative methodologies used by engineers and scientific investigators to evaluate some of the more common types of failures and catastrophic events. In essence, the book provides analyses and methods for determining how an entity was damaged and when that damage may have legal consequences. The material covers 21 common types of failures, catastrophic events, and losses that forensic engineers routinely assess. The range of topics include wind and blasting damage to structures, vehicular accidents, fires, explosions, hail damage to roofs and exteriors, lighting damage, and industrial guarding accidents. Additionally, the book offers an extensive discussion of the scientific method as it applies to forensic science and provides tips on organizing and writing an investigative report. The book also supplies the applicable codes and standards that regulate the profession, discusses the role of the forensic engineer in court proceedings, and addresses the role management plays in industrial safety. Each chapter is self-contained, highly specific, and succinct. Even more important, the analysis in each chapter is tailored to the answering of questions usually posed in the particular circumstances under discussion. The author does not skimp on the mathematical and scientific underpinnings of the subject matter. In that sense, Forensic Engineering Investigation contains the "good stuff" that is typically omitted in less challenging texts.
Book Description
"Making Six Sigma Last is the most practical and helpful resource that I have seen on this subject. George's charisma and charm spill over into this interesting and entertaining book. Using one of George's many analogies, 'this is an upper-deck shot,' and combined with his first book should become the benchmark for Six Sigma learning."-Dan Porter, Chairman and CEO, Wells Fargo Financial
"An energetic, step-by-step exploration filled with interesting and entertaining examples of real-world business experiences. Making Six Sigma Last is a powerful action plan for managers!"-Guenter Bulk, Managing Director, GE Capital IT Solutions
Customer Reviews:
Starting is Much Easier Than Staying the Course: Here's How.......2001-12-06
There are several outstanding books on the general subject of Six Sigma and Eckes has written two of the best. Previously in The Six Sigma Revolution, he examined major corporations such as Motorola and GE in which Six Sigma programs really did create revolutions which continue as I compose this review. These are properly acclaimed successes. Of course, little (if any) attention has as yet been devoted to those organizations which initiated and then later abandoned Six Sigma programs. The reasons for doing so vary, of course, but most can be classified within two categories of resistance to change: cultural and technical. As O'Toole brilliantly explains in Leading Change, it is a formidable task to overcome what he characterizes as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." In this volume, Eckes suggests all manner of strategies and tactics by which to overcome resistance and then sustain Six Sigma programs, once launched. Correctly, he stresses the importance to an organization of achieving a "balance" between its culture and its technology. Moreover, at a time when change is (literally) the only constant and occurring at an ever-increasing velocity, its is also a formidable challenge to maintain the proper balance of the two. For many years, I believed that most people fear change. I no longer believe that. Rather, I have become convinced that most people fear the unfamiliar. Hence the importance of constant and effective communication between and among everyone involved. Eckes suggests that this book will show his reader how to "Create the need for Six Sigma" but, in fact, the need probably exists already so there is a need to help everyone recognize that need and appreciate the importance of responding to it. Therefore, Eckes also shows his reader how to "Shape a vision of Six Sigma so that employees understand the desired results and new behaviors of a Six Sigma organization." Also, he shows the reader how to "Mobilize commitment to Six Sigma and overcome resistance" which is inevitable. Only then can any organization change its systems and structures "to support the new Six Sigma culture." Next: "Measure Six Sigma cultural acceptance" and "Develop Six Sigma leadership." All of these components are absolutely essential, difficult to integrate, and even more difficult to sustain in appropriate balance. In this volume, Eckes explains how and he does so with precision and eloquence.
In recent years, I have become more involved in Six Sigma or process improvement programs which vary somewhat in terms of their design and scope but all of which encountered several of the "pitfalls" which Eckes discusses in Chapter 8:
1. Feeling obligated to achieve quick success
2. Clogging up agendas with competing distractions
3. Having unrealistic time frames
4. Ignoring previous quality efforts
5. Conducting poor Six Sigma cultural planning and follow-through
6. Delegating (i.e. dumping) cultural development or seeing it as a one-time event
7. Not having appropriate cultural goals or objectives
8. Not allowing for unexpected interruptions
9. Allowing false or cosmetic positive readings to suggest authentic cultural transformation has been achieved
10. Underestimating resource allocation
Of course, whether or not involved with Six Sigma initiatives, any organization can experience some or even all of these "pitfalls." In this book, Eckes offers sound, street-smart advice on how to avoid them. Time and again, he places great emphasis on the importance of cultural values by which everyone involved in a Six Sigma can be guided and, when under duress, sustained. Herb Kelleher has this in mind whenever he explains what Southwest Airlines competitive advantage is: "Maintaining excellent customer service involves a process of getting people to understand the importance of it to them in their daily lives as well as in others'. We were a little concerned as we go bigger that maybe some of our early culture might be lost so we set up a culture committee whose only purpose is to keep the Southwest Airlines culture alive. Before people knew how to make fire, there was a fire watcher. Cave dwellers may have found a tree hit by lightning and brought fire back to the cave. Somebody had to make sure it kept going because if it went out, there would be serious problems. That cave dweller was the most important person in the tribe. I said to our culture committee, `You are our fire watchers, who make sure the fire does not go out. I think you are the most important committee at Southwest Airlines.' I really do believe that to be the case." This is precisely what Eckes means by "culture" in this book. For everyone in any organization already embarked on a Six Sigma program or now considering one, this is a "must read."
Making Six Sigma Last Is The Best Of Strategic Excellence!.......2001-11-24
The new book: Making Six Sigma Last, by Mr. George Eckes, is the the most comprehensive and excellent road map to reach corporate cultural excellence.
The previous book by Mr. Eckes: The Six Sigma Revolution, successfully teaches us the way to implement the tactical component of Six Sigma: process management excellence.
The current book is the only book to date that offers a complete process to achieve the key strategic component of Six Sigma: corporate cultural excellence.
Mr. Eckes has again produced an enjoyable, very enlightening and important Six Sigma book that is easy to read and comprehend.
It is perfect for corporate executives, managers, employees, consultants, quality practitioners, and students of best business practice.
Thank you for the opportunity to express my high regard for the outstanding book: Making Six Sigma Last.
Regards,
Marc St.James
November 24, 2001
Highly Recommended!.......2001-08-08
No one knows Six Sigma, which seeks near perfect customer satisfaction, like George Eckes, the consultant who literally wrote the book on it (The Six Sigma Revolution: How General Electric and Others Turned Process into Profits). In his second book, Eckes emphasizes the importance of molding organizational culture to generate broad acceptance of a Six Sigma initiative, using illustrative examples from his workshops. He describes ways to overcome internal resistance to change, to sell the program's benefits and to get key people as well as the masses on board. If you are launching a Six Sigma program, Eckes provides many specific suggestions of strategies you can employ. But because much of Eckes' wisdom can be applied more generally to organizational change efforts, we [...] recommend this insightful book to any executive, whether or not Six Sigma is your strategy of choice.
Best Book On How To: Create & Sustain a Six Sigma Culture.......2001-06-22
Think about it. Seriously think about it. What was the downfall of your quality endeavor? Your performance improvement plan? Your Six Sigma initiative? Was the wrong strategy used or was it the wrong tactical approach? Mostly likely it was neither your strategy nor your tactical approach. The failure was most likely do to people. Most likely your people hadn't really bought in. Buy-in from your people is necessary for an initiative such as Six Sigma to be successful. The people in your organization create your organizations' culture. How do you get cultural buy-in? How can you sustain that buy-in?
In the book Making Six Sigma Last, the author, George Eckes shows us how. Through heart-felt stories, humorous personal examples, and real business illustrations the author takes us through the process needed to create and sustain a culture that supports Six Sigma.
First we learn about Q x A = E. This powerful formula shows us that: "Q" Quality, the technical and strategic elements of a Six Sigma initiative, times "A" Cultural Acceptance, of the technical and strategic elements of Six Sigma, determines "E" the success of the Six Sigma process. Then, the author addresses resistance. We are reminded that it's a natural process for people to resist change. Eckes describes four types of resistance and offers specific strategies for overcoming each. The next chapters show how to sell it and then manage it. Now it's time to ask did it work? Did you get the cultural buy-in you were attempting? How do you know? In Making Six Sigma Last, Eckes offers a model that is used to measure the cultural acceptance within the organization or as Eckes says, "how well Six Sigma has been baked into the organization". Five case studies are used to illustrate these concepts. Then through profiles of leadership, the author shares real business examples of what worked, what didn't and why. Finally we learn how to sustain the culture that will support Six Sigma initiatives with the chapter on pitfalls: 10 things to avoid.
Making Six Sigma Last is an informative and easy read. It's effective and efficient, hallmarks of Six Sigma. The book leaves you inspired and hopeful that this stuff really can work. Don't start without it!
If you like the psychology of business, read this book.......2001-06-13
What I enjoyed most about this book was the applied "psychology of business" in other words, how to get people (organizations)to do what you want them to do and like it!
The book gives you answers to the "what if" questions that anyone trying to succeed in changing their corporate culture has. The examples and the personal tone of the book make it a fast, informative and easy read.
Amazon.com
Even a company that dramatically improves its efficiency and product quality can fail miserably. Peter G. W. Keen names this phenomenon the "process paradox," a modern industrial problem that he deconstructs and defeats in his book The Process Edge. The basis of business acumen is common sense, Keen reminds us, but it must be combined with a rigor that measures pure worth. Processes--not only in customer service and quality assurance, but in larger, abstract notions such as acquisition and cultural initiatives--need to be approached in this basic manner. Using a broad, multidisciplinary approach (Keen was an English literature major in college but has since taught management science at Stanford and MIT), he immerses the theory of business processes in an economic bath, refining previously overlooked processes and debunking "magical" ones. Methods that businesses institute, after proving advantageous, can still build in value, and then must be incorporated into the entire business strategy. Keen substantiates his points with real-life cases and examples, from Dell and IBM to Wal-Mart and Boeing. Managers who wish to examine their businesses holistically and within sound theory will appreciate The Process Edge, but it will prove most valuable to managers who need to enact change now.
Book Description
The Process Edge proves that business process improvement is not a fad. It addresses the recent backlash against process movements like reengineering by explaining why businesses can decline even as process reform is creating dramatic new efficiencies and savings. Companies that experience this paradox are investing in the wrong processes. The book presents an economic model for deciding which business processes are worth the investment and provides the tools for applying the model. It shows that process can be the key to competitive edge. Applying the principles of The Process Edge will help managers resolve the process paradox by measuring the genuine cost and economic value of process improvements and investing only in those that will help their companies thrive.
Customer Reviews:
The Process Edge.......2003-02-02
Excellent overview and approach to project selection for business process improvement. Clear and original thinking on the matrix and balance sheet approach to process definition. Little detail however on what to do once the targeted areas are identified. Good companion to Good To Great by Collins (with similar levels of implementation detail).
"Keen" Insight into Process Improvement.......2001-12-11
Most improvement programs struggle with the project selection process. Mr Keen provides an interesting approach in identifying processes where improvement offers the greatest impact to the organization. There is also intriguing discussion contrasting benefits and value. This is a nice thought provoking book for folks tasked with identifying improvement opportunities in any organization.
Thought Provoking!.......2000-07-06
Keen excels at extending the definition of processes and providing a structured Salience/Worth matrix approach of thinking about them. An important read for developing an understanding of processes and their role.
Exceptional value! Replaces your TQM & Reengineering books........1999-10-08
The inability to understand the value of business processes is the pitfall of many reengineering projects especially in IT. Internalizing this book will certainly contribute to your future projects. A must in any business management library.
Poor follow through.......1998-07-01
The book raises some interesting issues (treating processes as capital, using EVA) but ultimately falls short somehow. The author points out that there are more processes than just the traditional workflow ones, but his examples are all of workflow processes. He never talks about succession planning processes or employee retention processes. The first few chapters were interesting but the rest was more or less useless.
Customer Reviews:
This is the book!.......2005-02-06
This is the book! If you are the person in your organization who needs to get the job done, not just discuss the theory, then this is the book. The authors tell how a Lean Enterprise looks, how to get there and the pitfalls to look for along the way. They tell you where you will find the most benefit, and where you will find the money when you become a Lean company. It is readable, understandable and it is excellent. The pages in my copy are marked up in yellow, underlined and dog-eared. If you were afraid to try Lean before you read the book, you will put this down at the end thinking, "I must do this." And, having read the book, you will say, "And now I know how."
This is a GREAT Book!.......2004-07-22
This is a very easy read but is packed with everything you need to know to go through the lean transformation AND avoid the mistakes many make.
I would highly recommend this book!
Management should wake up and read this book-now!.......2004-07-10
I have just finished this book and it is excellent! This is not just another book on Lean. This is an indictment of executives, managers and concrete heads in organizations that aspire to mediocrity.
These authors have obviously been in the trenches and understand what most of us go through as we try to implement this process. There is great advice and hard-hitting commentary on why companies are failing to get the full benefits of Lean. Check out the Lean Math Chapter where Offshore Outsourcing is compared to a Lean alternative.
Executives and managers have a huge responsibility and they are not (from what I exerience) living up to it. The authors explain why engagement is critical as well as commitment. Management should read this book and then ask themselves a lot of tough questions. Also, the whole discussion on education and institutionalization is right on the money.
This book shows why you need to change and how to do it. It focuses on the whole Enterprise and not just Manufacturing and explains why Lean is not a new fad and why it will not go away.
You are going Lean or you are not going anywhere, and this book shows why you need to do it before you are forced into it by your customers or your competition.
I hope these guys write another book. This is a breath of fresh Lean air.
Book Description
For twenty years, as founder of Solomon Software, the author worked with thousands of small businesses. The sale of his company opened the door for the author and his team of experts to pursue their growing passion --helping small businesses achieve and sustain excellence. Building on their many years of experience, this team invested $10 million and fifty man-years to combine the practical parts of strategic planning, quality management, integrated learning, business process automation, people performance management and measure-driven improvement into a single business-building methodology. This synthesis resulted in six fundamental business disciplines that are specifically designed to help small businesses move beyond momentary success to enduring excellence.
This book is NOT for those who are looking for a quick fix. Six Disciplines is a "long-term fitness program, not a fad diet". If you hunger to move beyond 'widget building' to 'business building' then this book is for you!
Customer Reviews:
Straight to the point, well-organized, and extremely practical........2007-05-14
Before I comment on the book, I should say that I've been consulting on management and leadership issues for more than 18 years, working with the entire spectrum of business--from small regional concerns to companies in the Fortune 500. Much of my work during this time has been with leadership and management teams, enhancing and refining their thinking processes and tools to move them from surviving to thriving. Over the years I kept honing my programs to provide the best and most essential components. After working with hundreds of businesses, I've seen, heard, and read a lot.
So with that background, I have to give Six Disciplines for Excellence a full and complete endorsement. Too many books on management and leadership talk about theory and principles. I agree with one of the other reviewers that this book is 20% principles and 80% "how-to." This book just screams practical.
In my opinion, anyone in business would do well to make Six Disciplines mandatory reading throughout their leadership team--and then add the "how-to" sections as action items on their meeting agendas. Even better: locate a top-notch consultant/facilitator to help stay on track re: following through on the action-items.
Reason: Like other reviewers have mentioned, reading this book and then following through on the action steps are two different things.
Perhaps it's best to consider Six Disciplines a workbook--and it's probably the best business-building workbook I've seen. In my opinion, many larger organizations would benefit from reading it, too. It's easy to read and it outlines of the key steps for success. No fluff. Just straight to the point, well-organized, and extremely practical.
Read it and you'll be enlightened.
Do what it says and you'll be moving your business from "surviving" to "thriving."
- Dan Bobinski
CEO / Director - The Center for Workplace Excellence
PS. Despite the similarities between the name of my business and the title of Gary Harpst's book, I've not met the man (as of this writing) and we have no affiliation. --But after reading his book it seems like he's certainly someone one would want to meet!
Good Insight, Quick/Easy Read.......2007-04-27
I primarily purchased this book to gain insight into the corporate planning of my employer and in the interest of possibly starting my own business some day. This book provide a quick, easy read and a great companion to "Fire Someone Today (And Other Surprising Tactics for Making Your Business A Success)".
While "Fire Someone Today" provided some examples of harsh lessons and the values of good planning, this book provided the "how to" side of that approach. 6D4E did not provide many powerful, real-world examples/stories, but took the time to explain how to avoid the bad side. I recommend both of these books as a pair.
I would not recommend reading this book on its own (unlike "Fire Someone Today"). Without an understanding of "lessons learned" and what others are thinking (such as looking at the "Inside the Minds" series from Aspatore Books), this book merely provides you with a "hey, you should do this" without showing the negative side or how your particular role fits into the plan.
Without an understanding of your position (Inside the Minds) and how things have failed (Fire Someone Today), this book will be ineffective and merely tossed to the side until you learn those harsh lessons yourself.
Excellent.......2007-01-11
The book describes excellent facts that most if not all other books do not describe. Therefore the information is fairly unique and valuable and will definetely add to your repatoire of knowledge and skills.
If you can afford the book then purchase it., the cover design is terrible and they could have done a much better job marketing the book, but this is one of those books with excellent insight and information and crappy marketing. The book has more potential that what it appears from the cover. I give it 8/10, or probably in the top 10% of business books.
weLEAD Book Review by the Editor of leadingtoday.org.......2006-10-19
Most new jobs created in the United States today are the result of small businesses forming or expanding. Gone are the days when large manufacturers rapidly created hundreds or thousands of jobs to support their growing requirements. However, small businesses have special needs, not only to survive the early years but to sustain their foundational growth. Author Gary Harpst actively taps into these critical needs in Six Disciplines For Excellence.
As Harpst mentions in the Introduction, "figuring out the right things to do isn't nearly as difficult as continuing to do them over the long term". He continues by commenting why this book was written, "That passion is directed toward helping small businesses not only achieve excellence, but sustain it". Throughout the remainder of the book, Six Disciplines For Excellence integrates the best practices to grow a small business and unifies them into a interconnected plan. Furthermore, unlike most business books, Harpst cleverly focuses on implementation (how to) rather than simply principles. He states that this "book's content is focused 20% on principles and 80% on implementation".
Six Disciplines For Excellence is composed of 10 chapters and an Epilogue. The first three chapters introduce the book and discuss the challenges of being a small business. The next six chapters each discuss one of the six disciplines. For example, chapter eight analyzes the fifth discipline entitled Innovate Purposely. In this invigorating chapter Harpst demonstrates how innovation works in concert with the other disciplines and how it should permeate the daily culture of a small business.
This is a book that should be read by everyone who leads a small business. Six Disciplines For Excellence has the clever ability to connect solid principles together with proven strategies to create a workable plan. It makes sense of the seemingly complex and fragmented problems facing any organization in a book that is colorful, easy to comprehend and well written. If you own, manage or lead a small business, this book will make you and your organization better!
Best 'How To' Book I have ever Read...........2006-09-21
I have read hundreds of books on leadership, strategy, and management and have for years continued to struggle to 'operationalize' strategy & the management of strategy execution. This is the best book I have ever read to overcome my struggles and have bought copies for everyone on my leadership team. We will adopt the 'Six Disciplines' methodology and I know my business will be better for it.
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