EON Blog

Many organizations track their key performance indicators (KPIs) using a balanced scorecard approach. The collected feedback gives high-level leaders a way of monitoring the total health of an organization on a regular basis.

Operational excellence (OpEx) can be a mystery for some people. While OpEx doesn’t have a precise definition that is fully transferable from one organization to another, certain approaches for OpEx implementation are defined. The degree to which operational excellence is achieved varies and is not an exact comparison from one team to another, but it can be measured against various auditing checklists.

No matter where you are in your operational excellence (OpEx) process, it’s worth going back to basics and looking for further opportunities to drive toward perfection. In fact, because the very essence of operational excellence is continuous improvement (CI), you should expect to be constantly learning and continuously growing in your role as an OpEx manager.

Do you know the story of the three blind men and an elephant? One man touches the trunk and imagines a snake. Another touches a leg and perceives it as the trunk of a tree. The third touches the ear and thinks it is a large fan. At first, each man distrusts the others because they assume they must be liars, but when they put their thoughts together, they begin to picture the elephant as it actually appears.

Process maps have tremendous value. Remember the adage: A picture is worth a thousand words. A process map is a valuable picture of your operations, helping to illustrate clearly how things work; it shows tasks, decisions, data collection, flow of materials and information, and the sequence of process steps. This picture is far better than verbal descriptions, which might be interpreted differently from one person to another. A process map becomes documentation of setup and changes, as well as an important teaching and troubleshooting tool.

Do you remember Aesop’s story of the tortoise and the hare? The tortoise plods along slowly and steadily while the hare has an exciting start, racing off toward the finish line. Then the hare stops to rest, burns out, or hits some kind of obstacle. Meanwhile the slow and steady tortoise keeps chugging along and wins.

Just like anything shiny and new, implementing continuous improvement has a mystique and attraction when it first hits prime time. However, after a while the newness wears off and the CI process must stand on its own merits. At times, frankly, it doesn’t.

At EON, we’re privileged to work with OpEx Leaders and teams at a wide variety of organizations, which gives us broad exposure to the latest trends and most pressing challenges that our clients face.  Some of our clients are new to formal OpEx and are just getting their “sea legs” so to speak.  Others have been at it for some time and are trying to take their efforts to the next level.  The third category of client is one that has been on the journey for some time and has been able to implement a structured approach to OpEx within most or all of the organization.

At EON, we’re privileged to work with OpEx Leaders and teams at a wide variety of organizations, which gives us broad exposure to the latest trends and most pressing challenges that our clients face.  Some of our clients are new to formal OpEx and are just getting their “sea legs” so to speak.  Others have been at it for some time and are trying to take their efforts to the next level.  The third category of client is one that has been on the journey for some time and has been able to implement a structured approach to OpEx within most or all of the organization.

As we reflect on our work with clients across the OpEx maturity spectrum, we’ve identified 3 key challenges that every OpEx Leader will eventually need to address at some point in order to drive an approach to operational excellence that stands above the rest.  We sometimes refer to these as the 3S’s on the OpEx journey. Read on to learn about challenge #2, 'How to Scale Your Efforts'.

You contemplate the open sky before you. Below, an unobstructed seemingly bottomless expanse beckons. Fear wracks your mind and body as you hold the rail, precariously perched almost five-hundred feet above the Colorado River. An elevated heartbeat and heavy breathing are undulating reminders of your apprehension. And then … you jump.