Standard work The process guys will tell you that you should standardise and reduce variation. Variation is a bad thing. The customer experience guys will tell you every interaction is different. No customer is the same. Variation is a good thing. Which camp is right? The case for allowing variation Some situations call for a […]
Thou Shalt Not Delay, Distort or Withhold Information
Systems need information They use that information to control the way they act. In a system of cells (like your body) that information flows along nerves and via hormones. In a system of animals (like a colony of ants) that information flows via pheromones and signals. In a system of people (like your business) it […]
Rule 10: Build Systems
Serious fast food In 1954 Ray Kroc walked into the McDonald brothers burger bar in San Bernadino. It was clean and well run, but it wasn’t really any different to any other burger bar in the US. Every town had one. It was unremarkable. The system Ray made McDonald’s remarkable. He systematised the burger business. He took […]
Rule 6: Standardise the Work
Heresy! You can’t standardise a service. You can standardise work in manufacturing. A computer is a computer is a computer. They should all look the same, weigh the same, feel the same and work the same. Nobody will disagree that you should standardise computer manufacturing. But that is manufacturing… The service industry is different The logic […]
Rule 1: Prioritise the Work
Café Culture The other day I walked into a café; it was a popular place, there were people crowded around all the tables. Three members of staff were on duty. They were having a long and detailed conversation about a stock-take. I stood and waited. I waited and stood. The staff gave me a good […]
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