This document discusses the concept of positive deviance and using evidence-driven processes to find success within one's own organization. Positive deviance refers to practices that show better performance under the same conditions as comparable practices. The document advocates shifting from "fixing errors" to "rewarding and learning from the best." It provides an example of how positive deviance was used in bakeries to identify higher performing stores and determine root causes of their success that could be applied elsewhere, such as creative deviations from standardized processes. The document encourages organizations to identify their own positive deviants to drive process innovation from within.

1. Positive Deviance in Evidence-
driven Process Improvement:
Or, how to find success in your own
company.
Professor Dr Jan Recker
Woolworths Chair of Retail Innovation
Information Systems School, Queensland University of Technology

2. “If the decision is going to be made by
facts, then everyone’s facts […] are
equal.
If the decision is going to be made on
the basis of people’s opinions, then
mine count for a lot more.“
James Barksdale
former CEO Netscape

3. What percentage of your
BPM decisions are
evidence-based?

4. Evidence-driven BPM in action:
Positive Deviance in Bakeries
“Where in our company is
innovation and success already
happening?

5. Novel Perspective: Positive Deviance
 a practice that stands out from a pool of comparable
practices as it shows better performance under the
same environmental conditions.
 A shift in management thinking, from “fixing errors” to
“rewarding and learning from the best”

6.  Who is truly
successful?
 Why are they
truly
successful?
 Which true
root causes
can we insert
elsewhere to
improve all
processes?
Rigorous scientific principles
Average
Positive Deviant
Positive Deviant
Positive Deviant
Positive Deviant
Positive Deviant
Positive Deviant
Positive Deviant
Customer penetration
Bakerysalesperformance

7. Unbiased observation

8. Quality Empirical Evidence
 “It’s not necessarily the process.”
 everyone follows the same process model
 “It’s not the competition.”
 process performance independent from local context
 Clever use of mark-downs, baking scheduling
 Individual motivation an the willingness to
‘do something extra’
 Bakery teams discussing ideas with Produce, Meat,
Seafood etc.
 Culture: collaboration and communication between
departments
 Teams finding their own solutions for products,
display and service;
 Creativity and Intention to deviate from standardized
process where “not required”

9. The Difference?
Processperofrmance[in%]
Cumulative number of store processes
Bottom
10%
Top
10%
25%
Percentile
50%
Percentile
75%
Percentile
Improving 10% Improving 90%

10. The Question:
Who is your Positive Deviant?
‐ Managers of stores
‐ Teachers at high schools
‐ Academics at universities
‐ Red cross blood donors
‐ Franchisees at Pizza Capers,
Subway and McDonalds
‐ …
‐ And in your organization?

11. • Process Innovation requires evidence-
based decisions
– Do you use it?
• Research-as-a-Service assists BPM
– Do you have access to it?
• Positive Deviance can innovate from within
– Do you find it?
Recap: Takeaways

12. Prof. Jan Recker, PhD
Woolworths Chair of Retail Innovation
Information Systems School
Science and Engineering Faculty
Queensland University of Technology
email j.recker@qut.edu.au
web www.janrecker.com
twitter janrecker