The document discusses operational excellence, which involves focusing on customer needs, empowering employees, and continually improving processes. It also discusses Deming's Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle for continuous process improvement through analysis, measurement, implementation of changes, and assessment. Locating the specific pain point in a process that is causing problems makes reorganization more manageable. Common and special causes of process variation are explained. Critical-to-quality parameters relate to customer wants and needs, while critical-to-customer standards ensure requirements are met. The seven wastes of Lean are defined as areas of inefficiency. Customer journey mapping tracks the customer experience.

1. Overview
Travis Barker, MPA GCPM
Innovate Vancouver

2. A philosophy of the workplace where
problem-solving, teamwork, and
leadership results in the ongoing
process improvement in an
organization.
The process involves focusing on the
customers' needs, keeping the
employees positive and empowered, and
continually improving the current
activities in the workplace
Source: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/operational-
excellence.html
Operations
Excellence
Competitive
Foundation

3. W. Edwards Deming in the 1950's
proposed that business processes
should be analyzed and measured to
identify sources of variations that
cause products to deviate from
customer requirements.
He recommended that business
processes be placed in a continuous
feedback loop so that managers can
identify and change the parts of the
process that need improvements.
PLAN: Design or
revise business
process
components to
improve results
DO: Implement the
plan and measure
its performance
CHECK: Assess the
measurements and
report the results
to decision makers
ACT: Decide on
changes needed to
improve the
process
Source: http://www.balancedscorecard.org/BSC-
Basics/Articles-Videos/The-Deming-Cycle

4.  A critical first step in tackling [a problem]
would be locating the pain point—that
area of a department most affected by a
business problem.
 By taking a measured, systematic
approach and changing only the areas
needed to meet the business objectives,
the task of reorganizing a large
department becomes much more
manageable and the likelihood of success
increases dramatically.
 Source: https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/focusing-development-
framework-4508
Component 1:
Effective
Component 2:
Symptom of
Problem
Component 3:
Pain Point
Component 4:
Symptom of
Problem

5. Common Cause of Variance, Though variance is a
problem, it is an inherent part of a process—
variance will eventually creep in, and there is not
much you can do about it. Specific actions cannot
be taken to prevent this failure from occurring. It is
ongoing, consistent, and predictable.
Special Cause of Variance, on the other hand, refers
to unexpected glitches that affect a process. The
term Special Cause of Variance was coined by W.
Edwards Deming and is also known as an
“Assignable Cause.” These are variations that were
not observed previously and are unusual, non-
quantifiable variations.
Common
Causes
Special
Causes
Total
Causes of
Quality
Defects
Source: https://www.simplilearn.com/common-vs-special-cause-
of-variance-article

6. Critical to Quality:
 CTQs are the internal critical quality
parameters that relate to the wants and
needs of the customer. They are not the
same as CTCs (Critical to Customer), and
the two are often confused
Critical to Customer:
 Measurable standards of performance for
a product or service that are essential in
order for that product or service to meet
the requirements of the customer.
Source: isixsigma.com
Critical to
Quality
Critical to
Customer
Quality
Products &
Outputs

7. Reducing the 7 wastes
in a process can
decrease variability and
improve quality; both a
focus of LEAN and six-
sigma.
• Transport
• Inventory
• Motion
• Waiting
• Over-processing
• Overproduction
• Defects
The 7
Wastes
of Learn
Transport
Inventory
Motion
Waiting
Over-
Processing
Over-
Production
Defects
Source: http://leanmanufacturingtools.org/77/the-seven-wastes-
7-mudas/

8. Customer Journey Mapping involves
developing a process map that tracks the
customers connecting with your business and
first learning about your business, to
engaging with your business, receiving
services and/or purchasing products, to
completing the transaction and any follow-up
that may be needed.
Although customer journey mapping is not
usually carried out as a formal process it must
be considered if the customer engagement,
acquisition, and retention funnel is to be
successful.
Initiation
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
•Step 3a
•Step 3b

9. The intervention is based on
the problem to be solved. But it
begins with a proper analysis
and diagnosis of what that
problem is as well as
identification of what the
desired solution will look like.
The customer journey map is
just one tool in your tool-box
but it represents a significant
first step towards improving
customer satisfaction.
Step 1
Any issues?
Interventions
needed?
Step 2
Any issues?
Interventions
needed?
Step 3
Any issues?
Interventions
needed?

10. Initiation:
Identify
opportunity for
improvements
(critical
incidents) based
on known critical
to quality
factors. Form
Working Group &
Schedule
Working Group
meeting
Planning:
Identify Critical
Incident.
Evaluate Road
map. Confirm
Requirements.
Develop Plan
Components.
Evaluate
Common Cause;
Evaluate Special
Cause
Execution:
Execute tasks
and deliverables.
Evaluate
Performance
Gap. Propose
Solution
Implement
Solution. Test/
retest/ Evaluate
Solution
Controlling &
Monitoring:
Communication.
Confirm Solution
Meets
Requirements (or
repeat above
steps).
Standardize
Solution. Change
Management.
Training.
Closeout:
Deliver Solution
Outputs.
Confirm Final
Solution Meets
Requirements/
Document
Lessons Learned.