A favorite topic of summit speakers, you probably think you’ve heard enough about Operational Excellence by now. The phrase itself might conjure stale muffins, full hotel ballroom lighting, and an orchestra of hushed click-clacks as people try to type out a stealthy response to their boss’s latest email. But OPEX is more than a subject that’s always on the conference docket: when you really dive in, it’s a powerful strategy to catapult your organization to the next level.
Underscoring Operational Excellence is a relentless drive to improve
It’s not a one-shot destination on a map, but more of a traveling salesman problem, a renowned mathematical quest to find the most efficient route for a staffer to visit their assigned client base. You identify what “stops” or tasks must be performed and continuously try to find the best way to hit everyone without wasting time. Maybe you rearrange the order, introduce new players, or cut certain paths altogether. Considering that there are 15 trillion trillion possible routes for a driver with 25 packages to deliver, you can always find a better way. OPEX cuts out fluff, deadweight, and shortcuts—it’s a laser-like focus on what’s essential to your organization’s success and the best methods for achieving your goals. Each day you intend to garner a deeper understanding of how tasks flow between your people, winnowing steps, wasteful practices, and unfocused behaviors to get two steps closer to your goal. It’s a spirited, always-changing methodology, and with these five important elements you can start making big strides.
The Key 5 Elements to Operational Excellence
Vision
Your vision serves as a crystal-clear roadmap, a die-hard practical codex helping your team perform the right work and weigh potential ideas. When faced with a challenge, your vision helps them determine the right move. People can only mimic detailed movement—consider a dance teacher that says, “just move your arms a bunch,” vs. one that walks you through voguing. So don’t be afraid to get specific—a vague commitment to “quality” and” customer service” is a nice sentiment, but that doesn’t help staff understand how they should operate at your company vs. another brand that appreciates the same concept. Take a stand with your vision so staffers and customers know precisely why you’re in business.
