The Operational Excellence Society is…
a “think tank” that creates and aggregates content for individuals who wish to be high-performance members of high-performance teams at high-performance organizations.
We define Operational Excellence as; “a state of readiness that is attained as the efforts throughout the organization reach a state of alignment for achieving its strategies; and where the corporate culture is committed to the continuous and deliberate improvement of company performance AND the circumstances of those who work there – and is precursor to becoming a high-performance organization.“
The High Cost of Acting Without Planning: Why Communication and Preparation Are Cornerstones of Success
We often talk about the need for speed, but speed without direction is chaos. It is far better to achieve and increase velocity; which is speed with a vector – a direction, purpose. For those invested in Lean principles, PDCA starts with “Plan”, but all too often and to their risking doom, organizations start with “Act”. From the boardroom to the front lines, organizations often mistake urgent action for progress; only to discover wasted resources, frustrated employees, and disappointed stakeholders in the aftermath. The real challenge for leaders is not deciding whether to move quickly, but how to ensure that…
featured articles
Best Practices For Becoming a High-Performance Organization
I started XONITEK in August of 1985 in Endicott, New York. I still own its latest incarnation, now located in Sheridan, Wyoming. Having owned my own businesses for the last…
Design Thinking for Operational Excellence
I was the Chairman at an Operational Excellence and Business Transformation conference in Amsterdam this past March (2023) which was produced by CParity. The lead-off workshop was on Design Thinking…
Best Practices for Designing and Deploying an Operational Excellence Program
These approaches can also be applied to Continuous Improvement, Lean, or Six Sigma Programs. I started my first business, XONITEK, in August of 1985. I still own its latest incarnation…
The 9 Questions To Ask About Operational Excellence
Summary; Most companies preparing to launch an Operational Excellence Program do not take a moment to contemplate what their program is hoping to achieve, or even if what they are…
The Importance of a Project Review Board
A key to success in any Operational Excellence or Continuous Improvement program will be found in the way opportunities for improvement are harvested and prioritized; and how well the projects…
Eulogy of a Continuous Improvement Program
When you were born, everyone could see the twinkle in your eyes for the fire and passion you held. As you grew, you became inspired by the reported accomplishments of…
Expert Contributors
Growing a Business Successfully Requires a Look in the Mirror
Achieving sustainable growth in any business can often be challenging. A recent study of growth, published in the Harvard Business Review, of 10,897 publicly held companies over a 43-year period…
Facts and Values; The Keys to Operational Excellence in Sales and Marketing
The leaders of B2B companies often face a conundrum in sales and marketing. Their products, services, and talented people solve customer problems daily. Their approaches to awareness, conversion, and retention…
Harnessing core values for success
This article is provided courtesy of theleanmag, a content partner of the Operational Excellence Society. Imagine steering a ship in tumultuous seas without a compass—this is like leading a business without…
What does Excellence taste like?
This article is provided courtesy of theleanmag, a content partner of the Operational Excellence Society. In the culinary world, excellence is often measured by the ability to create unique flavor profiles,…
Five core practices for OpEx
It’s all about the people… … the problem is, that seems hard… The joke often goes that managers pick up the Operational Excellence bible and flip through the chapters: hmmm…
Building Structurally Sound Communication
When was the last time you played Jenga? Maybe you set it up with your kids on a rainy Sunday afternoon, or maybe you idly played it with friends at…
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the opex vault
Harnessing core values for success
This article is provided courtesy of theleanmag, a content partner of the Operational Excellence Society. Imagine steering a ship in tumultuous seas without a compass—this is like leading a business without…
Root Cause Analysis Tools & Techniques
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) is the formal search for an individual or group of interacting true causes of a problem. The trick is to use the right tool to identify…
Respect for People in the Production System
What are we missing in the OpEx movement? We have talked so much about the Six Sigma and lean thinking, and how the two, used together (not just one or…
Sweet Green: The Secret Sauce for Winning Partnerships
Filmed at an independently organized TEDx event, this talk is narrated by the founders of Sweet Green – Nathaniel Ru, Jonathan Neman, and Nicholas Jermaine. These three guys started this…
