2010-Jan: Operational Excellence by Design – the XONITEK eNewsletter
-XONITEK eNewsletter January 2010 Operational Excellence by Design – A cross-disciplinary approach in the pursuit of perfection. PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVES Weighing in on Healthcare… By Joseph F Paris Jr I have refrained from discussing Healthcare in my articles because the topic is so politically polarized. If I say that I am “for” healthcare reform, I am labeled a “socialist” (or worse) who is against free-markets – and if I say that I am against healthcare reform, then I am…
Practical Implementation of Lean Into Transactional Process Environments
-5 Key Area’s• Using Lean concepts to bring operational efficiencies to the business in a short time-frame• Focusing effort on areas that are perceived to have high fixed costs• Maximizing the value from existing processes before re-engineering• Measuring process capacity and identifying waste• Providing leaders with the right information to manage operational environments Empirical Perspectives on Operations• Leaders underestimate the real capacity of their operations• Capacity measurements rarely evident• Best practice not identified – don’t know what good looks like• No relativity across operational teams – typically count “widgets” / tabulate SLA’s• Inability to flex up and down for changes in demand• 40% of…
Weighing in on Healthcare
-I have refrained from discussing Healthcare in my articles because the topic is so politically polarized. If I say that I am “for” healthcare reform, I am labeled a “socialist” (or worse) who is against free-markets – and if I say that I am against healthcare reform, then I am a heartless free-market capitalist. I wonder, “Why the labels”? Can’t there be a frank and open dialog based upon facts and pragmatism? Why must the arguments be fear-based? Why the lies and exaggerations (from all sides)? Why must there be an “us” and a “them” against one another instead of everyone working the problem?…
Happy Holidays…
-Happy Holidays As we come to the end of another year, we find ourselves reflective of the year’s hard fought battles won and lost, of loves arrived and departed, and of business successes and disappointments. With rebuilding spirit, we look with great anticipation to what lay before us in the coming year. And, most importantly, we look toreconnect over the next few weeks with our families and closest friends. After all, we do what we do – not for love of treasure, or stature, or other hubris, but – to leave an indelible and positive mark on this Earth and all whom we touch. It has been a…
2009-Dec: Operational Excellence by Design – the XONITEK eNewsletter
-XONITEK eNewsletter December 2009 Operational Excellence by Design – A cross-disciplinary approach in the pursuit of perfection. PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVES Start Building a Better Future Today… By Joseph F Paris Jr What a difference a year makes… Looking back at my last year’s Holiday article – I called 2008 “The year of quicksand”. I made several references to the rip-saw in the economy and the plummet of almost every known economic indicator. Some pundits were even speaking…
To Build a Team, You Must Become a Leader
-I am a big advocate of leadership development. I study and push leadership development through all I do in life. I once read that General Dwight D. Eisenhower was asked how he managed to lead such a diverse group of people to work together to win Europe from the Nazis. He answered, “Sir, it is one team, or we lose.” How alike is our situation to Eisenhower’s back then? We all work with groups of diverse people. Each person has different skills, talents, temperaments, motivations, and experiences. If we don’t work as a team, our odds at success are greatly diminished. What Defines a Leader? If I were to…
