Operational Excellence

Journey to Creating Sustainable Value

Wiley, 2015

15 min read

10 take-aways

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What's inside?

Achieve efficiency, success, organizational progression and results through operational excellence.

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Organizations typically run both quality and improvement initiatives simultaneously, targeting different aspects of their operations. While these initiatives may improve efficiency, they work in a piecemeal fashion and don’t necessarily lead the organization to lasting results. Operational Excellence (OE), an overarching “master program” that aims to improve effectiveness and results, fills this gap. Veteran managerial expert John S. Mitchell explains how to implement and execute OE to achieve “sustained excellence” and change the culture in your organization. Leaders at all levels, especially executives and senior managers, will benefit from this manual. Anyone currently involved in or about to start an Operational Excellence initiative will find it indispensable. Though Mitchell can be dry, technical and repetitive, getAbstract believes that his heartfelt, clearheaded guidance will benefit many organizational leaders seeking a lasting, all-encompassing, enterprise-wide approach to improvement.

Summary

The “Operational Excellence” Advantage

Before you make changes in your organization, take time to review and understand the Operational Excellence (OE) approach to continuous improvement. OE aims to improve organizational effectiveness and drive better results. Its core principles are “safety, excellence, integrity, quality and value.”

While most improvement and quality initiatives target specific processes, production or equipment systems, OE encompasses a wider footprint: people, performance, maintenance, equipment, systems and, most importantly, culture. Despite its wide-ranging nature, OE doesn’t replace or change successful improvement practices. It “knits” programs together under a framework that emphasizes “safety and human performance” to enhance a company’s value.

“Continuous Improvement”

Operational Excellence is a roof that shelters functional change and improvement programs, allowing them to align, leverage one another and thrive. As such, OE takes time; it requires a sustained, significant commitment from executives, senior leaders and employees. In the past, going through an overhaul this thorough and potentially wrenching might not have...

About the Author

John S. Mitchell is a leading proponent of Operational Excellence. He also wrote Physical Asset Management Handbook and An Introduction to Machinery Analysis and Monitoring.

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J. M. 12 months ago

Great
A. 8 years ago

Who likes change?! Who likes change?! The answer is simple...very few people like change. OE is the new imperative; process the lynchpin; and, culture (healthy or unhealthy) the end result.
V. D. 8 years ago

Challenging due to people's reluctance to change but if this can be overcome the rewards can be great.

John S. Mitchell