Integrated Operations Management
“Upon visiting the dentist one feels optimal if he politely welcomes you, brings you to the chair, makes you feel relaxed, clarifies what he will do to diagnose your teeth and to what extent it will hurt, does the checking in a composed manner, provides the outcomes of the diagnosis and shares his view on how to optimally restore the teeth. Throughout the process he communicates in a reassuring manner and does nothing unexpectedly to prevent any tension. The next time you visit the dentist you want him to do exactly the same.”
Integrated Operations Management™ is a global leading business operations improvement method, which incorporates the full range of best business practices that provides a consistent high quality approach to operational improvement initiatives of all sorts and sizes. Since it is powered by Natural Business Excellence™ it places people and business at the centre.
Integrated Operations Management™ consists of the following eight distinct steps:
- Identify opportunity of improvement
- Assess conditions for improvement project
- Confirm improvement project
- Quantify opportunity of improvement
- Manage accompanying challenges
- Create environment for execution improvement project
- Execute improvement project
- Conclude improvement
1. Identify opportunity of improvement
Upon ‘identify opportunity of improvement’ an opportunity of improvement is identified. The identification can in principle be done by anyone in the company at any time and occasion. The potential improvement can be of any type and size. Identified opportunities shall be immediately documented, such that the opportunity is not lost. At the same time the identification shall be of an appropriate quality such that the management’s time to quantify the opportunity is optimally used. NBE’s P10™ plays a central role in this.
2. Assess conditions for improvement project
Upon ‘assess conditions for improvement project’ an assessment is made whether the conditions, including the timing and environment, are favourable for executing an improvement project. A stakeholder analysis is a standard activity of this phase. NBE’s PC™ and LTR ™ play a central role in this.
3. Confirm improvement project
Upon ‘confirm improvement project’ the project strategy, plan and planning are created. The project plan includes a communication plan. A critical part of the project strategy is the clarification of project roles and responsibilities. Taking into account the stakeholder environment, content complexity, staff capability and availability, and possibly other factors, different project strategies will be applicable. One of NBE’s golden rules is that a project plan and planning shall only be made after the project strategy has been finalized. NBE’s IPEC™ plays a central role in this.
4. Quantify opportunity of improvement
Upon ‘quantify opportunity of improvement’ a submitted opportunity of improvement is quantified. As part of the quantification the opportunity is completely validated and verified. It ensures that in no event future time is lost through the discovery that in reality the opportunity is not what was at first perceived. NBE’s P10™ and IPOC/Elign™ play a central role in this, the former to understand the different aspects of the identified improvement and the latter for content classification. In a professional environment criteria have been defined that are used for the quantification. After the opportunity is understood it can quickly be held against the criteria to determine whether it is interesting to execute an improvement project.
5. Manage accompanying challenges
Upon ‘manage accompanying challenges’ in parallel with the execution of the project the challenges to the organization and its staff are addressed. One of NBE’s golden rules is that a project shall never be successful if the accompanying challenges to the organization and its staff are not properly addressed.
6. Create environment for execution improvement project
Upon ‘create environment for execution improvement project’ a constructive project environment is created in which there is an overall understanding, willingness and belief in what it takes to make the project successful. A kick-off is just a part of this. One of NBE’s golden rules is that if a project is started well, it has a large chance of ending well. Yet if a project is not started well it will very likely not end well.
7. Execute improvement project
Upon ‘execute improvement project’ the project is executed according the preparation. A lean version of Integrated Project Management sees to it that all project aspects are effectively and especially efficiently managed and executed.
8. Complete improvement project
Upon ‘complete improvement project’ the project is formally completed, which includes a formal evaluation, handover, demobilization and communication.
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