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Follow A Systematic Approach For A Huge Bottomline Difference

Monday, December 05, 2011
The key premise behind Six Disciplines has been to help people and their organizations develop a process for planning and execution.  The desired end result is client dependent, but it is usually centered on growth, higher productivity, improved profitability and greater overall goal accomplishment.
 

We are often asked by prospective clients what is the ROI on the Six Disciplines process.  The best answer is to just ask our clients. The results speak for themselves.  To share a few client improvements which can be directly attributed to the Six Disciplines process during 2011, see below: (the names have been changed to protect the successful)

  • Company A (Mfg)- 110% achievement of Revenue and Profit, 79% achievement of all 2011 Goals
  • Company B (Mfg) - 110%+ achievement of Revenue and Profit
  • Company C (NFP) - 87 % achievement of all 2011 Goals
  • Company D (Service) -100 % achievement of all 2011 Goals
  • Company E Mfg) - from 2007 to 2011 - increased Revenue for $35M to $56.5M and  Profit from 4.5 % to 8.8%
  • Company F (Mfg) - from 2007 to 2011 - increased Return on Assets of 5.6% to 15.4% and Profits from 4.8% to 11.4%
Our client feedback has been outstanding and the process is viewed as a significant aspect of their success. And this is just a small sample of the results.
 
If our direct client results don't tell a compelling enough story, try this one.  According to a study conducted by Quality Progress Magazine, the results reveal that those organizations that followed a defined process, Total Quality Management - TQM, in this case, made a marked improvement in their quality but also their financial performance.  The article makes a direct correlation between a solid process implementation and their significant success in numerous areas - Operating Income, Sales, Total Assets, Return on Sales, Return on Assets.  These improvements are a result of following a systematic approach.  Every Six Discipline client is following a systematic approach. 

The study points out that this systematic approach (a method) to planning and execution (a holistic, complete approach) works. In the study, they examined over 600 company's results over 10 years.  What the results showed was that it doesn't depend as much on what system they have, but that they HAVE a system.   It doesn't depend on the industry.  This study covered over forty 2-digit SIC codes.  It doesn't depend on size, as both large and small companies were examined in the study. And it doesn't depend on capital intensive or non-capital intensive  businesses.  The bottomline - IT WORKS - having a systematic approach produces huge differences in performance!

Here's a link to the Quality Progress Magazine study.





'Tis The Season - Strategic Planning - It's A Real Party

Monday, December 05, 2011
Eric Kurjan, president of Six Disciplines NWO , has authored a new article "Tis The Season - Strategic Planning - It's A Real Party!"which has been published by COSE Mindspring (the source for small business insight in Northeast Ohio). 


For many organizations, ‘tis the season for holiday get togethers, bad gift exchanges, and even something that masquerades as a strategic planning session.  And it usually contains some or all of the following characteristics:

  • Conducted as an off-site retreat – with too little accomplished
  • Lengthy discussions with aimless wandering, lots of brainstorming, flipcharts, too many items to act on, and nothing that “sticks”
  • Big demands with frantic business plans to grow the top line revenues– top-down, budgets, spreadsheets – and lots of caffeine

Read Eric's entire article "'Tis The Season - Strategic Planning - It's A Real Party!" here.