By systematically reviewing their overall effectiveness in responding to these circumstances, it offers the means to structure a comprehensive approach to progressively addressing the underlying issues the sources of lag that can undermine their business results.
Beginning with this overarching look at the business will likely drive a different starting point than would otherwise be selected. For instance, rather than correcting waste where it is most apparent at the end of the line, such as in a manufacturer’s assembly operations where problems become most evident firms can target those areas of greatest lag that cause this waste to accumulate in the first place, and thus create the greatest impact to bottom-line results.
An important outcome of this assessment, therefore, is identifying critical focus areas within a structure for moving forward based on the organization’s current challenges and needs (described
in Chapter 5). These transformational focal points can provide needed direction for structuring improvement projects, progressing