Credit Voucher Turnaround Time

• Demonstrates administrative application of improvement tools and methods
• Median turnaround time for processing credit vouchers dropped from over 55 days to less than 3 days
• Customer satisfaction increased and cash flow improved significantly

Reducing Time-To-Market

• Customer data indicated sales of a new model of a popular luxury car were slow due in part to the absence of a distinctive styling feature
• Typical time-to-market for revising features would be 16 months or more; in this case it was done in just 4 months
• Demonstrates the need for all functions to work cooperatively to identify and overcome bottlenecks

Newspaper Errors

• Demonstrates the need for follow-through on process improvements
• Changes were not implemented until managers took responsibility to make them a part of every day work
• Errors caught at final editing stage dropped dramatically and staff improved its ability to get fast-breaking stories in press the same day

Complaints and Inquiries

• Illustrates use of basic process improvement tools in a service application
• Callers to a toll free number were often shunted to several departments before reaching the person they wanted
• Simplification of auto attendant and clearer descriptions made the system easier to use and more customer responsive

Improving Service Order Delivery

• Illustrates use of the guidance team/project team model to improve a core business process
• Shows roll out of major organizational effort
• Installation time dropped from 3 days to "noon tomorrow" for 96% of new orders and "first-time through" rose from 67% to 94%

Organizational Team Review

• Demonstrates organizational strategy for checking progress on multiple project teams
• The biggest problems were beyond the team's control. It took action at senior levels to create an organizational environment that increased the likelihood of teams being successful.

Skyrocketing Defects

• Defects in a key product were reduced to an industry record low
• Built strong bond with key customers
• Demonstrates need to use data in addition to teamwork