“Value” and “Waste” – Watch Them Constantly

“Delivering Value” is the buzzword these days. Companies are working ways out to deliver more value, people in organizations are evaluated based on value they create and clients seek “value-adds” in products and services they purchase.

It is all a value game, I agree, and focusing on value delivery is at the core of any business.

To deliver higher value to customers, business leaders implement complex strategies, restructure the organization periodically, lay out new initiatives, improve upon they existing processes, focus on sales, training, people etc.

Somewhere, in this process of constant realignment and improvement, ‘waste’ is introduced. Unwanted complexity, bureaucratic structures, complex systems, increased time on unproductive activities, rework and time spent on things that may not contribute directly in delivering value.

It almost becomes cyclic – in pursuit of adding more value, you are creating more complexity. Waste resulting out of this complexity keeps you from delivering the value to your customers. Waste, in simplest terms, is any activity within the process that does not add value to the customer. “Eliminating Waste” is the key to a lean and productive organization.

Bottom line: In pursuit of increasing value delivery to customers, do not add more complexity and waste, because it may just be the thing that keeps you from delivering value. Eliminating waste, is the one of the best way to increase value, simplify and quality of outcomes.

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Related Thoughts at QAspire Blog

• Adding Value and Importance of 2%
• Adding Value: A Gentle Reminder
• 3 Lessons in Building Great Relationship with Customers

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P.S.:

‎"The HR Carnival" by Mike Haberman (at Omega HR Solutions) features my post "Don’t Just Punish Them If They Don’t Comply" along with 32 other great posts on HR, Leadership and Organization Development.