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 You cannot control what you do not measure!
How many times have you heard that expression?
Probably many, many, many, many, many times.
I have often wondered whom the person was that came up with these
"words of wisdom".
Many people credit Demming, the quality guru, with this catch phrase.
If you dig a bit deeper, it is clear that it was Lord Kelvin, the 19th Century scientist, who thought about this idea first.
"When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind."
He also stated it thus:-
"To measure is to know."
"If you can not measure it, you can not improve it."
All business's today, especially office based ones, seem hell bent on easuring just about everything that takes place, in great detail.
The advances in IT make this very easy. Just about anyone can put together a simple "spreadsheet" and start populating it with data on a regular basis.
The question I have for you is this.
If you are measuring your processes, what improvement actions actually arise from the information you collect?
We waste many hours of time measuring items, "just in case" or to come up with some fantastic excuses if the wheels come off the cart or when someone is "gunning" for us.
The business world seems to be full of "recorders" rather than "sorters".
Take a minute to think about your own area of business.
Shut your eyes for a moment and picture your office in detail.
Think about all the information that is currently being recorded.
How much of the same information is being gathered by different people?
Think about all the items that are measured on a daily, weekly,monthly, or annual basis.
Now think about the improvements that have actually been made as result of gathering this information and taking action.
Improvement can only take place when an individual takes positive action.
It is surprising how few people take personal action to improve things.
It is also surprising how many people are actively engaged in the collection of data and then nothing happens with that data.
People almost seem proud of the amount of information they collect. (but do nothing with!)
It is almost as if by recording some information something will automatically happen. It does not!
Sorry I am repeating myself.
THE ONLY TIME IMPROVEMENT TAKES PLACE IN YOUR BUSINESS IS
WHEN SOMEONE TAKES PERSONAL ACTION.
Sorry I am now shouting at you. Apologies.
Ok, here is what I want you to do.
I want you to review all of the areas where you are currently spending time recording and measuring information.
Apply the 5 Ws and 1H technique to what you are currently
recording/measuring.
What is the 5W's and 1H technique ?
The 5W's are Why, what, where, when, who the 1H is how.
It is a useful set of words to apply to just about any improvement situation.
So in our example of measuring your process ask yourself the following questions.
W1 - Why are we recording the information?
Unless the measurement creates an improvement action stop wasting time recording it - or unless your "boss" insists on it and it could be career threatening if you stop.
More seriously, it is useful to challenge some of these things and dig into why we are actually recording items.
W2 - What are we recording and what actions are arising
W2 - Where in the process are we recording information
W3 - When are we recording / measuring the process
W4 - Who is recording the information
H1 - How often is the information being recorded
Just a final thought from a quite bright individual.
Albert Einstein said, "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts".
Sorry to muddy the waters right at the end, but how do you measure "the fire in someone’s belly" to take personal action, and do whatever it takes to actually "make a difference".
Let us move from being "recorders" to being "sorters”!
Hope this helps.
Best regards,
Graham Ross
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