Projects©
by
Arthur M. Schneiderman
The basic building block of the QIP is the project. Improvement projects result from gaps between current and targeted performance. Metrics provide the focus needed to assure that projects are selected to address Juran's "vital few" rather than the "important (nee trivial) many." Project selection is a tops-down process since it is the job of management to assure that the use of organizational resources is aligned to the Corporate Objective.
Much has been written about the generic management of improvement projects. But every organization is different. In my experience, there is no "one-approach fits all" answer. The best way is to start with a simple model and learn by experience. After each project, ask "what worked well and what didn't?" What worked well for several projects can be disseminated as "best-practice in our organization." Solving common problems become the responsibility of the team that manages the QIP. Candidate solutions can be found in those many writings on the subject as well as through benchmarking and brainstorming. It is important though that each attempted solution be validated (i.e. the targeted problem has been reduced significantly) to avoid cluttering the project management process with non-value adding activities.
Examples of common project management problems and solutions are:
 | wrong problems solved -> sponsorship system for projects |
| team couldn't get needed data or implement solution -> facilitation by sponsor |
| no specific action items from team meetings -> define roles and responsibilities |
| bad analysis -> tools training |
| boss dominated meetings -> facilitating/coaching |
| still couldn't analyze data even after training -> statistical experts |
| nobody appreciates our efforts -> reward and recognition process |
These problems are not significant in every organization, so it's important to pick and choose solutions based on their potential impact on project success.