ByMatthew Arnold
I’ve posted before about how small changes in the system can deliver dramatic results. I especially like the ones where the answer isn’t where you’d expect it to be. One has to really study the system first: what is the purpose of the operation? what is the customer journey? what other factors are playing out?…
ByMatthew Arnold
As many of you may know, I’ve worked in quite a few Local Authority Housing Benefit departments – these teams provide benefits to vulnerable adults to assist with rent and council tax payments if they are on low incomes. Not only is there usually ample scope for improvement, it also means those that need the…
ByMatthew Arnold
I read a fascinating book recently all about Ross Brawn’s achievement in F1, how he sees the whole team as a system, and the similarities with running any large organisation. Ross Brawn has played a major part in many leading F1 teams, including the winning streaks at Ferrari, Brawn GP and Mercedes. Having semi-retired a…
ByMatthew Arnold
My last two posts have been about queues – I promise, this will be last one about queues for a while….! This one goes back a few years, but I see it time and again, in offices, contact centres, post offices, coffee shops… I was helping a council with their Housing Benefits claims, and spending…
ByMatthew Arnold
In my last blog, I discussed the queuing issue at low-cost supermarkets, and mentioned the difference between the way Starbucks and Caffe Nero make your coffee order. Did you spot the difference the last time you were in? As I mentioned before, if you wonder in without looking, you’ll come out a few minutes later…
ByMatthew Arnold
There was a interesting item in the news a few weeks ago regarding a plateauing of sales at the discount food stores, relating to the shopping experience, particularly the often poor queuing process. Call me sad (!) but I regularly look at the different queuing systems businesses use. The post office. The benefits office. Petrol…
ByMatthew Arnold
I came across this little gem – a fantastic reminder of how people learn. I’ve seen many people (and experienced consultants) tell people how and what to change – and they always seem surprised when things don’t quite ‘stick’ in the weeks to come. Combining a “whole system” approach, together with an active “working-together” ethos during the change…
ByMatthew Arnold
I regularly work with colleagues at MadAbout – people I’ve known for over 15 years(!). Our collaboration brings together a focus on: Applied Behaviour Analysis, and End-to-end system/process view using Lean and Systems Thinking techniques. It’s a match made in heaven – ticking all the boxes in the wider Socio-Technicial Systems Design approach to transformation…
ByMatthew Arnold
This remains one of my favourite stories about how systems work together. We all know about the “5 Whys“. But how do you know how many times to ask “Why?” if you don’t fully appreciate the system in which you are working? (Clue: it’s not always 5 times…) The Lincoln Memorial story explains it beautifully. Initially, the authorities had a problem…
ByMatthew Arnold
Peter R. Scholtes was a genius – he certainly knew his stuff, but just as importantly, he was clever enough to make it easy for everyone else to understand. One of his books, The Leader’s Handbook, would have the title: “The Complete and Practical Lean and Systems Thinking Workshop Manual (for Dummies)” if it were published today!…