Looking to position you company to make the Quantum Leap? To learn a little more about Quantum Leap, scroll through this page, or click on the links below. | The First Steps | Gap Analysis | Typical Characteristics | THE FIRST STEPS The first step towards making the Quantum Leap is to understand what your customer wants. The "value" you provide may address only a small portion of your customer's needs Understanding these needs and being able to act on them is the difference between the average company and the Quantum Leap organization. The Quantum Leap organization instinctively works to close the gaps between what you can provide to the customer and what you do provide to the customer. In closing the gaps, you increase your value to the customer. Some tools used to make the Quantum Leap are: Value-added Analysis Process (VAP) Statistical Process Controls (SPC) Activity Based Costing (ABC) Analysis Re-engineering around Teams ISO 9000 Strategic Planning for Reality Value- Added Marketing (VAM) Measurement of Success GAP ANALYSIS The Gap Analysis helps to identify "gaps" between what you can provide and what you do provide for your customer. TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS Companies that have made the Quantum Leap will exhibit the following characteristics. 1. CEO is actively involved - the CEO defines the culrure that is wanted; the culture defines the purpose of the organization; the culture change delivers the desired profits. 2. Establish a Productivity Review Board - or a mathod to encourage ideas or analysis of problems. 3. Action - ideas that are good for the organization are put into action immediately. 4. Cultural Change in the Business - High Performance Work Organization is created and employees are highly involved in the decision-making process. 5. Metastable First Step - stretching the organization to extremes and allowing the system to stabalize PRIOR to the next major chage in the system. You have to allow the organization to "catch its breath" before moving forward to the next plateau. 6. System organized around Teams - teams that are led, no managed are are focused on the right work. 7. Tackling Problems that cross functional boundaries - problem-solving teams established with the supplier/customer relationship firmly entrenched. 8. CEO has time to establish goals - has the time and opportunity to communicate the vision to the company. Takes the time to nurture and encourage the Cultural Change in the Business. 9. Major improvement in business Pulse Points - results are immediately "posted" for people to see.