Why Use CEM?

There are 8 key reasons that organizations use the CEM Operational Excellence Model:

1. Operational Excellence Works

It is practical. It is not a generalized abstract theory that suggests ways to think about problems; it is a set of specific actions for increasing desired performance and decreasing undesired performance. Firms using Operational Excellence have reported returns on investment from 4 to 1 to 100 to 1 in the first year.

2. Operational Excellence produces short term as well as long term results

Mitchell Fein (1981), the creator of a gain-sharing system called Improshare, says that if you go onto the production floor, into the office, or into the lab and do the right things you will see a performance change in fifteen minutes.  He is not entirely correct.  If you do the right things, in many cases you will see change immediately.  If you try to use Operational Excellence and do not see changes in performance within the first 10 data points, you are doing something wrong.

3. Operational Excellence is supported by Science

Performance Management “is a systematic, data-oriented approach to managing people at work that relies on positive reinforcement as the major way to maximizing performance”.  This fundamental belief is a core element of Operational Excellence.  It is supported by more than 50 years of experimental and applied research in laboratories, universities, schools, clinics, hospitals, homes and, since the late sixties, in business and industry. See Daniels, 1989; O'Brien, 1981; Fredrickson, 1982; Martin and Hrycaiko, 1983; Sulzer-Axaroff and Mayer, 1977; Millenson and Leslie, 1979; Cooper, Heron and Deward, 1987; Kazdin, 1975.

4. Operational Excellence works for all kinds of performance

This means that performance Operational Excellence applies to people, wherever they work and no matter what they do. The applicability of Operational Excellence is universal to behavior.

5. Operational Excellence creates an enjoyable place in which to work.

Unfortunately some managers have the notion that fun and work don't mix. Indeed, in many cases they think the way people have fun at work is at the expense of the work rather than through it. If however fun comes from doing the work, then management should be preoccupied with how to increase fun rather than eliminate it.

6. Operational Excellence can be used to enhance relationships at home in the community.

While we focus on the workplace, the same principles apply throughout one's life. These are life skills that should be taught in high school.

7. Operational Excellence is an open system.

Operational Excellence includes no motivational tricks. There is nothing you will learn that you would not want everybody in your organization to know. You will learn nothing that is illegal, immoral, or unethical. High performance organizations teach these principles to everyone so that employees at all levels can facilitate each other's performance.

8.  Operational Excellence Leverages discretionary talent.

Operational Excellence is a model designed to engage the discretionary talents of your staff.

Most leaders feel comfortable using standards tools to influence performance: Spending capital, cutting costs / Waste, increasing or decreasing the workforce.  We leverage the ideas of your staff to drive our engagements.