Chang, Richard Y. and Matthew E. Niedzwiecki. Continuous improvement
tools: a practical guide to achieve quality results. Irvine, CA: Richard Chang
4Associates, 1993. 2 volumes.
Volume I introduces seven popular and well-known planning, analysis, and interpretation tools
(Brainstorming, Affinity Diagram, Matrix Diagram, Force Field Diagram, Cause and Effect
Diagram, Criteria Rating Form, Check Sheet). Volume II introduces eight additional tools (Tree
Diagram, Pareto Chart, Sequence Flow Chart, Process Flow Chart, Scatter Diagram, Run Chart,
Contol Chart, and Histogram).
Framework for managing process improvement: a guide to enterprise
integration. Arlington, VA: Systems Research and Applications Corporation, 1994.
Various pagination. (Shelved at TS156.8.D38 1994).
This study is based on research done at the Department of Defense (DoD). The study is
attempting to change the methods by which the DoD functions by introducing new processes such
as Continuous Process Improvement, Business Process Redesign, and Business Process
Reengineering.
Hodgetts, Richard M. Blueprints for continuous improvement: lessons from the
Baldrige Winners. New York: American Management Association, 1993. 116 pp.
(Shelved at HD62.15.H62 1993).
1/98 version: The prestigious Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, given to American
firms that are judged the best in the nation, highlights the nation's most successful organizations.
This briefing book examines the strategies, tools, and techniques used by organizations that have
won this award in recent years in order to explain common approaches that characterize these
efforts while also highlighting the uniqueness of each company's strategy. One lesson shown is
that quality is not just a goal to be achieved, but an ongoing quest to continuously
improve.
Kaplan, Robert S. Devising a balanced scorecard matched to business
strategy.Planning Review 22, no.5 (September-October, 1994):
15+.
Balanced scorecards are management tools that help evaluate performance and encourage good
planning. Traditional financial measures focus on past transactions and original expenditures
without sufficient focus on long-term benefits.
Kaplan, Robert S. Knowing the score (use of balanced scorecard in evaluating
management tools).Financial Executive 12, no.6
(November-December 1996): 30+.
The balanced scorecard can be used to integrate and evaluate the effectiveness of planning and
financial processes.
Kaplan, Robert S. New systems for measurement and control.Engineering Economist 36, no.3 (Spring 1991): 201-218.
Organizations' attempts to adapt to today's technological capabilities and globally competitive
environment have been affected by out-of-date accounting systems. The author suggests
management accounting systems that will give operational control, add activity-based costing, and
assist capital investment decisions.
Kaplan, Robert S. and David P. Norton. Linking the balanced scorecard to
strategy.California Management Review 39, no.1 (Fall 1996):
53, 71-79.
The best Balanced Scorecards combine financial and non-financial measures that are derived from
the organization's strategy. Performance drivers and outcome measures should be linked in
cause-and-effect relationships.
Kaplan, Robert S. and David P. Norton. Putting the Balanced Scorecard to
work.Harvard Business Review 71, no.5 (September-October
1993): 134-147.
The importance of choosing measures based on strategic success is emphasized in this article,
which resulted from Balanced Scorecard experiences tying measures to an organization's strategic
plan. Instead of improving the performance of existing processes, focus must be on those
processes that must be performed exceptionally well for an organization's strategy to
succeed.
Kaplan, Robert S. and David P. Norton. Strategic learning & the balanced
scorecard.Strategy & Leadership 24, no.5 (September-October
1996): 18+.
The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is a set of performance measures as a model for a strategic
measurement and management system that is based on organizational mission and strategy.
Performance is tracked along the lines of costs, customer service, internal process improvement,
and learning and growth.
Kaplan, Robert S. and David P. Norton. Using the balanced scorecard as a strategic
management system.Harvard Business Review 74, no.1
(January-February 1996): 75+. (May be accessed at
http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/frames/groups/hbr/janfeb96/96107.html).
Using the Balanced Scorecard as the central organizing framework for important managerial
processes, executives revealed that they were using the Balanced Scorecard not only to clarify and
communicate strategy but also to manage strategy. Intangible assets were seen to be more
important to organizations and the Balanced Scorecard approach was shown to be an important
means of connecting long-term objectives to short-term actions.
Kaplan, Robert S. and David P. Norton. Why does business need a balanced
scorecard? (Part 1).Journal of Strategic Performance
Measurement 1, no.1 (February-March 1997): 5-11.
This article traces the evolution of performance measures from exclusively financial performance
measures toward the balanced set of performance measures that many forward-thinking
organizations are now using. The Balanced Scorecard provides a vehicle to translate performance
measures from four perspectives: financial, customer, internal-business-process, and corporate
learning and growth.
Kaplan, Robert S. and David P. Norton. Why does business need a balanced
scorecard? (Part 2).Journal of Strategic Performance
Measurement 1, no.3 (June-July 1997): 5-10.
This article examines the need for a Balanced Scorecard method of translating strategy into
specific objectives and measures, as well as means of monitoring progress. The Balanced
Scorecard should have an appropriate mix of outcome measures (lagging indicators) and
performance drivers (leading indicators) to describe where a company has been and to point the
way for future growth. Ultimately all measures should be tied to financial objectives but not be
guided solely by them.
Newton, Peggy. Communicating key measures throughout an organization.Journal of Strategic Performance Measurement 1, no.1
(February-March 1997): 34-38.
A division of Honeywell is noted for its ability to communicate key measures throughout the
organization. First, key business drivers are identified, then goals and measures are linked to them
at every level. Communication revolves around goals with each employee's actions linked to
company-wide goals. A continuous improvement control board is used to drive the strategic
priorities down through all levels of the organization.
Ramanathan, Kavasseri V. Value-based performance control strategies.Journal of Strategic Performance Measurement 1, no.3 (June-July
1997): 12-17.
As organizations re-invent themselves so as to deliver more value to customers and higher return
to stockholders, they are discovering the need to change their approach to measuring
performance. Competitive advantage requires companies to develop aggressive strategies for
delivering more customer value in less cycle time. Process-based performance measures that are
logically linked with financial control measures form a comprehensive and critical foundation to
direct and monitor competitive strategies in today's business environment (article executive
summary, p. 12)
Reid, Leigh. Continuous improvement through process management: it's not enough
to tell your employees to work harder and smarter, you have to show them how to
improve.Management Accounting 74, no.3 (September 1992):
37-50. (BPR198).
In the search for a structured, systematic approvement to improvement, this author reminds the
reader of the need to make sure that processes are defined, controlled, effective, efficient, and
adaptable. To be defined, a process must be completely documented in terms of its boundaries,
inputs, outputs, and activities. To be controlled, there must be meaningful measurements in place
and the performance of the process must be continuously monitored and evaluated. To be
effective, a process must consistently meet the requirements of the customer - it must do what it is
supposed to do. To be efficient, a process must do its job at the lowest cost of resources possible.
To be adaptable, a process must be able to respond quickly to changing customer requirements. In
concluding her fine article on process management, the author notes that experience has taught
her four primary lessons: continuous improvement requires a systematic methodology giving
people the tools to do the job; secondly, the methodology must be oriented toward improvements
that will meet customer requirements; next, every employee should hear the same message and
use the same vocabulary and tools; and, finally, the systematic methodology must create a
complete, logical, and orderly approach to improving work processes.
Shepherd, Nick. Economics of quality and activity-based management: the bridge to
continuous improvement.CMA - the Management Accounting
Magazine 69, no.2 (March 1995): 29. (BPR146).
Quality management systems are generally not as effective as they could be because organizations
are not aware of the full opportunities available. In order to fully maximize potential of the
process, economics-of-quality reporting can be used to demonstrate how managers can improve
quality and process. Beginning the improvement process by concentrating on quality makes the
organization concentrate on the most costly failures, which are usually the easiest to fix. The
organization can work up to full activity-based financial reporting as a base for implementing
overall activity-based management leading to the continual process improvement.
St. Clair, Guy. Total Quality Management in information
services. New Providence, New Jersey: Bowker-Saur, 1997. xxv, 261 pp. (Shelved
in ZA3157.S23 1997).
TQM focuses on customers' needs and demands that the manager be primarily accountable to the
customer. Besides customer service, the essentials of quality management call for accurate
measurement, continuous improvement, work relationships based on trust and teamwork, and the
support of upper management.
Turney, Peter B. B. and Alan J. Stratton. Using ABC to support continuous
improvement: National Semiconductor applies a two-pronged approach.Management Accounting (September 1992): 46-50.
This article is about a two-dimensional activity-based costing tool that supports product costing
and performance improvement, a process view. The key to the two-dimensional ABC model is
that it handles micro activities, those units of work managed on a day-by-day basis and macro
activities, summaries of work that facilitate reporting accurate product costs and yield the cost of
internal supplier-customer relationships. The author shows how micro activities are combined into
macro activities using three rules: only activities performed at the same level can be combined; it
must be possible to combine activities without diminishing the reported accuracy of product costs;
and activities included in a macro activity had to be of common purpose or function.
