Yossarian: We need the process improved.
Doc: There’s nothing wrong with it.
Yossarian: Do me a favor Doc, look at it once, will you?
Doc: Yossarian, the process is OK.
Yossarian: Please, don’t say that. We need it improved.
Doc: Don’t start that again.
Yossarian: Start what?
Doc: You can only improve a process that can be improved.
Yossarian: How do I know if it can be improved?
Doc: You can’t
Yossarian: I can’t?
Doc: Only after improving a process, can you know for certain that it could have been improved.
Yossarian: What about simulation? I could use simulation.
Doc: Simulation is useless unless you know what you’re looking for.
Yossarian: What am I looking for?
Doc: A process to improve.
Yossarian: That’s all I gotta do?
Doc: Yes.
Yossarian: And then you I can improve it?
Doc: No. Then you cannot improve it.
Yossarian: Why not?
Doc: There’s a catch.
Yossarian: A catch?
Doc: You can’t improve a process that can’t be improved.
Yossarian: Let me see if I got this straight. In order to improve a process, it’s got to need improving, and I can’t know it needs improving, unless I improve it.
Doc: You’ve got it! That’s the catch.
Yossarian: That’s some catch, that catch.
Doc: It’s the best there is!
Adam Deane 
🙂 Like the way you put it. In most cases process improvement programs come with key drivers – like cost reduction, reduce cycle time, enhance notifications etc.
An ambition to just “improve” something never works – because you can’t measure it.
By: ramadhyanis on 07/02/2012
at 10:27 am