Lesson in Quality:
UXD (user experience design) POV:
1940s: WWII: Perfect performance by U.S. military is Essential! However,
Pilots were crashing new aircraft at alarming rates. People were suggesting technology had become too advanced for humans. The Air Force studied 4063 pilots. The shocking truth they discovered:
The cockpit, designed for the “average” pilot,
Fit Exactly NO ONE.
Not a single pilot.
Today, many CEOs are guiding organizations using a dashboard of aggregates and blended averages. But, the real problem (facing quality output):
More than likely; your organization is NOT user friendly.
There is a better chance; you don’t even know who the real user is.
How is Quality possible in this scenario?
I work referral-preferred with those who suspect their growth is being constrained by system design — not effort.
Most of my work begins with a quiet introduction. If someone you trust thinks this conversation is worth having, I am happy to connect.
I help businesses reduce (operational) friction and increase (scalable) capacity by improving the systems behind the work.
If you are CEO or founder, when ready to begin:
We’ll quickly determine:
- Do you trust your system?
- What kind of multiple would your company yield?
- Are your operations measurable or assumed?
- No pitch. Just passion, curiosity and hopeful U.S. pride:
What sparked the American Quality Revolution of the 1980s?
(U.S. had to combat Japanese competition and improve our manufacturing precision. The person leading the charge, was also responsible for the Japanese Economic Miracle:
W. Edwards Deming:
In his bookThe New Economics, For Industry, Government, Education; he shares a quote from Paul Batalden, M.D., 13 November 1990:
“The first step in any organization is to draw a flow diagram. To show how every component depends on others. Then, everyone may understand what his job is. If people do not see the process, they cannot improve it. Anyone needs to see the process as a catwalk, a flow diagram.”
[21st Century demands Systems Thinking. We use Action Results (AR) maps/ modeling] Why?
Quality has to be designed into your process.
My Plan of Action: How I help CEOs:
Within just 8-9 hours, live or virtual: We’ll map your current system. Come up with a game plan to (continually) improve it. Share war stories. Engage in structured dialog. Explore management theory. Mobilize your people. Pivot towards world-class operation. Begin your transformation:
What you should expect and demand from me: (conservatively) 10-20% increase in capacity, cash conversion, yield: Every 90 days.
Hi! I’m Parker
Cohort of the Process Fixer
If you have 10+ employees and revenue under $200M, you might be an good fit:
I help underdogs:
Design Quality into their system with a simple process that pays for itself
P.S. The problem was not the pilots. The problem was the design. “It’s the system, not the people.”
1940s aircraft design was mechanistic. It gave consideration to every working part of the system – Except its biological part! Operating “exactly backwards” like 94% of American companies. How can you produce Quality when you are:
NOT Human-Centered?
Yet we demand Quality? We talk Optimization and Innovation? But how are operations? Why not become user-friendly? As you leave your legacy, remember:
“Every business operates perfect according to its design. If you don’t like the results, the design is the place to look.”
For more details about my process, start here:
Design your system (with improved intention)