Top 5 Objections to Adopting Process Excellence
The number one challenge cited by the heads of change and business transformation is the issue of getting management buy-in. In answer to this crucial challenge, we examine the most common objections you will encounter when implementing your Process Excellence initiative and approaches you can take to not only get that initial management buy-in, but also see the project through to completion and success.
1. Process Excellence is Not a Priority
– SENIOR MANAGEMENT DOES NOT SEE THE BENEFIT
You cannot even begin Process Excellence unless you convince your senior management of the benefits. The problem is your organization has been functioning adequately for years without Process Excellence so why should your company adopt it now?
Common Causes for Objection:
- Lack of awareness of Process Excellence benefits
- Uncertainty regarding how projects will be selected
- Lack of Process Excellence experts at leadership level
- There may be a legacy of unsuccessful quality programs
- Can the top leadership sell this to customers as differentiator
Ways to Overcome Objections:
Top leadership needs to be made aware of Process Excellence benefits, but how? One way of doing this is to emphasise the risk of falling behind by demonstrating which competitors are already implementing Process Excellence. When forming your team, ensure that you carefully choose the right people to lead the Process Excellence program. Then make sure you select a just few critical projects first and prioritize achieving results as early as possible. Once you’ve gotten these results, be sure to share your success stories to develop organisational confidence.
2 What financial benefits will your process excellence initiative really yield? Whilst Process Excellence requires time and investment, the prospect will be significantly easier for your senior colleagues to understand if you can clearly and reliably demonstrate the ROI. Underestimate the benefits and you may encounter challenges getting the buy-in, but overestimate and you’ll find yourself falling short and damaging your chances of continuing. Common Causes for Objection: l Have your estimated savings been validated? l Have accounting principles been followed? l Estimations have been based on virtual assumptions l Lack of approval of “actuals” from financial teams l Lack of financial knowledge amongst Process Excellence leads Ways to Overcome Objections: It’s critical that Process Excellence leaders understand financial accounting methods. One way to help with this is to ensure that stakeholders from finance teams must be a part of your Process Excellence teams. Then be sure that all your financial estimations are validated properly otherwise you will risk being discredited. Once all this is in place, ensure that all savings are linked with actual profit and loss (P&L) statements so to clearly demonstrate the effect of Process Excellence on the wider business.
2. Process Excellence Costs Too Much
– DIFFICULTY ESTIMATING ROI
What financial benefits will your process excellence initiative really yield? Whilst Process Excellence requires time and investment, the prospect will be significantly easier for your senior colleagues to understand if you can clearly and reliably demonstrate the ROI. Underestimate the benefits and you may encounter challenges getting the buy-in, but overestimate and you’ll find yourself falling short and damaging your chances of continuing.
Common Causes for Objection:
- Have your estimated savings been validated?
- Have accounting principles been followed?
- Estimations have been based on virtual assumptions
- Lack of approval of “actuals” from financial teams
- Lack of financial knowledge amongst Process Excellence leads
Ways to Overcome Objections:
It’s critical that Process Excellence leaders understand financial accounting methods. One way to help with this is to ensure that stakeholders from finance teams must be a part of your Process Excellence teams. Then be sure that all your financial estimations are validated properly otherwise you will risk being discredited. Once all this is in place, ensure that all savings are linked with actual profit and loss (P&L) statements so to clearly demonstrate the effect of Process Excellence on the wider business.
3. Resistance to Change
-DIFFICULTY GENERATING MOMENTUM
You cannot even begin Process Excellence unless you convince your senior management of the benefits. The problem is your organisation has been functioning adequately for years without Process Excellence so why should your company adopt it now?
Common Causes for Objection:
- Too complex projects
- BHAG : Big Heavy Audacious Goals?
- Top talent not part of Process Excellence program
- Effort wasted on non-critical projects
- Perceived lack of support to complete improvements
Ways to Overcome Objections:
Start by selecting the top critical projects that impact business and then begin addressing the low hanging fruits. One way to help achieve this is to ensure that you set SMART goals, make sure that your top talent leads these critical projects and ensure that your top leaders act as “sponsors” for Process Excellence.
4. Frustration over
THE LACK OF SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED FOR PROCESS EXCELLENCE SUCCESS
Even with best laid plans, implementing change within an organization can cause stresses and strain. Unless you have an adequate support structure already in place, its inability to help will impede progress and demotivate for colleagues.
Common Causes for Objection:
- Are the right people leading Process Excellence initiatives?
- Lack of skills (black belts, master black belts)
- Lack of program management for Process Excellence projects
- Lack of training capabilities
- Lack of data analysis
Ways to Overcome Objections:
Your success depends on your people so pay careful attention to select the RIGHT people and team for Process Excellence initiatives. As for the people your initiative affects, incentivise them by ensuring that rewards and recognition is in place. To alleviate confusion, be sure to formalise everyone’s roles and responsibilities and then improve your Process Excellence training capabilities.
5. This is Taking Too Long
WE WANT RESULTS NOW!
Unless your Process Excellence initiative starts delivering results, there is an increasing chance that it will be viewed as a cost rather than a competitive advantage. Worst of all, if this sentiment is allowed to flourish, it threatens to undermine the entire project.
Common Causes for Objection:
- You have chosen the wrong projects
- The business wants to see immediate results
- There are no control measures
- There is a lack of rewards and recognition
- Are best practices being leveraged?
Ways to Overcome Objections:
To overcome this issue, the business must be made aware of the cost benefit of quick wins versus deep-dive Process Excellence projects. One way that will help you is to focus on choosing the right methodology to fit the task, such as using Lean tools versus traditional Six Sigma tools. At the end of the day, the tools you use should help solve problems, and not vice-versa and if you know the solution to an issue, don’t wait — JUST DO IT!
