Integrated Enterprise Excellence - The Basics
Golfing Buddies Go Beyond Lean Six Sigma and the Balanced Scorecard
By: Forrest W. Breyfogle III
Published: Feb 1, 2008
ISBN: 9781934454121
Format: Hardcover, 144pp
Publisher: Bridgeway Books
A business system where everyone does the Right things, in the Right way, at the Right time will achieve success throughout the entire company, writes Forrest W. Breyfogle III in his business novel Integrated Enterprise Excellence - The Basics: Golfing Buddies Go Beyond Lean Six Sigma and the Balanced Scorecard. Instead of fighting fires, battling ongoing daily problems, and forcing projects that yield questionable results, the book describes the power of applying a holistic system approach to an organization.
Forrest W. Breyfogle III uses the clever device of having his novel's characters discuss their business problems during their regular golf games. As they play the links, the four friends describe their current unsuccessful management solutions, as they also attempt to lower their golf handicaps. The dialog in the novel explains the benefit of a system wide overall approach to organizational problems. The book examines the strengths and weaknesses of such well known management solutions as Lean, Six Sigma, Balanced Scorecard, and Kaizen events. While these tools have their uses for management, they don't work in every business situation.
In the end, the golfing characters created by Forrest W. Breyfogle III (photo left) discover the power of the Integrated Enterprise Excellence System (IEE). Not only is the big picture system wide approach beneficial to their companies and their personal careers, but the same approach helps lower their respective golf scores.
The conversations between the golfers helps to explain the principles behind the IEE technique, and how it can be applied successfully within a company. For a reader unfamiliar with the system, the author creates an easy to understand primer on the various popular management tools, and the value of a holistic system approach.
For me, the power of the book is in its creative technique for introducing very advanced management concepts. The Integrated Enterprise Excellence System (IEE) is explained in an informal, and easily understood manner through the conversations on the golf course. The characters face very real challenges in their jobs, and try various tools to get their companies on the right track. Unfortunately, the tools they choose aren't effective in solving their organizations' systemic problems.
Instead of continuing with their previous random and ad hoc firefighting methods, the chosen tools simply create different issues. The IEE System chosen by one of the characters, uses the best parts of many different management tools, and when applied yields the desired results. The four friends teach one another the system, and along the way improve their golf game, and find more time with their families.
I recommend Integrated Enterprise Excellence - The Basics: Golfing Buddies Go Beyond Lean Six Sigma and the Balanced Scorecard by Forrest W. Breyfogle III for anyone seeking an easy to understand primer in the Integrated Enterprise Excellence System (IEE). Written as a novel, the author conveys the system concepts as part of the story. The overall result is knowledge acquired by the reader in an enjoyable way.
Read Integrated Enterprise Excellence - The Basics: Golfing Buddies Go Beyond Lean Six Sigma and the Balanced Scorecard and start thinking in terms of an overall system wide approach to your company's ongoing problems.
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