How can you measure the impact of changes to your operational plans based on feedback?

1 Define your indicators

Before you can measure the impact of changes to your operational plans, you need to define what you want to measure and how you will measure it. You need to identify the key indicators that reflect your operational objectives and align with your feedback sources. For example, if your goal is to improve customer satisfaction, you might use indicators such as net promoter score, retention rate, or complaint rate. If your goal is to increase efficiency, you might use indicators such as cycle time, throughput, or waste reduction. You also need to establish the baseline values, targets, and thresholds for each indicator, so you can compare your actual performance with your expected performance.

2 Collect and analyze data

Once you have defined your indicators, you need to collect and analyze the data that will inform your operational decisions. You can use various methods and tools to gather and process data, depending on your feedback sources and indicators. For example, you can use surveys, interviews, or focus groups to collect qualitative feedback from your customers and employees. You can use metrics, dashboards, or reports to collect quantitative data from your systems and processes. You can use statistical analysis, trend analysis, or benchmarking to interpret and evaluate the data and identify patterns, gaps, or opportunities.

3 Implement and communicate changes

After you have collected and analyzed the data, you need to implement and communicate the changes that will improve your operational performance. You need to prioritize the changes that will have the most impact on your indicators and feedback sources, and allocate the necessary resources and time to execute them. You also need to communicate the changes to your stakeholders, customers, and employees, and explain the rationale, benefits, and expectations behind them. You can use various channels and formats to communicate the changes, such as emails, newsletters, meetings, or presentations.

4 Monitor and review results

Finally, you need to monitor and review the results of the changes that you have implemented, and see if they have achieved the desired impact on your operational performance. You need to track and measure the changes in your indicators and feedback sources over time, and compare them with your baseline values, targets, and thresholds. You need to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of the changes, and identify any positive or negative outcomes, challenges, or risks. You also need to solicit and incorporate feedback from your stakeholders, customers, and employees, and learn from their experiences and suggestions.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?