Planning & Progress Review Cadence Drives 50% Improvement

In the competitive landscape of smaller manufacturing businesses (<~$50M), executing and achieving operational objectives consistently is pivotal for realizing business agility, sustained revenue and profit growth & enterprise advancement.? Many smaller organizations have adopted structured business management systems (“SBM”) like Scaling Up (www.scalingup.com), Pinnacle (www.pinnaclebusinessguides.com) or EOS Entrepreneurial Operating System, (www.eosworldwide.com) These SBMs can effectively streamline key processes, maximize deployment of human talent, focus intently on impactful objectives and drive enhanced performance. This case study explores how to deploy a planning tool and combine it with purposeful progress reviews to significantly improve goal execution AND completion while realizing increased management visibility.

Historic Performance:?Excite Company, a privately held manufacturing business in the greater Chicagoland area has used a SBM for over five years.? From 2001 through mid-2023 Excite experienced mixed results in achieving key business objectives over a ten consecutive quarter timeframe using the process defined by the SBM.? Despite setting on average eight objectives per quarter, the average completion rate stood at a modest 50%. While there are many factors impacting this completion percentage it was recognized there was a lack of focus as “the normal work (of the business) got in the way” and inadequate understanding and forethought on the steps to get from goal setting to goal completion. While the SBM provided a framework for goal setting, the lack of a detailed yet simple planning tool and a disciplined progress review cadence hindered Excite’s ability to achieve desired outcomes; a goal completion rate of > 80%.

Take Time to Plan, Work the Plan & Elevate Visibility: Realizing the need for a more disciplined approach, the leadership decided to enhance their quarterly objectives execution by focusing on two critical elements:

1. Creating Simple, Detailed Plans:?Each quarterly objective was now accompanied by a defined plan (a defined milestone every two weeks) outlining clear, specific actions required to achieve the sequential milestones leading to objective completion.? Additionally, milestones cited the need for other cross-functional resources and relevant timing. This simple but detailed planning tool of less than a half-page of paper ensured everyone involved understood their responsibilities in executing the plan.
2. Progress Review Cadence:?Milestone execution was monitored by a short weekly check-in for all quarterly objectives with the responsible person.? This established a cadence and reinforced the importance of completing milestones & addressing obstacles immediately.? Occasionally, progress on a quarterly objective was reviewed for 15 minutes during the weekly leadership team meeting.? The weekly review cadence facilitated meaningful discussion to assess progress, overcome obstacles, and adjust resources as needed. This proactive approach ensured issues were addressed promptly, keeping the team aligned and focused on achieving objectives.

Improved Performance Metrics:?Following the implementation of these measures, the results were transformative:

• Quarterly Objective Completion %:?Increased from an avg of 50% to 86%.
• Increased Objectives:?The number of objectives per quarter was increased to 15, reflecting increased confidence in the team's ability to execute.
• Clear Definition of Complete: Objectives were more clearly stated resulting in less ambiguity regarding – “what done looks like”

Management Visibility and Team Performance:?The enhanced planning and review processes provided clear benefits:

• Enhanced Management Visibility:?The leadership team and owner gained deeper insights into individual and team performance. They could identify strengths and areas needing improvement more effectively, allowing for timely intervention and support.
• Improved Team Performance:?With clear plans and regular feedback, team morale and accountability soared. Employees felt empowered by the structured approach and were more committed to achieving collective goals.

Summary

In conclusion, the case study highlights the critical impact of simple but structured planning and diligent, weekly progress reviews on task execution and objective completion. By adopting a more disciplined approach within the business management framework, the Excite Company not only improved its objective completion rate by over 50% but also enhanced management's ability to monitor and support team performance effectively. This transformation underscores the importance of planning and continuous execution in achieving operational objectives. Leveraging these principles, businesses can navigate challenges more effectively, drive consistent growth, and foster a culture of accountability and success.