What is WorkExcellence?

WorkExcellence revolves around a foundational presupposition that “All work can be improved and completed with excellence; thereby, eliminating wasted effort and freeing up time, energy, and resources”. WorkExcellence includes all the work all people do.  

To improve work, there needs to be a visual representation of that work for others to see. This visual representation creates the environment for structured conversations to be held about the work which leads to better decision making and clarity to the immediate next steps for improvement. This visual representation is where WorkExcellence begins.

All work can be represented in its wholeness, in a panoramic view, through four one-page documents, called A3’s (A3 - one sheet of 11”x17” paper, one page visual). This holistic visual representation provides the platforms for structured conversations about the work. These conversations allow teams to agree upon commitments that drive action for improvement.

 Once the visual representation and the clarity to the work unfolds, teams can make simple, yet powerful, connections to the work and each other. This foundation allows the timeless work component of PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Adjust) to be used to create cadence and rhythm for continuous improvement.

WorkExcellence consists of five critical components for any work:

Work System

Work System A3’s visually present 

• how you are “creating the value” from your work,
• how your work is organized & connected, and
• the structure, order, flow, and current state of your work

Work Improvement

Work Improvement A3’s visually present

• how you are “improving the value” of your work,
• how you analyzed current state to understand gaps and determined improvement initiatives, and
• your planned next steps that are being taken to close the identified gaps to meet the current targets, objectives, and goals

Work Measurement

Work Measurement A3’s visually presents 

• how you are “ensuring the value” of your work,
• the actual performance results to the desired state (target), the trend over time, and
• only the “critical few” metrics that convey the health of your work

Work Direction

Work Direction A3’s visually presents 

• how you “define the value” of your work,
• the compelling need to do this work, “why the purpose of your work”, and 
• guidance of how to spend, time, energy, and resource

Work PDCA

Work PDCA is a system to use when 

• “Planning, Doing, Checking, and Adjusting the Value” of your work,
• you are framing the cadence, rhythm, and intervals of organizational cycles to get work done, and 
• creating and ensuring the right level of accountability for your work

We created 5 half-day workshops. One workshop for each of the five critical components of the WorkExcellence system.  

Each ? day workshop consists of approximately 45-60 minutes of facilitator presentation to understand the concepts and terms, including a step by step breakdown of how to build your own A3. The majority of the workshop is dedicated to you building your A3 using your own work. This portion of each workshop includes individual coaching to ensure your success. The workshop is closed by allowing time for individuals and teams to openly discuss and present what was learned including your successes and difficulties. 

Come join us today if you are ready to use the WorkExcellence system to transform your work and your team and enjoy the benefits of Working with Excellence.

Brian K. Cain

Senior Managing Partner

Zero Degree Consulting

Co-founder WorkExcellence

www.WorkExcellence.com