Lean System Management for Leaders

The concepts of quality management have been progressively interpreted and stylized by various practitioners over time, particularly through specific successful applications of its use. Its current predominant application has been narrowed even more through the focused practice of Lean Six Sigma. Through that narrowing, it has largely failed and given up on the application of quality practice to entire organizational systems-even though they are essential to designing and sustaining quality practice over time.

This book corrects that problem and introduces a broad new framework for system management, including practical tools and guidance for its use. It provides the long-promised "profound knowledge of systems" and shows how structured systems can unify and align quality practices throughout an entire organization. In addition, it introduces a framework for objectively measuring the maturity of systems and processes to provide an organizational quality scorecard, essential for sustainability.

Throughout this book, you will learn:


Descriptions and definitions of processes, systems, and projects and how they come together to provide an overall organization-wide framework for management and change.


Tools and practices for identifying and controlling systems through system mapping.


How to use a system management standard to objectively score process maturity, potentially leading to improvements in efficiency, effectiveness, and delivered value of all managed work enterprises.


How system management fits together with process management and project management to create an agile framework for overall organizational quality.

1. Introducing System Management


2. Systems, Processes, and Projects - and their Role in Managing Work


3. Starting your System Map


4. Defining Principal Activity Groups


5. Defining Influencing Factors


6. Defining Metrics and Indicators for your System Map


7. Application of the System Management Standard


8. The Overlap of System and Process Management


9. The Overlap of System and Project Management


10. The Overlap of Systems and Frameworks


11. Wicked Problems, Logos, and the Future of System Science

Appendix A - Template for System Mapping
Appendix B - Lexicon of Key Terms
Appendix C - Auditable Quality Standards: Purpose and Origin
Appendix D - System Management as an Agile Quality Framework
Appendix E - Systems Management to Launch the Next Era of Quality