PHILOSOPHIES, FADS, TRUTHS & RESULTS
Letter from APS Chairman Bob Jacobson

A precise method is necessary to determine the truth.

     This is true in philosophy, as the renowned thinker Rene Descartes noted. It's also true in business.

     Every day, executives and managers are faced with their own search for the truth. When the correct answers prove difficult to find, executives often turn to outside specialists for a fresh perspective.

     Yet, this option brings with it an abundance of questions and uncertainties. How do I set expectations? What kind of commitment is required of me and my organization?

     To answer these questions, Descartes offers words that sound almost as fresh today as when he wrote them in 1628. This is a testament to the lasting value of a good idea.

     Descartes questioned his most cherished beliefs. In this process, he established an analytical principle that serves business leaders well:

     "In the subjects we propose to investigate, our inquiries should be directed not to what others have thought, not to what we ourselves conjecture, but to what we can clearly [behold] and with certainty deduce: for knowledge is not won in any other way."

     As productivity specialists who have assisted businesses, we have found that enduring productivity, efficiency and growth require just such an objective growth inward. In our field, we call this an analysis. By questioning everything, a business can win a very precise knowledge about its own systems and processes - the kind of knowledge that will help achieve tangible improvements in productivity.

     Outside specialists and "implementers" should be expected to facilitate this truth-seeking and deliver a measurable bottom-line impact on the company's cost structure. No other measure can prove the success of such a venture.

     Judging by the number of business fads that have either failed or been abandoned, this process is not as simple as it sounds. However, there are reliable ways of finding the truth and getting positive results using outside specialists.

Consider the following guideposts:

• Make sure the advance analysis is precise, factual and quantifiable. Measurable success is rarely won with perceived opportunities, conjectures and abstract theory.
   

• Take the company back to basics, analyzing such variables as control, planning, procedures and feedback. Define roles and responsibilities.
   

• Factor in the human element - the relationship among management, supervisors and workers.
   

• Retain a hands-on productivity specialist who works closely with first-level supervisors and managers to implement improvements.
   

• Emphasize on-the-job training. Education is the key to success in every project.
   

• Insist on continuity. Those who conduct the initial analysis should be available to implement any program recommendations.
   

• Expect the program to be self-sustaining, giving people the tools, techniques and motivation necessary for on-going control and management of resources in the most productive and profitable way.
   

     Adaptability and constant improvement are the keys to survival in today's business world. Great improvements in productivity and profitability are possible.

     With the right kind of knowledge - by being objective, goal-oriented and task-specific - tangible improvements in productivity and competitiveness can, indeed, be guaranteed. Just ask Descartes.

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