Challenge:
A prominent IT department was struggling with a 50% defect rate in code production, significantly slowing progress on their online initiatives. The lack of clear processes and visibility into the development workflow made it difficult to identify and resolve errors
efficiently. Without a structured approach, the team faced recurring quality issues, hindering productivity and increasing costs.
Approach:
To address these challenges, Work Excellence introduced visual management techniques and structured leadership training to improve process clarity and team alignment. Key actions included:
– Implementing visual management tools to create transparency in workflows.
– Providing one-on-one coaching to the department head in the Work ExcellenceMethod.
– Developing a hands-on work system to help the team visualize and interact with their processes.
These steps laid the foundation for deeper problem-solving and process improvement.
Solution:
A workshop brought the entire team together to collaboratively identify core issues and streamline workflows. Using interactive visual aids, employees transformed abstract technical processes into tangible, easy-to-understand systems. This:
01.
Broke down communication barriers, fostering better collaboration.
02.
Enabled teams to pinpoint process inefficiencies in real time.
03.
Encouraged active participation, improving overall engagement and ownership.
Additionally, external experts were consulted to refine code development processes, further strengthening quality control and reducing defects.
Results: The transformation delivered substantial long-term benefits:
Reduced reliance on external contractors, increasing internal efficiency.
Eliminated $55 million in costs over five years.
Improved defect rates, leading to higher-quality code production.
The department head was promoted to VP of Infrastructure and deployed the Method across teams.
Key Takeaway
By integrating visual management, structured problem-solving, and leadership training, this IT department dramatically improved code quality, reduced costs, and strengthened team collaboration. The Work Excellence Method not only resolved immediate challenges but also created a sustainable, scalable framework for continued success across the organization.