Indicators are great for knowing if you process is running smoothly but what if you are trying to "improve" your process. What do the indicators mean then?
Red, error, defect, problem, customer complaint. These all translate as "areas that could use improvement"
I love the Red! Where else does a process actually tell you "I need to improve." 'Please come over and help me."
Think of the red as a squeaky wheel. Yes there's a problem, yes it needs to be fixed. The difficulty is deciding which issue to prioritize first.
Green just means you are within specifications, it doesn't mean that your "specs" are very good.
If I'm out jogging and I set my pace at 1 mph I know I'll be able to keep up with it. That does not mean I'm going to get anywhere very quickly.
Too often companies set a specification or pace to operate at. The quality control department notices that everything is in the green so there are no apparent issues.
The: "If it's not broke don't fix it attitude" sets in and no improvements are made. The Green keeps everything at "status quo".
The greatest gains can come from working on a Green process
Just because something is running correctly does not mean it's the best way to do it. I've seen the greatest gains from taking a perfectly stable system and improving it so it operates with less effort and at a lower cost. NOTE * to have a stable system you may need to address some of your Red items first.
Understanding what Red
and Green mean is about
understanding your system in relation to your goals and priorities. Sometimes working on improving a Green
process can be just as important as working on a Red issue depending on what the cost/benefit is
to your company.
