Jean on Problem Solving

Did you know scientists have almost perfected cars that can drive themselves? What an exciting advance that will be when it finally happens. Think elders who no longer have to turn in their licenses as vision fades. Think fewer accidents caused by drivers trying to eat, shave or talk on the cell phone. Think no more drunk driving. A government-sponsored contest called The Great Robot Race prompted tech experts from all over to attempt what once seemed impossible. But how could a vehicle make all the complex decisions needed to navigate unfamiliar terrain? Specifically, how could a machine see?

Here’s how it’s done. First, lasers, cameras and radar units work together to graph the area. Then complex software analyzes the millions of data points and instantaneously directs the vehicle’s steering and speed. It turns out that robotic vehicles drive safely using the same thing you should be using to drive your business – measures.

Though it might be lower-tech, your organization’s measures scorecard should be something everyone follows carefully. (It will take more than just the basic reports from your accounting system.) While cost and revenue measures are certainly part of what you’ll follow, you should also track quality, satisfaction and time and/or resource efficiency. The scorecard should reflect the performance characteristics of a wide range of stakeholders including customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders or owners.

Here are some typical measures that companies track:

• Total cost per employee (including benefits and taxes)
• Customer satisfaction
• Number of new customers
• Employee turnover
• Revenue per customer
• Revenue per employee
• Time to market for new products
• Time to project completion for installations
• Number of level 1 calls completed per service consultant

Though specialized vehicles are almost ready to drive themselves, most businesses haven’t gotten that far. To keep your organization on the right road, focus on a well-rounded set of business and customer measures. With the right course corrections, your team will have a chance of winning its great race.